Episode 132 – Law Schools Need to Address Financial Reality About Practicing Law

Scott talks about his recent attendance at a conference sponsored by the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System where the subject was the future of law schools and the legal system. While there were some positive moments where there were discussions about making law school more client-centered; using apps to increase access to justice; and teaching leadership in law school. However, there was a lot of talk about meeting the needs of the unrepresented without any solutions that would help lawyers make that financially worthwhile. Oscar brought up that President Obama’s Student Loan Forgiveness Program has led many new attorneys to get involved in public service; a similar idea geared towards helping the under-represented could work to bridging this gap. The podcast hosts point out that until law schools and those in academia take note of the many lawyers that are not making a living, a credible solution to filling the gap will not be found.