Michael S. Burns, associate dean for enrollment management and director of admission at DePaul University College of Law, took some time to answer a few questions about the job market and the economy.
What advice do you have for those going through a job transition?
With the current economic downturn, we’ve seen an increase in prospective law students who are considering returning to school from the work force. My advice is to use this time as an opportunity to reflect upon your career goals and dreams. This may be an ideal opportunity to move into a new career and achieve a dream that would have otherwise gone unfulfilled. Because the law and lawyers touch every area of society, it’s not difficult to find an area of law in which you can still make use of some of the knowledge and skills that you acquired in another profession. Most law schools, like DePaul, really value students who bring professional work experience with them to law school.
What are some of the common questions you hear from law students about the job market?
With so many stories in the news about large law firms laying-off attorneys, many prospective students ask whether jobs will be available for them upon graduation. First, it’s important to note that the job market tends to be cyclical. The legal job market will bounce back, as it has in past years after other economic downturns. In addition, a law degree will always be a valued. Because the skills acquired in law school are so widely valued, graduates of law school are sought after in a number of industries including insurance, banking, human resources, contract negotiations, healthcare and both private & public management.
How has the changing economy impacted the law school’s enrollment?
Because a number of factors affect law school enrollment, it is difficult to isolate the impact of any single factor. It appears, however, that the economy has caused a slight increase in interest. At DePaul, we received more than 5,000 applications for admission for fall 2009. This reflects a steady increase in applications in recent years.
Our enrollment will also be slightly higher than last year. For fall 2009, we expect to enroll approximately 260 full-time day students and 100 part-time evening students.
What impact will the economy have on the local law community?
I would imagine that the economy will have a tremendous impact on some within the local legal community and less impact on others. We’ve recently witnessed substantial layoffs at some very large, prestigious law firms. Some smaller firms seem to be thriving as corporate clients look beyond large law firms for representation. Some attorneys will make changes within their firms or practice areas in an effort to become more competitive in a changing world.
Attorneys in Transition Event on May 8, 2009
