Vago Chapter 8 Pt.

Law Schools
o Overall enrollment has increased, from 1963-1964
(~50,000) to 2008-2009 (~152,000)
o Women and minorities have been dramatically
unrepresented in the legal profession
o Recently theres been pressure to hire more women and
minorities in law school
o Law schools tend to draw from more affluent families
o There was a decline in application to law schools (maybe
because of limited prospects, low morale at law firms after
layoffs, other lingering effects of the legal recession), but
this may start picking up
o Graduates of elite law schools are more likely to wok at
firms, whereas graduates of mediocre law school typically
work in solo practice
o Admission to law school heavily reliant on GPA and LSAT

scores
Socialization into the Profession
o A very difficult process
o Is done by learning the case method of education law
through court decisions, appellate opinions, etc.
o Many students change their political orientation in a
conservative direction (a financially successful lawyer
needs clients who are able to pay fees)
o Growing emphasis on interdisciplinary work in law schools,
and globalization of legal education
o Many law students are placed in real situations during

their second and third years

Bar Admission
o Need to take the bar in order to become a lawyer
Bar Associates as Interest Groups
o Bar influences the selection of federal judges
o National and state bar associations have often turned to
politics to promote their professional and economic
interests

o They oppose the spread of legal self-help materials and the

growth of the self-help industry

Professional Discipline
o Legal profession has always been concerned with the
ethical forms under which lawyers operate
o 2007 edition of the Model Rules of Professional Conduct
provides an up-to-date resource for information on lawyer
ethics, including information of client-lawyer relationship,
the lawyer as a counselor, as an advocate, etc. But a
serious weakness of the codes and model rules is that they
are not binding on lawyers and the adoption of them is not
required by local groups.
o In some states, disciplinary committees operate under the
court system to investigate complaints about alleged
violations of professional rules of conduct, in others, the
bar association investigates.
o The highest ethical standards are found among attorneys
who work for large firms
o Violations may be punished by a reprimand, a temporary
suspension of the license to practice law, or the revocation
of the license
o Lack of familiarity with the code of professional
responsibility is highest among lawyers who are NOT in
private practice
o Ethics are not discussed or emphasized especially among
solo practitioners and lawyers not in private practice
o Difficult problem of monitoring judicial conduct, as well as
the relationship between clients and lawyers, employees,
etc.