NOT A BAD IDEA
(In response to John Gaylord’s April 21 column, “Question for the dean.”)
The law school tuition hike might not be such a bad idea. The extra cost will serve as a barrier to keep out lukewarm aspiring attorneys.
Law school is an endeavor only for people who want to be lawyers. The tuition increase will make would-be law students think extra hard about jumping into a three-year, $100,000-plus specialization for a career they might not actually like.
People who have wanted to be lawyers all their lives are willing to pay more to see that dream through. The rest, to whom the law is a Plan B or a “Gee-I-could-do-that” career, are paying six figures and losing three years of wages to find out that law practice is not for them.
It is true that a legal education is a powerful asset, but for that second group of law students who do not become lawyers, their JDs are little more than job-market signals. The JD should not become the new MBA.
I understand that a bachelor's degree is not as exceptional as it used to be and that some college graduates may see law school as a way to set themselves apart.
But prospective law students should also understand that law school is not for everyone, and the tuition increase highlights that point.
Anthony B. Eskridge
Law student
