In the last 10 years or so (I'm not sure precisely when) the New York State Bar Association altered their requirements for being able to take the Bar exam (which, for those who don't know, is a prerequisite to practicing law in New York, as well as other states.)

Originally, for many years, one was allowed to sit the exam without having gone to law school. Now, you must have gone to an ABA accredited law school and earned a J.D. before you are allowed to take the exam (or, I believe, have spent 6 years in the legal industry.)

Who does this new scheme benefit? The law schools! The requirements for a J.D. degree (the basic law degree) are the credit equivalent of 3 years of day school or 4 of night school. These rules are pretty much standard in all ABA accredited law schools. And yet, the material covered by the Bar exam essentially is limited to just the first year of required materials!

In other developed countries, such as the UK, you can become a practicing lawyer having taken just a one year "conversion" course, converting your undergrad degree, whatever it is, into a law degree, and sitting an exam. And of course, this course is essentially free. Whereas here, in New York and many other states, you have to spend roughly $80,000 at a minimum for the same privilege.

It's a scam!

-koji K.

I don't think it's so much a scam as it is lowering the population of lawyers. After the technology boom crashed, many people were afraid of not being able to find decent jobs that paid enormous amounts of money. So where is the next place you look? Into stable jobs such as medicine, law, marketing, etc. The problem here is that the majority of those going into law are doing it for the money and not for the passion, forcing someone to go to law school and receive a degree is just another way of filtering out those that are doing it for the money and in a way asking for commitment. Personally I think this is a smart idea, sure the law schools make money, but it's better to give a client peace of mind then a piece of their income. It's early, and I'm not sure if this makes sense.

there are an awfull lot of lawyers in america...i assume alot more 'common folk' are trying to become lawyers...but i guess as more and more people become lawyers and begin to understand AMERICAN law a little better, there will be more and more 'common folk' who see just how purposly difficult laws are made to understand. you can't have everybody knowing the law...look what happened to the Freemen of Montana. correct me if i'm wrong but, when a person is represented by an attorney in court..are they not considered a 'ward' of the court?? and isn't a ward of the court defined has a child or person of unsound mind...or something to that affect???
what does BAR stand for??? isn't it Britsh Acredited Registry???? why would it be called that in America?? you are not suppose to know what the gold fringed flag hanging in a court room means...the average person is not suppose to understand the law...........

Originally posted by koji_K
It's a scam!

I agree.

Originally posted by IKnowNothing
I don't think it's so much a scam as it is lowering the population of lawyers...

Can't the market decide if there's too many lawyers? Lawyers who can't find jobs will have to change careers to earn money, just like everyone else does.

[edit on 9/19/2004 by ThunderCloud]