Second-Tier Law School Dean Desperately Assures You That Law School Is Still a Great Buy
Lawrence Mitchell is the dean of Case Western Reserve University's law school, ranked #67 by US News, not that a doctor of jurisprudence like Lawrence Mitchell would concern himself with pedestrian matters such as his law school's low, low ranking. No—Lawrence Mitchell is concerned with more elevated matters, such as the wanton meanness of mean people who say mean things about law school. Have persons no respect?
Lawrence Mitchell, whose income and professional success is wholly dependent on hordes of young people continuing to pay huge sums to attend his second-tier law school, is tired of the "relentless attacks on law schools," by "the popular press, bloggers," and others. First of all who is he even talking about because that issue just has not shown up on our radar. Second of all, it's strange that a law school dean would write what might be colloquially referred to as a "butthurt" op-ed, because it is completely out of character for lawyers to be self-righteous, defensive little crybabies. Third of all, what is the problem here, really?
The overwrought atmosphere has created irrationalities that prevent talented students from realizing their ambitions. Last spring we accepted an excellent student with a generous financial-aid package that left her with the need to borrow only $5,000 a year. She told us that she thought it would be "irresponsible" to borrow the money. She didn't attend any law school. I think that was extremely shortsighted, but this prevailing attitude discourages bright students from attending law school.
One less lawyer in the world, one less smart person wasting their life as a lawyer, one less indebted law school grad, one less person competing with all those other recent law school grads for work, one more bright young person who might put their talents to work helping mankind rather than helping corporations pay the lowest possible taxes. Everything seems to be in order here.
But since Lawrence Mitchell appears to be having a tough time, please remember to consider Case Western Reserve University law school. It's in Cleveland.
