The dream of becoming a lawyer with a high salary might be slowly fading away.
A recent New York Times article discussed the realities of law school debt and stated that according to a Northwestern Law study, about 15,000 attorney and legal-staff jobs at large firms have disappeared since 2008.
“Make sure you want to be a lawyer, not just a sports agent, not just a media law mogul but a lawyer,” said Bob O’Linn, a first-year law student at UF.
O’Linn said he isn’t discouraged and has been offered a paid internship in Jacksonville.
“The key is personal contact and meeting with people in the market you want to practice,” O’Linn said.
The UF Levin College of Law has its own Center for Career Development, which provides law students and alumni with a range of career sources including workshops and individual career counseling, according to its website.
Robert Rush, a UF law school alumnus, graduated from the law school back in 1985. Rush is now part-owner of a law office located in downtown Gainesville.
He said he has received 20 resumes in the past year but doesn’t need to hire anyone new. However, he does offer summer clerkships for current law students.
Rush said students should look for jobs and not worry about the pay until they gain some experience because they are competing with lawyers who do have experience.
“It’s a myth that you’re going to become a multi-millionaire,” said Rush. “If you take care of the client and the case, you don’t have to worry about the money ever again.”
