Outlook from 1 North Front a column by students at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law “IT AIN’T WHAT IT USED TO BE” by W. MCDONALD PLOSSER


weary). Now I want to explore one of the most daunting challenges facing nearly every law student from the moment they walk in the doors until they graduate: finding a job in the current legal market. Like any good narrative, the stage must be set. Te recession beginning in 2008 and 2009 laid a foundation for the downturn in hiring and subsequently put a vice on the nation’s economy. According to law professor Bernard Burk at the University of North Carolina, law firms— typically the larger ones—cut their hiring practices to almost nothing following that downturn. Professor Burk wrote a paper analyzing the relevant data surrounding this dramatic shift.


I In it, he notes that those


larger firms were responsible for more than half of the entry-level jobs lost since 2008. Tis represented a market contraction six times greater than all of the other legal employers. In Memphis, however, the 100+ lawyer firm exists only in rare


quantities. According to the Memphis Business Journal, only one firm has a Memphis office of that size. Te vast majority of Memphis firms are thus considered small to mid-sized, ranging anywhere from 11 to near 50 local attorneys. Other cities—even ones smaller in size than Memphis—have a very different makeup. For example, in Birmingham, AL, the five largest firms range from 92 to 233 attorneys in local offices. Tat totals 793 total attorneys among those five firms, compared to Memphis’ 298. I sat down with Dean Estelle Winsett and Callie Caldwell of the


Career Services Office (“CSO”) to discuss some of the steps the office is taking to adapt to these realities. At the outset, students in this market face some discouraging statistics. For example, there has been about a 20% decline in the number of firms that typically participated in the on- campus interview (or “OCI”) process since 2009. While Dean Winsett noted that some firms are coming back to OCIs, that number is still not what it used to be. Instead of OCIs, the CSO said, many of those firms have resorted to hiring more experienced attorneys laterally or making do with smaller numbers; neither of which is favorable for recent graduates. On the other hand, Dean Winsett and Ms. Caldwell cited some


very encouraging numbers from the most recent graduating class. More specifically, nine months after graduation found 83.5% of graduates employed and using their law degrees. While some may not be working at their ideal firm, practicing in the area of their dreams, or even working full-time, recent graduates are finding jobs where they can use their degree


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n the last column, I highlighted the struggles and joys of each stage in the law school experience, each replete with its own successes and failures that grow us into seasoned and better prepared jurists (albeit


relatively soon after they leave One North Front Street. Dean Peter V. Letsou corroborated this notion in saying that, while many firms have become choosier as a result of the recession, the effects of the market’s downturn have not been as detrimental here on such a large scale as in other areas. However, not all of the opportunities are coming from existing


firms. One of the more exciting programs initiated by the law school in tandem with the Memphis Bar Association and others is the Esq. Build Incubator, designed to train and equip young attorneys to be sole practitioners. Graduates of the program are given office space for a low monthly rate as well as mentors both from the Memphis Bar Association and the Service Corps of Retired Executives (“SCORE”) to assist them in their progress. Tose graduates, in turn, agree to perform a certain number of pro bono hours. Ms. Caldwell noted that the first year of this program was a success, seeing five graduates leave the program and enter the job market equipped both with the law, the business sense, and the support necessary to survive in an evolving legal climate. In order to situate themselves squarely for early employment,


the CSO has stressed that students start their job pursuit early and be specific about what one’s strengths and interests are. “If you market to everyone,” Dean Winsett said, “you’re marketable to no one.” Te CSO’s worst nightmare is a third-year student that has no idea what they want to do. While they haven’t failed, they’ve certainly put themselves at a disadvantage in finding an opportunity going forward. But this raises the issue: to what extent is it this office’s job to create those chances for students? “Career Services gives opportunities, but they don’t create jobs for each individual,” Dean Letsou said. However, he pointed out that potential employers in the Memphis area have a favorable view of the law school’s graduates in large part due to the CSO’s efforts. Ms. Caldwell views the CSO’s role as one that is complimentary to the students’ individual efforts. Te bottom line, she said, is that the student and the CSO are partners in pursuit of the same goal. Both the students and the school are recognizing their potential, and with good reason. “Te quality of our students is excellent at graduation,” urged Dean Letsou. As a result, he is very optimistic that University of Memphis graduates will be the ones taking advantage of new opportunities when hiring rebounds. “After all,” he said, “recessions don’t last forever.”


ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mac Plosser is in his third year at the University of Memphis School of Law and currently serves as the Senior Notes Editor for the University of Memphis Law Review.


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