US law jobs are on the decline again, dropping 700 jobs in May and following hard on the heals of a 2000 job drop in April.
The figures from the Labor Department show that there are around 1.14 million legal jobs in May, which is still around 1200 more than May last year, but 40,000 behind the decade record set in 2007.
The depressing law job market – indeed the poor job market generally – has seen law schools competing more ferociously than ever for applicants. The pool of applicants itself is around two thirds the size it was just four years ago.
Law schools across the country are scrambling to cut costs for students, slashing tuition or boosting scholarships to lure the best prospects. They are also reducing class sizes to make sure they’re accepting and educating only the students most likely to get jobs and pay off the debt they piled on while earning their degrees.
