The Recession Hits Harvard Law

"Regretfully, we write to inform you that we are unable to accept you...." For most of us, as we contemplate the dismal job market ahead, this phrase is a nightmare. Unfortunately, even for Harvard Law students, it's apparently becoming a reality.

Boasting an 11 percent acceptance rate and an average LSAT score of 173, Harvard Law is often considered one of the best law schools in the world. With statistics like these, it seems like HLS students should have job offers lined up outside the door. But in an anonymous article in the Harvard Law Record, one disgruntled third-year HLS student reveals otherwise.

The student voiced frustration over the lack of jobs offers made to many third-year HLS students this year. Your initial reaction to this may be disgust—why should anyone who made it to Harvard Law be complaining?

But the disappointment is understandable. After years of sleepless nights spent studying and thousands of dollars in student loans, it's easy to see why any student would be dismayed to end his time at HLS with no job offer to show for it.

Certainly, the article doesn't deny the inherent privilege that comes with being a Harvard student. The author, who although clearly expresses frustration, also readily admits that "as Harvard graduates, we have more opportunities.  Most people encountering employment challenges in this economy are in worse positions than we are."

To other rejected 3Ls, the author offers these words of comfort: "I’m confident we will all land on our feet.  And I’m certain that the experience will be an opportunity for us to find strength we didn’t know we had." We appreciate your optimism, and we wish you luck. All the same, for our own sakes, let's hope the H-bomb regains its power by the time it's our turn to don Crimson caps and gowns.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.