35-40% cut in faculty.
Increased teaching loads to 8 classes per annum.
9-5 work schedule.
9-5 work schedule!!!!!!!
Intolerable. These are academic professionals. Why don't you just tell them to go work in a fucking law office if you want to subject them to such barbarity.
Unlike the American revolution, however, the King will win. And by King I mean John O'Brien, who makes $800k+ a year tossing lemmings into the invisible debtor's prison. Law professors, by their genes as former JD students, simply do not have the fortitude or market position to mount a serious protest.
Because at the end of the day, law professors need to realize that if they don't lend a helping hand in scooping up more meat for the abattoir, they're going to get booted out. That's capitalism, and it's a very good thing, especially if the ruling class of legal administrators continues to make out like bandits.
Oh, and the scambloggers are still full of shit and legal education will rebound stronger than ever when employers figure out the diversity of a degree and students learn to network properly yadda blahda blah...
Epic post!
ReplyDeleteI remember when Cockroach O'Brien chirped to the Oregonian about how "law schools are businesses." For $ome rea$on, the piece of garbage "forgot" to mention that these in$TTTiTTTuTTTion$ of "higher education" are insulated from the job market.
It's unbelievable that deans can play the business card when increasing profitability but play the nonprofit card when it comes to taxes and governance.
DeleteI have no problem with running a law school as a business...as long as the school is subject to the same taxes/regulations as businesses of similar size AND must compete in the market to obtain credit (instead endlessly feeding at the federal student loan trough).
That news has been out for a week, but the insights in this post are fresh and humorous. I think the reform movement needs more such posts, fresh takes on our canon of outrageous events.
ReplyDeleteIt's too bad that the dean isn't suffering, even as the "professors" get forced out of their cushy positions. I'd prefer to see everyone suffer together. But that's the way the system works.
ReplyDelete"Oh, and the scambloggers are still full of shit and legal education will rebound stronger than ever when employers figure out the diversity of a degree and students learn to network properly yadda blahda blah..."
ReplyDeleteThis is hilarious. It's funny because it's true... I can't even remember how many "learn-all-the-things-you-can-do-other-than-practice-law-with-a-JD" events we've had at my school. RIDICULOUS!
It's actually a lie....
HAHHAH
I feel like they think its funny. It must be some gigantic joke.
Imagine faculty meetings...
"THese kids are screwed... ya we know.... oh well let's hold some event to pretend like we care... OK so vote on upping our pay, SOUNDS GREAT!!!"
Wonderful post, great story. It will be interesting to see how many New England lawprofs are able to successfully lateral to other schools or into (heh, heh) lucrative private practice. I also hope that one of these New England profs is inspired to write a great law review article: "The Intersection of Legal Education and Poetic Justice: Narratives and Counter-Narratives of a Collapsing Scam."
ReplyDeleteI'd be content with just the counter-narrative.
ReplyDelete