WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., September 11, 2006 – Although most practicing lawyers say a solid foundation of academic achievement is probably the strongest indicator of later success as an attorney, law firms don’t view students graduating law school today as sufficiently prepared to hit the ground running, according to a Pace Law School survey of mid-size firms.

In fact, when asked to name a law school with the ideal curriculum, the majority of practicing lawyers (57%) can’t name one.

The survey, the first of its kind to examine the hiring practices of mid-size U.S. law firms, was conducted to gauge the state of law firm recruitment, and assess frustrations, challenges and best practices among law firms. It also gathered input from lawyers about candidates’ strengths and weaknesses, and what qualities and knowledge they should have when entering the job market.

The majority of respondents (57%) said academic groundwork in law school was a good predictor of future success in the field. However, only one firm in twelve (8%) filled its recruitment needs primarily by hiring graduates fresh out of law school. 

Instead, 80% of the larger firms and 60% of the total number of firms, large or small, filled their recruitment needs by hiring a mix of both recent graduates and experienced attorneys. Of those who did so, the top reason was to avoid establishing or funding costly training programs (45%), while 21% said they simply needed experienced lawyers.

“The bottom line is that legal education hasn’t evolved to meet the demands of this rapidly changing profession,” said Stephen J. Friedman, dean of Pace Law School. “We must realign law school education with the realities of practice, where there exists a necessity to make every lawyer, even new recruits, productive immediately.”

The survey showed that the greatest weakness of law school graduates was poor writing skills (24%) and lack of real world experience (23%), followed by a lack of dedication or a strong work ethic (21%), according to respondents.

The “perfect candidate,” according to representatives of larger law firms (those with more than 50 lawyers), had a strong academic background (38%) and experience (32%). Overall, the top responses on attributes of the perfect candidate were “intelligent, analytical, insightful” (40%), “disciplined, hard working” (37%), and “personable, good people skills” (34%).

While one-third of firms say they do not seek specific course backgrounds, more than a quarter (26%) say their firms seek students with education or experience in practice areas in which the firm specializes.

How should law schools change the way they educate students? Nearly four in ten (38%) said they should put stronger emphasis on writing, while one in four (24%) said law schools should focus on practical skills and 21% said more must be done to enrich students’ clinical experience.

The most valuable part of a law education is learning analytical skills (24%), while learning writing skills took second place (19%) for all firms, small or large. However, writing was the most frequent answer among larger firms alone (28%).

When asked what grads need greater exposure to, 69% said litigation, 35% said business law and 20% said real estate.

The mean starting salary across all firms was $85,525. In firms with fewer than 50 employees, the medium was $90,000; for firms with more than 50 employees, it was $75,000.

The survey makes the case that new graduates stand a better chance of succeeding in job interviews if they have access to clinical programs that can build on a rich educational experience in law school. Clinical programs that are integrated across a curriculum give students a chance to counsel real clients and defend their interests in court and in other adversary proceedings. 

Among other survey recommendations are that a law school curriculum should emphasize a strong work ethic and quality standards. Also, it should operate a program to help students seek jobs and become strong interviewees.

The survey was initiated last November with an online questionnaire sent to 372 law firms. The response rate was 29% with 108 lawyers participating.

More than 60% of responding firms were based in New York City and the tri-state area. Seventy percent of respondents came from firms with 50 or fewer attorneys. More than half of all respondents (56%) reported that their firm’s focus was both transactional and litigation law, while 31% reported their firm’s focus was litigation. 

Founded in 1976, Pace University School of Law has nearly 5,000 alumni/ae throughout the country. It offers full- and part-time day and evening JD programs on its White Plains, N.Y., campus. The School also offers the Master of Laws in Environmental Law and in Comparative Legal Studies. The School, which has one of the nation's top-rated environmental law programs, also offers the SJD program in that field. The School of Law is part of a comprehensive, independent and diversified University with campuses in New York City and Westchester County. www.law.pace.edu 

Celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2006, Pace University educates achievers who are engaged with critical issues both locally and globally. Known for an outcome-oriented environment that prepares students to succeed in a wide-range of professions, Pace has three campuses, including New York City (downtown and Midtown), Westchester (Pleasantville, Briarcliff, and the White Plains Graduate Center), and Pace Law School in White Plains. A private metropolitan university, Pace enrolls approximately 14,000 students in undergraduate, masters, and doctoral programs in the Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, Ivan G. Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems, Law School, Lienhard School of Nursing, Lubin School of Business, and School of Education. www.pace.edu