Brooklyn Law School Will Partially Reimburse Graduates Who Can’t Find Jobs
Gone are the days when a law degree guaranteed you at least some sort of living wage. In a depressed job market, the number of law school applicants nationwide recently hit a 15-year low. This dearth of wannabe lawyers has led Brooklyn Law School to offer prospective students a partial money-back guarantee: In a new safety net program, called Bridge to Success, they’re offering to repay students 15% of their tuition if they’re unable to find jobs nine months after graduating, the New York Times reports.
The program is just one of many improvised survival tactics law schools are using post-recession, a depressing reflection of the sorry state of the legal sector. After the recession, about 60,000 law-related jobs evaporated, only about 20,000 of which have since been recovered, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Brooklyn Law School has also lowered its tuition by 15%, setting it to an average of $43,237 a year. The new program was introduced on the heels of a lawsuit from Brooklyn Law grads who called their $150,000 legal education a “terrible investment” after being unable to find employment post-graduation. Now, enrolling isn’t quite as much of a gamble. To qualify for Bridge to Success, you have to pass the bar exam, and provide evidence that you’ve actually been looking for a full-time job for nine months after graduating. So, if you don’t necessarily want a job but really like the idea of studying law for several years and have money to burn, apply now.
[via The New York Times]