24% of law students expect to work in public service, survey says

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24% of legislation college students anticipate to work in public service, survey says

By Debra Cassens Weiss

March 13, 2024, 2:45 pm CDT

Public service seems to be extra of a profession aim amongst in the present day’s legislation college students than for many who got here earlier than them.

Twenty-four % of legislation college students surveyed by Bloomberg Legislation mentioned they anticipate to work as a working towards lawyer in public service. It was the second hottest reply, behind anticipating to work as a working towards lawyer at a legislation agency, chosen by 59% of the respondents.

Practising attorneys surveyed, who had a mean of 26 years in follow, had totally different expectations in legislation college, based on the survey. Eighty % mentioned they anticipated to work as a working towards lawyer at a agency, whereas solely 10% mentioned they anticipated to work as a working towards lawyer in public service.

Expectations don’t all the time align with actuality, Bloomberg Legislation factors out in a narrative on its Legislation Faculty Preparedness survey. Solely 0.5% of the surveyed attorneys mentioned they primarily follow in public curiosity.

However there was a rise in new attorneys working in public service, Bloomberg reviews, citing info on employment outcomes from the ABA. The share working in such jobs was about 4% in 2016 and slightly greater than 8% in 2022.

The article suggests a number of doable causes for elevated curiosity in public-interest work, together with a “Trump bump”—an elevated curiosity in making a distinction following the election of former President Donald Trump in 2016. Another excuse could also be a rise in variety at legislation faculties. College students with various experiences could have extra of a want to assist marginalized communities.

Greater than 2,700 legislation college students, working towards attorneys and others within the authorized occupation participated within the Bloomberg Legislation survey, which was performed Nov. 15, 2023, by way of Dec. 4, 2023.