Outside Counsel

Let's think about what law schools we could do without for a few minutes, shall we? In an effort at fairness let's start with New York, which has 15 law schools, and imports lawyers from all over the rest of the country -- and the world-- as well. In the current climate 15 law schools is at least five too many, and if we could cut that by half that'd be even better.

Let me start by saying that I am confident that all of these schools have produced capable lawyers. I know capable lawyers from most of them. If we weren't in a place where we were exploiting law students I'd say let 'em all be. Since we are in that place, however, let's see how we can carve the number of law schools down. I don't like or trust US News rankings, so I won't use them. Here are the schools:
Albany Law School, Union University.
Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University
Brooklyn Law School
University at Buffalo Law School, SUNY
Columbia University Law School
Cornell Law School
City University of New York School of Law
Fordham University School of Law
Hofstra University School of Law
Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center
New York Law School
New York University School of Law
Pace University School of Law
St. John's University School of Law
Syracuse University College of Law

There are two public institutions here: Buffalo and CUNY. Sorry, CUNY, you are redundant. There are two Catholic law schools here: Fordham and St. Johns. They should merge. Unless Cardozo is doing something amazing that I don't know about I don't see what it is bringing to the party. Lose it. There are two Ivy's and NYU. Cornell's law school isn't All That, but given New York's spread of population I think an upstate Ivy and a NYC Ivy is something we can live with. NYU is, frankly, one of the very best schools in the country. Long Island has two law schools, which is at least two too many: I'd keep Hofstra, and get rid of Touro, and you could talk me into Hofstra. It seems to me that a pretty good rule of thumb is to get rid of any law school that is not a part of a university. Sorry, Brooklyn. Frankly, Albany's tie to Union has always seemed tenuous,  so we can cut it loose, too. Likewise New York Law, and Pace. I see no need for Syracuse-- if you want to go to law school in a cold, grey upstate place go to Buffalo or Cornell.

What's that leave us?

Albany Law School, Union University.
Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University
Brooklyn Law School 
University at Buffalo Law School, SUNY
Columbia University Law School
Cornell Law School
City University of New York School of Law 
Fordham University School of Law (Merge w/St. Johns)
Hofstra University School of Law
Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center 
New York Law School 
New York University School of Law
Pace University School of Law 
St. John's University School of Law  (Merge w/Fordham)
Syracuse University College of Law

At a stroke I have reduced New York's contribution to the present legal crisis by nine law schools. Does my list seem so drastic? Buffalo, Columbia, Cornell, Fordham/St. Johns, Hofstra and NYU. All well-respected, good geographical diversity, reasonable range of tuition. I am sure that many will find this list objectionable, but here's what I find objectionable: Students graduating with non-dischargable debt and no realistic prospects for employment in their field. Any institution of higher learning that isn't troubled by that is, I think, acting in bad faith.