More Good News

There is no question the U.S. overproduces lawyers, and would be better off with far fewer. Instapundit links to an article on the TaxProfBlog which reports some 80 law schools are in danger of closing. Author Paul Caron writes:

With various projections of law employment (as we know it) put at 23,000 available positions annually (and quite possibly substantially lower) compared to the 45,000 that was the norm for a time, there is no need for 203 (ABA) fully accredited law schools, for another five provisionally accredited schools, or for the graduates of the numerous California non-ABA law schools approved by that state’s Bar, and another ten or so new or entirely unaccredited law schools.

Caron adds a fascinating factoid, based on the low cost a law faculty member incurs in suing his school: it is much easier to close a law school than to downsize it. Downsized faculty can sue for discrimination of one sort or another, while laying off the entire law faculty shows no favoritism, treats all faculty equally.