Introduction

Con (verb): to swindle, cheat, scam or defraud by gaining a person’s confidence.

Con (adverb): against a proposition or opinion.

For anyone who complains about law school, or who takes the legal-education industrial complex to task for its failures, here is the likely response from the powers-that-be:

“This is nothing but the ranting of a disgruntled failure, blaming his law school and the legal profession for a dismal flop of a career when he has no one to blame but himself. Our law school remains a great investment.”

This is difficult to counter, as sometimes this is true. Moreover, it tends to be the general reaction from anyone—and especially anyone in law school or the law—to any broader comment suggesting that a JD may not be the path to a stable career, a middle class (or better) income, and a life well-lived.

Let’s nip such criticisms in the bud and be very, very clear from the outset: this book is not written for the purpose of taking a vengeful stab at the legal profession. We each gained from our legal education and from our professional experiences—but it would be negligent of us not to warn others about the real dangers we faced and saw. This is a collection of our professional experiences, plus observations and practical cautions, including experiences, observations, and cautions from others with years of experience in the law.

He had it pretty good: a great salary, plentiful work as a real lawyer, manageable hours, about as perfect a private practice could ever be for a mid-level associate. Stressful at times, to be sure, but he knew he had it made compared to many others, and especially compared to recent law graduates, many of whom were already struggling to find jobs.

This was 2008.

Then something happened: The Shift.