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Mainstream Media and Law School

Many students applying for law school believe that they will be able to find a job right out of school despite the tough economy and will make money hand over fist as well. What many law student applicants come to find out is that this is far from the truth. One of the main reasons for this is that the media sugarcoats how successful young attorneys can be right out of school.

If law school students and applicants perform just a little bit of research they will be able to find out that the legal world is not what it is portrayed to be in movies and television. In fact, it is very difficult to find a job upon graduation. Law school students need to determine if spending $100,000 or more on a law degree is worth it in this current economy. Thousands of law school students decide to make this investment for the wrong reasons each year.

Those wrong reasons can be blamed on law schools that bend the truth when it comes to their statistics in an effort to increase enrollment. There are over 10 law schools across the country facing class action lawsuits for intentionally inflating employment statistics of their graduates. These inflated statistics have led to students being jobless after graduation and in debt because of the cost of the education.

The information regarding the class action lawsuits against the various law schools has been appearing in major news outlets across the country. This is helping current law school students understand what is occurring at schools across the country, possible even their own. The news is also affecting prospective law school students, who will now think twice before deciding to apply.

The media can still be a helpful hand for those looking to apply at a law school, specifically the site known as Top Law Schools. This site is a nonprofit, which prides itself on providing applicants with accurate information on schools across the country. The website provides a forum for users, who can remain anonymous; to post any questions they have about law school. Those questions range from how to negotiate with a school for a larger scholarship to how to study for the LSAT. Forum users tend to ask tougher questions because their names do not appear on the screen, making it easier to protect their reputation no matter the question they ask.

The website mentioned above, along with other legal websites, ensure that students and prospective applicants are receiving the correct information about law schools. The information has been taken from these sites and posted on blogs, school websites, and even on the news recently. For the most part, law schools report their graduates’ job information accurately, but not everyone can be trusted. Advice for prospective law students is to do as much research as possible before deciding whether or not to go to law school.

Jim Vassallo: Jim is a freelance writer based out of the suburbs of Philadelphia in New Jersey. Jim earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and minor in Journalism from Rowan University in 2008. While in school he was the Assistant Sports Director at WGLS for two years and the Sports Director for one year. He also covered the football, baseball, softball and both basketball teams for the school newspaper 'The Whit.' Jim lives in New Jersey with his wife Nicole, son Tony and dog Phoebe.

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