Document Type
Essay
Publication Date
2025
Publication Information
93 Fordham L. Rev. 1279 (2025).
Abstract
This paper, presented as part of a colloquium on Lawyers and Their Institutions, considers two important institutions — law schools and "big law," especially transaction practice at elite law firms — and argues that they exert a problematic influence on developing attorneys by inculcating opposing types of disrespect for the law. First, the process of legal education often suggests that the law is fundamentally indeterminate. Second, big law tends to suggest to junior associates that law is largely irrelevant. Such misunderstandings can result in a misconception of the purpose of law and give a false impression of the lawyer's power. This paper ultimately suggests that all that can be done is for institutions to acknowledge and mitigate these effects.
Recommended Citation
Julian Velasco,
Shortcomings of Law School and Big Law,
93 Fordham L. Rev. 1279 (2025)..
Available at:
https://scholarship.law.nd.edu/law_faculty_scholarship/1977