BCLS Rolls Out Plans to Help Graduating Students; Loan Repayment Unaddressed
Eagleionline Staff
On April 22, Dean Garvey issued a memorandum to students in the Class of 2009 regarding the economy’s effect on the job market. A paucity of job offers and a barrage of deferments contribute to the “difficult year for law school graduates.” The memo reflects the stopgap measures the Law School is extending to the graduating class.
The powers that be in the Law School “devoted a lot of thought over the past few months to ways we could help,” both in finding jobs and making “productive use of time” while waiting out deferments. Among the solutions offered by the school:
- Law School Fellows Program: “as many as twelve positions” will be available, paid at “a modest hourly rate” in places like the Legal Assistance Bureau and the Law Library.
- Career Services Partnership Program: working with some firms and companies, the Law School will coordinate jobs for graduates from September 1 of this year to March 1 of the next, to help out those who are waiting out deferrals or bar exam results. While stipends vary, past participants have “averaged $800 to $1000 per week.”
- Audit Courses: Class of 2009 graduates will be able to enroll in “a number of courses” in the fall semester, without tuition but without the opportunity to receive a grade, with the “understanding” that “graduates will participate in the class as observers.”
- Eagle Scholars Program: while auditing courses, graduates can participate in a weekly seminar intended to help students produce “a law review article of publishable quality.”
- Research Assistantships: in a measure bound to raise the ire of some continuing students, graduates are being welcomed to apply for assistantships with professors. Some faculty members have been given the green light to hire an extra assistant for the summer and fall.
- Public Service Jobs: for graduates waiting out deferrals, the Law School is extending access to PS Lawnet in an effort to connect graduates with public service opportunities.
These measures seem generally well received by third year students. Said 3L Caitlin Vaughn, students “facing deferments and looming unemployment appreciate the efforts that the administration has made so far.” She added, however, that “it still feels a little like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. A more concentrated effort to help students with student loan deferments and health insurance bridge options - things that will actually lessen the financial burden that three years of law school and no income have wrought - would be appreciated.” Another 3L echoed concerns about repaying loans, saying “the administration should be applauded for trying, even if the net result won’t be particularly helpful. The biggest obstacle to graduates is student loans, and none of the programs appear to address that.”
Along with enhanced networking programs, these measures are intended to stop some of the bleeding for this year’s graduates. Said Nate Kenyon, Director of Marketing and Communications at the Law School, “the important point is that financial aid and lenders are willing to work with graduates to figure out a plan that’s best for them.” Kenyon noted, “[w]e’re all very concerned about our graduates and the economic situation,” but stressed that while “we all want to help…unless students come to us we won’t know how to help them.” The hodge-podge of academic opportunity and professional aid offered by the school should serve to soften the blow the economy has dealt to this year’s graduates of the Law School, but it remains to be seen how effective they may prove to be.
Some second year students believe that while the School’s measures might do the job this year, they may fall short a year from now. “The School has actually done a halfway decent job of putting together some solutions,” said 2L Mark Gordon. He added, “since they’re pretty meager, though, I’m not sure they’ll be as effective next year if conditions worsen.”
Ryan Morrison and Amelia Gray contributed to this article.
Eagleionline Staff
This afternoon, Above the Law posted about similar measures taken by Georgetown. Among those: the option to extend health insurance for six months.
Reader Comments (8)
While I suppose that the effort is a commendable one, this plan is simply not going to do the job. Research assistant and LAB jobs are not going to pay the rent or make a dent in loan money for recent grads. But hey, it will give you just enough money to pay for a book for an audited class - 3 years tuition gets you a free semester at law school! These aren't solutions and if they are offered again next year, I will be an insulted. I am kind of insulted this year and I am not even graduating.
I take that back, I am rather insulted.
Not only are these not solutions for the class of 2009, some even detract from the opportunities for the classes of 2010 and 2011. We need those $10 an hour jobs because lets face it, they aren't paying the bills but maybe, just maybe, they pad the resume enough so that this doesn't happen next year and the year after that.
I get that it’s bad. I get that it’s scary. I get that we may (gasp) drop in the rankings if we don’t hire on more library staff in the form of students who just spent 3 years there themselves. Just because they know all the best places to study and find the earplugs, doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.
Hello living with your parents!
I say fire the career services staff (they are useless) and give their well paid jobs to unemployed grads. That way they can devote ALL their time to networking :-)
cant agree with you more, anon, on the firing part.
None of this helps.
You know what would help?
Extending the health insurance coverage until people can find jobs and those with deferrals start. An extra semester's worth (extending from current end of Aug. to Jan.) would really be a huge help for many students.
Even if this isn't an option, how about some useful information on the best policies to carry us over.
I honestly am shocked at how little communication there has been from the administration to 3Ls on the practical aspects of transitioning out of law school.
Perhaps executive pay should be examined.
@ K.S. www.mahealthconnector[dot]org - that's meant to come off as a genuine attempt at being helpful, for what it's worth
k.s., if you think communication is bad now, wait 'till you graduate! They will pressure you to take any job just so that their own statistics look good, regardless of wherther it is something that appeals to you or covers your student loans. If you don't.....well then its your own damn fault, you're not really looking, and you don't get to count in the statistics as unemployed......and that is the last you will ever hear from Maris & Co.