Huffington Post:  The Problem With Law School, by Kyle McEntee (Law School Transparency):

The November 29 New York Times editorial by Case Western law school dean Lawrence E. Mitchell (Law School Is Worth the Money) [criticized here] reminds us why people relentlessly criticize law schools. The piece misleads readers and shamelessly disregards why critics stand up for students. …

Dean Mitchell wants to take the long view. Forget that when law
school started for this May’s graduating class, ABA-approved schools
enrolled 52,500 students,
or that from 2007 through 2011 an average of just 27,200 graduates had
full-time legal jobs within nine months of graduation. Overlook that
tuition continues to increase, despite years of warnings that tuition
hikes at rates far exceeding inflation are unsustainable and unfair.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the crunch for lawyer jobs continues to worsen. It projects 21,880 new lawyer jobs
per year through 2020, in part because the legal profession is
undergoing substantial structural change. Globalization, technological
improvements, and a growing market for non-lawyer legal services
contribute to a weakened entry-level market for fresh graduates.
Nevertheless, the law school crisis is not solely a function of
oversupply. …

If a student debt-finances the entire cost of their legal education at Dean Mitchell’s school today, she will owe a cool quarter of a million dollars by the time her first payment is due. 46.3% of the school’s class of 2011
had full-time professional jobs (legal or not) lasting at least one
year; 20% of the class made at least $70,000. Not even 10%
of the class made more than the average amount borrowed ($98,900), let
alone the actual debt figures after interest accumulates during school
and opportunity costs. As these facts seep into the marketplace, it is
no wonder Case Western’s enrollment is down 35% over the last two years.