Law School and Beyond--Facts and Figures About Legal Education

Have you ever wanted to find a list of specialized post-J.D. degree programs offered by American law schools? Did you ever need some reliable facts and figures about legal education for a research paper, presentation or special event? A great source of quick and authoritative information is the American Bar Association’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. Their web site’s Legal Education Statistics page provides links to the latest law school enrollment figures, and to statistics on student and faculty demographics, law school tuition and living expenses, and much more. Select other links to view listings of post-J.D. programs in a wide variety of specialties, from tax law to tribal law, with a definition of the legal degrees conferred. Those interested in the financial impact of their career choices, especially in the light of law student debt, might want to scroll down under “Latest News” on the Section’s home page for the link to the “Report of the ABA Commission on Loan Repayment and Assistance.” This report highlights recent data on student debt patterns, lawyer starting salaries, and the impact of both on law school graduates and the communities they serve.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Happy Belated 300, Ben!

I could not let the week go by without wishing Benjamin Franklin a happy 300th birthday (which was Tuesday, January 17). As a "founding father", his credentials are unassailable. Franklin signed the Declaration of Independence, took the lead in negotiating military assistance from France and the peace treaty at the end of the Revolutionary War and was part of the Constitutional Convention. In his "spare time", he was also one of the foremost scientists and publishers of the age. He prized tolerance and had a reputation for a wicked sense of humor.

How could you not want to celebrate someone who was described as "equal parts Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan and Bugs Bunny" ?

(Quoted from op-ed piece in Tuesday's New York Times by Stacy Schiff, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France and the Birth of America .)

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Coalition of Journalists for Open Government

The Web site for the Coalition of Journalists for Open Government is an online resource provided by this organization, whose primary goal is to improve public access to records and meetings at all governmental levels, and to strengthen laws that will make government more transparent. The home page offers listings of linked “headlines” that consist of excerpted news stories, articles and other items. Many of the excerpts include links to other relevant material, such as the texts of bills. In addition, the Coalition posts its various position papers, petitions, and letters to the site

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Don't forget your IDs

Since it is an important issue, we're going to repeat the recent email sent out to the law students.

All students: Please remember that, for security purposes, your Hofstra ID is required for entrance to the law library. We understand that some of the public safety guards have worked here for many years. During this time, they have come to recognize the faces of frequent users, and they may not request an ID each time these individuals enter. However, it is important to note that we do not always have the same public safety guards and many of them may not recognize law student faces. Therefore, any public safety guard may request an ID from any student who enters the law library, and students must comply with this request.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Wall Street Journal's Law Blog

The Wall Street Journal launches a blog devoted to law and business and the business of law. This should be an interesting blog to watch for those of us who like to get the WSJ's take on legal matters.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat

Hofstra Law Professor Nora Demleitner at Alito Hearings

Hofstra Professor Nora Demleitner (on left) appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify at the confirmation hearing of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito January 13, 2006. Professor Demleitner clerked for Judge Alito from 1992-1993. She recently appeared as a guest columnist for JURIST, writing a piece entitled Why Feminists and Liberals Have Nothing to Fear from Judge Alito. Full text of her testimony can be viewed here via the New York Times.

Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat