Building a Better Legal Profession

Like the author of the post below this one I also share a letter, this time from Building a Better Legal Profession.  BBLP is an organization that was created last fall by Stanford students (referenced here on N&B) and is itching to grow.  The letter is self-explanatory, and I think you'll find its message germane to the looming OCIP season.

Or, germane at least to a discussion about methods by which to choose a law firm, aside from the good old fashioned NALP-sheet-salary-troll.

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Dear Students, Colleagues, Friends of Boalt:

Another season of on-campus interviews is fast approaching, and law students across the country will soon be scratching their heads, wondering how to differentiate between law firms. Building a Better Legal Profession was launched by two law students last fall in an effort to create greater transparency in the profession and to change the way students approach interview season. The more students talk about choices and balance, the more firms respond. We're hoping that this year, you'll join in the call for reform by starting a chapter at your school. With a new website set to launch, a fall OCI campus tour in the works, and a new round of rankings, we're poised to up the ante this year--but we need your help. (You can check out some of the press BBLP got this year here: The Lawyers Weekly, Law.com, Daily News, The Shark, The Chicago Tribune, JD Bliss, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, [and *cough* Nuts & Boalts].)

The race to $160K means cash on hand for young lawyers, but what's the catch? We can probably expect more billable hours, less balance, fewer opportunities for pro bono work, and greater dissatisfaction. The resulting mass exodus from firms is not just bad for recent law grads, it's bad for the profession. By starting a BBLP chapter at your school, you can bring real choices to your colleagues. For every friend and colleage at your school who chooses job satisfaction over the highest salary, firms will have another reason to shift their focus.

Law students are in high demand, and we can afford to be more selective in our career choices. Building a Better Legal Profession seeks to harness the market power of law students to encourage reform at large private law firms. As a national grassroots organization, BBLP is only as strong as its student network.

This is where you come in.

We hope you'll join with us by starting a BBLP chapter at your school this fall. With your help, your colleagues can walk into interviews with a better understanding of their market power. Instead of being auctioned off to the highest bidder, they can join a generation of associates who are swapping dollars for time, balance, and community. Empower your friends by shedding some light on the import of their career choices, and they will thank you.

Spearhead a BBLP chapter, and we'll send you all the materials you need to spread the word. Please let us know if you would like to get involved as a chapter director. Or if there's someone who you think might be interested, we'd appreciate your passing this message along.

I look forward to connecting with you soon!

Best Regards,
[The Folks at Better Legal Profession]

www.betterlegalprofession.org
BBLP on Facebook