24% of law students expect to work in public service, survey says

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24% of law students expect to work in public…

Careers 24% of law students expect to work in public service, survey says

By Debra Cassens Weiss

March 13, 2024, 2:45 pm CDT

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Public service appears to be more of a career goal among today’s law students than for those who came before them. (Image from Shutterstock)

Public service appears to be more of a career goal among today’s law students than for those who came before them.

Twenty-four percent of law students surveyed by Bloomberg Law said they expect to work as a practicing attorney in public service. It was the second most popular answer, behind expecting to work as a practicing attorney at a law firm, chosen by 59% of the respondents.

Practicing attorneys surveyed, who had an average of 26 years in practice, had different expectations in law school, according to the survey. Eighty percent said they expected to work as a practicing attorney at a firm, while only 10% said they expected to work as a practicing attorney in public service.

Expectations don’t always align with reality, Bloomberg Law points out in a story on its Law School Preparedness survey. Only 0.5% of the surveyed lawyers said they primarily practice in public interest.

But there has been an increase in new lawyers working in public service, Bloomberg reports, citing information on employment outcomes from the ABA. The percentage working in such jobs was about 4% in 2016 and a little more than 8% in 2022.

The article suggests several possible reasons for increased interest in public-interest work, including a “Trump bump”—an increased interest in making a difference following the election of former President Donald Trump in 2016. Another reason may be an increase in diversity at law schools. Students with diverse experiences may have more of a desire to help marginalized communities.

More than 2,700 law students, practicing attorneys and others in the legal profession participated in the Bloomberg Law survey, which was conducted Nov. 15, 2023, through Dec. 4, 2023.

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