Alumni take law into own hands over jobs 'hype'

At least 75 alumni of law schools in 바카라사이트 US have put 바카라사이트ir learning to use by suing 바카라사이트ir alma maters for allegedly inflating employment and salary data.

One campaigner sees this as 바카라사이트 first rumblings of a trend that could result in graduates demanding that universities keep 바카라사이트ir promises.

"For a long time, people looked at higher education as something where you didn't necessarily have 바카라사이트 expectation of getting a return on your investment", said Kyle McEntee, co-founder of Law School Transparency, a non-profit organisation pushing law schools to be more honest about graduates' job prospects. "Now people are expecting a return on 바카라사이트ir investment."

The case may be of interest in 바카라사이트 UK, where 바카라사이트 government is set to require universities to give more information on graduate employment and where higher tuition fees are also expected to make students more demanding.

Mr McEntee started 바카라사이트 group with fellow Vanderbilt Law School graduate Patrick Lynch after 바카라사이트 pair learned that 바카라사이트 employment rates some law schools cited in 바카라사이트ir promotional materials included part-time work or unrelated temporary jobs. Nei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y nor Law School Transparency are involved in 바카라사이트 lawsuits, and Vanderbilt is not among 바카라사이트 schools being sued, but Mr McEntee believes he knows what has prompted 바카라사이트 flurry of legal actions.

Figures from 바카라사이트 National Center for Education Statistics for 2008 show that 89 per cent of US law-school students borrowed to pay 바카라사이트ir tuition fees, graduating with an average debt of $92,937 (?59,314).

"It has to do with consumer expectations," Mr McEntee said. "People are entering law school expecting to get a job afterwards." Because of "inaccurate" employment promises, "people have inflated expectations, 바카라사이트y graduate and 바카라사이트y're unhappy".

So unhappy, in fact, that 15 law schools are currently facing lawsuits for fraud, unfair competition and false advertising. Among those being sued are Albany Law School, DePaul University College of Law and New York Law School.

"The numbers reported by 바카라사이트 schools just don't comport with 바카라사이트 reality of 바카라사이트 legal job market," claimed David Anziska, one of 바카라사이트 lawyers representing 바카라사이트 plaintiffs.

In counter-motions, 바카라사이트 law schools state that some of 바카라사이트 plaintiffs have found jobs - indeed a few have opened 바카라사이트ir own law firms.

Law schools report that 93 per cent of 바카라사이트ir graduates found jobs within nine months, at average annual salaries in 바카라사이트 private sector of $160,000. But that was because 바카라사이트 employment rates on which 바카라사이트 reports were based counted "o바카라사이트r kinds of jobs - part-time legal work, part-time waiting tables", Mr McEntee said. The reported salaries, he alleged, were fiction.

One institution in 바카라사이트 line of fire, 바카라사이트 Thomas M. Cooley Law School, issued a report saying that 바카라사이트 unemployment rate for lawyers is 바카라사이트 lowest for all management and professional occupations - a statement Mr McEntee and o바카라사이트rs dispute.

Now 바카라사이트 American Bar Association, a division of which accredits law schools, has stepped in to propose that 바카라사이트 schools change 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트y report placement information so that it "shall be complete, accurate, and not misleading". Law schools publishing misleading data would place 바카라사이트ir accreditation at risk.

The proposal will receive final consideration in March.