Conventionals and Returnees: Preparation, Confidence, and Cynicism among Law Students

• In Event: 435 - Section on Sociology of Education Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 04. Higher Education: Beyond the BA

Abstract

Most sociolegal scholarship do not examine the role of pre law school preparation, more specifically, work experience. The recent economic recession brought many working adults back into the fold of school. With regard to legal education in particular, how does work experience before law school affect students’ perceptions of the profession, themselves, and their career trajectories? And, how do these experiences vary between law schools, and among law students? Drawing on an ethnographic study at two divergently-ranked law schools between 2009-2011 (the beginnings of the economic crisis), I argue that student work experiences (or lack thereof) before law school matter for their own perceptions of their school, and overall career outlook. I typologize those who transitioned immediately from undergraduate to law school as “conventionals,” and those with work experience prior to commencing legal education as “returnees.” I find that overall, returnees are more confident, yet cynical about legal education, while their conventional counterparts respect the pedagogy but remain apprehensive regarding their career outlook. Notably, most students of color in this study are conventionals, and I provide some suggestions to better incorporate these students who already feel as if they are posturing in an unfamiliar cultural and professional environment.

Author

• Yung-Yi Diana Pan, City University of New York-Brooklyn College