After graduating from law school as an intellectual property or criminal justice lawyer, What is the likelihood that a job will be avaliable for me when you apply to a specific law firm?

The particulars of the economy now will not affect your future as a lawyer, at least directly.

If you're a high school junior, that means that you have 1 more yr high school + 4 yrs college + 3 years law school which is a minimum of 8 years until you seek full time employment: 2020!

On the other hand, it is true that the economy does affect the job prospects of lawyers in general. The more well regarded the law school and the better student you are, the higher the chance of employment. So if you go that route go to as good of a school as possible and work hard.

If you do that, you need not worry: most graduates of top law schools are able to find jobs even in an economic downturn.

Hi Bariel,

Conor is exactly right - if you get into a good law school (top 20 in the nation), you will have very good chances of finding a job even if the economy isn't doing well. That's the biggest factor in getting a legal job, and it's not mentioned very often. For example, someone in the bottom of the class at Harvard will have a much easier time finding a job than someone at the very top of their class at a Tier 2 or 3 school.

Also, if you have an interest in science, math, engineering, etc. you may want to consider patent law. Patent lawyers are always in high demand and find it much easier to get jobs after graduation than attorneys specializing in other areas.

Good luck!