Is getting a law degree still lucrative?

With more than 9,200 attorneys practicing in Mississippi, some speculate that there may be a glut of attorneys in the state. And living in Jackson may reinforce the impression of a glut, since about 48 percent of all lawyers in the state live in the capital city, says Mississippi College Law School Dean Wendy Scott. But, in truth, the pace of hiring has slowed since the 2008 recession, both in Mississippi and nationwide, says outgoing Mississippi Bar Association President Roy Campbell.

But the need for legal representation, especially among the state's poor and working class, is still high, says Scott. And others point out that a law degree, perhaps not as lucrative as it once was, remains a path to success in other fields.

SCOTT BECOMES MC SCHOOL OF LAW'S FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN DEAN

The private Mississippi College School of Law in Jackson is one of two law schools in the state. The other is the public University of Mississippi School of Law in Oxford.

Deborah Bell, interim dean of the University of Mississippi Law School, says the legal job market is certainly not what it was a decade ago — but there will always be a need for high quality legal work.

"And a law degree is not just a path to law practice — some students leave law school to work in business, real estate, higher education or other professions where a law degree gives them an advantage," Bell says. "There is also still a huge unmet need for legal representation in a state like Mississippi."

TOP SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN MISSISSIPPI: read story

Bell says the challenge for law schools is to try to size their classes to the market, to help students think creatively about opportunities, and to provide them with the tools to enter practice right away. She says today's classes are much smaller than they were when the market began to drop, but with the smaller classes, UM law school's overall placement rate has remained solid.

Jessica Rice, a student at the school, says she chose to go into the legal field because she believes it would be the best way to affect change in her community.

"I believe equal access to justice is one way we can set everyone on a fair playing field," Rice said. "Ideally, I would like to start my legal career in the public sector and believe that I will be able to find ample opportunities, hopefully, either in a district attorney's office or attorney general's office."

Scott says despite talk of a lawyer glut, there remains a shortage of lawyers in Mississippi, which means that too many people in Mississippi are without access to legal services.

“Other studies suggest that not only are there unserved legal needs among our poor citizens, the justice gap is wide for working and middle class citizens as well,” Scott said. “Small business owners, people planning to start a business, working families facing foreclosure or bankruptcy, parents in jeopardy of losing their children — these are just a few examples of the kinds of legal needs that go unmet every day.”

University of Mississippi Law School Assistant Director of Career Services Karen Peairs said law school graduates are still being hired, although large firms have scaled back since the 2008 recession.

“You are seeing in American Bar Association literature talk about the new normal. This is the new normal. Firms are being more cautious in hiring, but not in a bad way. They are bringing in the people they want to keep.”

Across the country there are fewer students at most law schools, but at the University of Mississippi Law School standards aren’t being lowered to fill classes, Peairs said.

Peairs said employment of Ole Miss Law School graduates after nine months is at or above the national average.

The American Bar Association and U.S. News and World Report keep tabs on law school graduate hiring for the first year after graduation.

“I think the key thing is that a lot of people assume everyone is coming to law school to be an attorney in private practice, and I don’t know if that is an assumption you can make,” Peairs said. “Recent graduates work in judicial clerkships, government positions and businesses after law school, just to name a few.”

The American Bar Association employment summary for 2015 for the University of Mississippi Law School shows 141 total graduates and 132 whose status was known, 107 employed, but 77 of those are in jobs that require bar passage.

ABA’s summary for Mississippi College Law School shows 130 total graduates and 126 whose status was known, 114 employed, but 82 of those jobs require bar passage.

Peairs said an interesting trend is that some students are coming from out of state to attend law school and then leaving to practice or look for jobs.

Scott says like every law school in America, MC Law School has fewer students than in 2010, but application numbers are up from this time last year. And, Scott says, MC Law continues to offer a quality legal education that leads to gainful employment.

Tuition and fee costs can vary at law schools based upon such factors as semester hours taken and whether the student is a resident of Mississippi. U.S. News and World Report lists annual tuition and fee costs at Mississippi College School of Law at $33,630 a year, and $15,036 a year at Ole Miss School of Law.

The Mississippi Board of Bar Commissions in 2015 received and processed 61 applications for registration as law students, and 318 applications for examination. Sixty-seven fewer applications for examination were submitted in 2015, compared to the previous year, continuing a downward trend.

Contact Jimmie E. Gates at 601-961-7212 or jgates@jackson.gannett.com. Follow @jgatesnews on Twitter.