Garth — Volume 65, Issue 2

The legal profession faces uncertainty about its future as law school applications and enrollments have declined significantly from pre-2010 levels. Garth argues that understanding the future requires examining two distinct career pathways: elite reproduction through corporate law firms and upward mobility through urban law schools. Corporate law firms maintain their historical position atop the legal hierarchy through close connections to economic and political power, serving the elite reproduction function. Urban law schools, traditionally situated to provide access while graduating students into major cities' political and social ecologies, serve the upward mobility function. Both institutions face challenges but neither faces a long-term crisis if law remains central to professional credibility and economic prospects. The article situates these legal career strategies within sociological frameworks distinguishing between those seeking upward mobility and those with strong educational credentials seeking elite status. Garth contends that while applications fluctuate, the structural position of law schools and law firms in reproducing American professional hierarchies remains fundamentally intact.

Topics: Legal Theory

Keywords: legal profession · law school enrollment · corporate law firms · urban law schools · elite reproduction · upward mobility