[blindlaw] job losses in legal services industry

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Legal Industry Shrinking: US Lost 2,600 More Legal Jobs in June
By Stephanie Rabiner on July 13, 2011 5:43 AM |
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Though there have been reports that some firms have hired their entire 2010 summer associate classes, the Bureau of Labor Statistics'
June employment report
tells a tale of legal jobs that continue to disappear.

The month of June saw the legal services industry's biggest loss this year, shedding another 2,600 jobs according to the report.

And though there was some glimmer of hope in May, even those semi-positive numbers have been revised to subtract another 500 jobs from the profession.

To be fair, the Bureau of Labor Statistics categorizes lawyers, paralegals, notaries, as well as law firm and
support staff, as "legal services,"
so it's difficult to tell where the actual job losses have occurred.

However, there's still a need to be concerned.

On the heels of that wonderful study detailing the number of
excess lawyers
in each state, the American Bar Association has released its 2011 National Lawyer Population Survey, which counts the number of "resident and active" attorneys
in each state.

Though a few states reported a drop in the number of attorneys, the overall total
increased by about 2% during 2010,
sorely outpacing the availability of legal jobs.

This will likely get worse, as the ABA Journal also reports that law student enrollment is up despite adequate warnings by the classes of 2008 and 2009,
and of course, The New York Times.

If you're saddened by this news, buck up. It's time to do everything you can to hold onto your job. And if you don't have one, find one quick--there may
be even fewer legal jobs once the class of 2011 starts looking again.

Related Resources:
Legal Industry Sees Loss of 2,600 Jobs in June
(ABA Journal)
Which States Have the Largest Glut of Lawyers?
(FindLaw's Greedy Associates)
'Is Law School a Losing Game?' New York Times Asks
(FindLaw's Greedy Associates)