I traveled to Atlanta and Emory University this week to speak at the Annual Emory Bankruptcy Development Journal’s (EBDJ) Symposium.

Turns out the EBDJ is the only national bankruptcy journal edited and produced entirely by law students. The symposium gave law students, especially those writing for the EBDJ, the opportunity to mingle with bankruptcy lawyers and judges from around the Eastern half of the US. Certainly an inside track for judicial clerkships and positions in large law.

As talented as those law students were, I couldn’t help but think two things. One, I hope my kids never end up chasing that kind of life. And two, was the law school by publishing a law journal in the traditional way selling the students short?

My kids part is easy. I hear from too many lawyers that they feel like a cog in a large corporation when practicing in large law. Amazing when you’re presented the opportunity to work with some of the brightest minds on the some of the largest and more interesting legal matters in the country. But after doing all they could in law school to get the most sought after positions they’re not happy. They feel trapped. I want my kids to be happy.

Second, a law student on the EBDJ who picked me up at the airport introducing himself as a ’2L’ went on to describe his aspirations of getting a particular article published over the next year. He and his advisor even discussed the possibility of getting an op-ed on the subject published in the Wall Street Journal.

Talking more though the 2L though seemed resigned that the op-ed was kind of a pipe dream. He also expressed a little frustration that though the subject of the article he was working on was timely today, it may not be by the time its published. Others could begin writing and talking about the issue while he’d still be working his article through the editorial and publishing process.

Seemed a little comical to me. Though I didn’t tell the 2L that.

Here he was one of the more gifted law students at Emory doing perhaps some of the best research in the country on a particular subject being held back by the system from expressing his ideas and collaborating with lawyers across the country. He wasn’t doing anything to engage reporters or editors of the Wall Street Journal that could make that op-ed a reality.

What if Emory law promoted blogging to its law review students?

The 2L could get his thoughts out now. Having blogged in a focused and engaging way for the last 7 or 8 months since school started he’d be well know among bankruptcy practitioners, law professors, clerks, and judges across the country. By referencing bankruptcy stories in the Wall Street Journal the Journal’s reporters and editors would have seen the 2L. He could have exchanged emails with the reporters and connected with them on LinkedIn – just as he would have with the bankruptcy lawyers, professors, and clerks he would have met though blogging.

Not only would his article, and others, be published in a more timely fashion through blogging, but the law student would be in a better position career wise. He’d be better known. He’d have connections across the country, some of whom may offer him a job. Anyone Googling his name would see citations to him and his blog by bankruptcy practitioners and professors who are blogging. I doubt the law school’s placement office is opening doors like that.

Having developed a personal brand through blogging, a graduating law student would control their future much more than other grads. Even those who were on law review, but not blogging. If they wanted to do a clerkship and proceed to large law, that’s great. If they wanted to pursue other opportunities, the door would be open. It could even lead to the grad being a little happier as a practicing lawyer.

Don’t get me wrong I’m not bashing big law, law reviews, or clerkships. There’s wonderful people doing great stuff and getting great experience in all three. Just thinking we as a profession and law schools could be doing more for bright law students than we are.


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