If you want to get some perspective on the problems plaguing law schools, you might want to make an appointment with your dentist.
Sagging demand for services, an industry buffeted by technological change, an overcrowded job market, plummeting enrollment and school closures. These are all symptoms of a crisis that a dentist can appreciate. It was about a generation ago when dental education had its own bubble that burst. In the 1980s, dozens of dental schools were forced to shrink their class sizes and several shut down.
Dental schools back then are like the Roman Empire of professional education, an intriguing analogy that may provide clues to how legal education’s present crisis will unfold.affordable dental implants london
The parallels inspired Law Blog to come up with a quiz.
Can you guess whether the following quotes from news articles are people from the 1980s talking about the future of dental schools, or are they people from today talking about the plight of law schools?
1) “People see that they can make more money in computers or on Wall Street, without the debt and years of added education,” said an associate dean.affordable cosmetic dentistry london
2) “[F]inancially, there is no question that it is not worth it,” said a 33-year-old in private practice.
3) “Registration was dropping and the school thought we could better use our resources … to train specialists,” said a school spokeswoman.best dental hygienist london
4) “There is a lot of competition,” said a student. “But if you really want to work and are good at what you do, you’ll always be busy.”
5) “Ten or 15 years from now, things will be just fine,” said an employed graduate.
6) “If you keep the schools open, you can always contract the number of students or expand,” said a government labor researcher.best root canal treatment london
7) “There is just not the funding base that can keep this school alive and produce the quality product we have in the past,” said a university executive vice president.
8) “We continued to learn more. It comes down to the number of [qualified] students we can get….read more
