Dean Matthew Diller wrote a letter to the editor in response to an article in the New York Times about law school debt.
To the Editor:
“The Law School Debt Crisis” suggests that a “majority” of America’s more than 200 A.B.A.-approved law schools are behaving unscrupulously by charging high tuition and saddling graduates with unmanageable debt. In fact, data shows that law school graduates have lower default rates than other professional degree holders — and a law degree continues to be a sound investment over the course of a career.
Since 2010, law schools have responded to the changed legal job market by dramatically cutting first-year enrollment by 28 percent, which will bring supply more into line with demand. Schools, including Fordham Law, where I am dean, also have expanded scholarship aid and sharpened academic programs to provide the training employers seek.
Talented students are drawn to the legal profession because lawyers play a vital role serving individuals and institutions in our society. While The Times rightly emphasizes the need for lawyers for the indigent, cutting federal loans will only narrow the pool of people who can pursue a legal career and decrease the availability of lawyers to serve this need.
MATTHEW DILLER
New York