An interesting look at rising law school applications, despite the rising costs of a legal education and the increasingly limited job market for lawyers. Read the whole article at The Clarion-Ledger…

Law school applications rise despite costs, market
by Elizabeth Crisp

For Lindsey Tew Simmons, the decision to start law school at Mississippi College three years ago was an easy one – she just couldn’t predict the effect the economy could have on her job prospects as she finished.

Like many who graduated law school in May, Simmons is taking the bar exam this week. In addition to the hours she devoted to studying for the rigorous test, Simmons said she has looked “practically every single day” for several months for job leads.

“It’s been really frustrating,” she said. “You go into law school expecting to come out with this really good, high-paying job and they’re just not there.”

The complaint is common, but mounting student costs, shrinking job prospects and receding salaries in many legal professions are barely causing a dent in the steady stream of students deciding to enroll in law school this year.

Nationally, law school applications are up 4.3 percent over last year, according to the American Bar Association. At Mississippi College’s School of Law, applications have gone up 14 percent.

The University of Mississippi’s School of Law saw a slight decrease, said director of admissions Barbara Vinson.

…

As the second quarter of 2009 came to a close, the Center for Career Strategy & Advancement at Northwestern University’s School of Law reported the country as a whole is “amidst a decline in law firm revenue and the demand for legal services.”

In addition to being harder to find, the jobs that are out there often aren’t paying the high salaries students had counted on to whittle down their debts.