The Scales of Justice: Law and business strike a balance.

• Author: Sweeten, Liz
• Position: Feature Story

Law school hasn't changed much in 20 years. Students research cases, write contracts and navigate the arbitration process. But law changes and so do businesses. Business practices require lawyers to possess innovative skills and law requires managers to understand the legal climate. Legal curriculum stresses negotiation and specializations including cyberlaw, intellectual property, environmental and international law are recent trends keeping lawyers, managers and professors on their legal toes. And Utah's schools are racing to stay on the cutting edge.

LAW SCHOOLS

Schools are now investing significantly more money in programs than in past decades. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, from 1983 to 1998, law school expenditures rose from less than $6,000 to more than $20,000 per student. However, improvements aren't cheap, and tuition has increased at both public and private schools.

Utah tuition is relatively inexpensive compared to other law schools. Tuition at Brigham Young University's J. Reuben Clark Law School is $5,560 for LDS and $8,340 for non-LDS students. Tuition at the University of Utah College of Law is $5,603 for residents and $12,207 for non-residents.

JOBS

Employment rates upon graduation are impressive for both Utah schools (94 percent); about half of graduates go to work in law firms. BYU sends more new lawyers to business and industry (16 percent) and the U. of U. sends more to government (19 percent). And more than half of recent graduates stay in Utah to work.

Snell & Wilmer, a firm with offices in five Western states, employs 360 attorneys serving over 8000 clients. Brian Hulse, recruiting partner for Snell & Wilmer, looks at thousands of resumes. "We have to narrow it down somehow," says Hulse. "The easiest way, and the most effective way, is to look at grades. We generally look at the top 20 percent of a class. Good grades are the best indicator of how well a person can adapt to a new environment."

Grades aren't the only factor in landing a job, however. Hulse stresses experience and community service. "We look for people with some unique life experience or perspective that adds diversity or value to our firm."

STUDENTS

Student bodies have also become more diverse. According to The Chronicle Review, virtually all enrollment growth over the past 20 years can be ascribed to the entry of female and minority students.

Recent American Bar Association (ABA) statistics show a 31 percent female and 10 percent...