Law Schools

Job Hunting As A (New) Professor

A meaningful law professor gig isn’t just about rankings. It’s about happiness.

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decisions Concept of various pathsGreetings. You may have seen my co-authored piece about the Law Professor’s Search for Meaning.

Today, I talk about the law professor’s search for meaningful employment.

I make some assumptions here. First, I assume that you are on the law professor job market. You are either entry level or lateral, looking for your first job or unhappy with your current location for whatever reason.

Many will tell you that you should optimize prestige. All that matters in their minds is that you go to the best-ranked school so that your articles will place better (without the irony of the hierarchies and biases that entrenches). In some circles, that is the end of the matter.

But prestige doesn’t mean happiness. We all know people who are highly ranked in terms of status who constantly demonstrate their unhappiness. They lash out. They constantly criticize everything. They judge everyone. It was as if Ted Lasso was describing academia in that famous dartboard scene. Those academics are so very thirsty for attention all the time. That is not happiness. That is addiction, and it is not the basis for a happy life. (See the article above for why that is so).

The academic life is a life. And that life means considering things that are not just external validations. I offer some considerations.

  • Be at a school where people support you and you support them. Watch how the professors interact with each other. Do they support one another? Do they cheer each other’s accomplishments? Do they, in short, want their colleagues to win? Consistently, or just for a few? Because honeymoons end. And you should ask yourself: will you be treated well after they have you or will you be relegated to second-class status based upon how the faculty views stardom? Would you be happy being in the second class no matter what happens or what you do?
  • Be at a location that supports you. It’s one thing to want to live in New York City because there’s a prestigious school or two there, but: Do you WANT to live in a big city? The biggest U.S. city? To the extent that you are unhappy in a big city, that will affect what you wish to achieve in all other aspects of life. The same is true seeking to live in small town for a school’s prestige when you long for a vibrant night life. Your surroundings are important to your happiness. If your commute is a constant source of dread and misery, it will affect your view of your institution and your performance as well.
  • While all things are temporary, assume permanency. Do not settle for a school where you think “I can tolerate this place for a year or so before I move.”  Because, you aren’t a great predictor of the future. And neither am I. Markets change, schools change, deans change, hiring committees change, and faculties change. You may start at a tolerable school and feel way worse after a few years. Or the school may make a complete turnaround and be rewarding. The point is, do not settle based upon assumptions that you’ll be mobile. Life happens.
  • While things may be permanent, assume temporary. What I mean here is that one of the things you might consider is the changing nature of the climate of the state, the nature of budgets, and whether the school you are thinking about can weather those storms. This is your life, and you do not want to be caught off guard there.
  • Welcome to the Family, “Godfather” style. The faculty is a family — you don’t get to pick and choose members of the family, unless you’re on hiring. There will be all sorts of characters. Remember, they were chosen, just as you were.  So, that means you will have to be patient if there are any members of that family you don’t like. But try to get to know them anyway. They may be the way they are for a reason. Or perhaps they are the way they are because of where they are and because they didn’t have this advice. Regardless, they have a story.
  • Have a family? Think of them. (But not “Godfather” style.) Your happiness is a function of everyone who matters to you. So, if you have a trailing spouse who is making sacrifices, perhaps it’s good to think of their long-term happiness first. Because it will flow to you as well. Otherwise, resentments can build. And, over time, your happiness considerations might shrink via divorce or breakup.  Place A has great schools for your children, but Place B is better ranked with worse schools for your kids. What’s worth more to you?
  • Salary, but also other benefits. While many consider salary, one does not live on it alone. For example, consider two schools. School A pays you $100K and charges you $20K for parking, and School B pays you $80K with free parking.  Does one even have sufficient parking? Of course, examples of such additional clawbacks and benefits include faculty travel budgets, summer research stipends, how quickly you get reimbursed, what’s covered in reimbursement. (Your per diem is $5, enjoy that $1 value menu!) What’s health care cover? Dental?

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My point is that your prestige isn’t your happiness. And weighing the value of employment should be done in increments and by considering everything that is important to you.  Not in some world where you have faith that things will be awesome. But in terms of what you accept, what could change, what might not change, and all the things that bring you happiness. Because it is a life. And when people die, the last thing they think about isn’t the U.S. News Rankings.

LawProfBlawg is an anonymous law professor. You can see more of his musings here. He is way funnier on social media, he claims. Please follow him on X/Twitter/whatever (@lawprofblawg). He’s also on BlueSky, Mastodon, and Threads depending on his mood.  Email him at lawprofblawg@gmail.com.

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