“Law schools are failing to teach students to do good” is the title of a recent article written by Henry Rose of the Loyola School of Law.

Rose claims, “American law schools are losing their souls. Entering the 1990s, the primary function of legal education in America is to train students to serve affluent people and business interests.”

These accusations are supported by the U.S. Supreme Court and the American Bar Association. Both agree, “The middle 70 percent of our population is not being reached or served adequately by the legal profession.”

According to the article, the average American cannot afford legal service. However, Rose never mentions the graduating law students and their financial obligations.

By the time students graduate from law school, their student loans can amount to more than $20,000. “Paying back these loans is as expensive as a mortgage payment.” said Dan Reynolds, interim Dean of the NIU School of Law.

Reynolds said,”This is not a new criticism and it’s an unfair one.” He feels society is highly competitive and this has pushed young lawyers toward higher paying jobs.

When asked if NIU had any plans to add more classes dealing with public law, Reynolds said, “It’s not necessary. Society is the problem, not our curriculum.”

Andrew Almasi, a recent law graduate, said, “We were never pushed in either direction (toward public or corporate law). That part is up to the individual.” Reynolds and Almasi both acknowledged, “Society and loans push graduates toward the higher paying jobs.”

The NIU School of Law appears to be an exception to Rose’s blanket accusations. NIU law students as well as faculty are involved in numerous community-related activities. Students provide free income tax service for senior citizens and law fraternities often perform community services. Several faculty members provide “pro-bono” services for the community. Pro-bono means free legal service for those who cannot afford it.

eynolds is on the board of directors for Prairie State Legal Services. The federally funded program provides pro-bono service in civil court cases.

For three years, Kathleen Patchel, a law professor at NIU, has been involved with a group that deals with the legal aspects of women’s issues. The group, The Women’s Law Caucus, is made up of both male and female students and faculty.

Patchel also is working on a program called CASA that will provide volunteers to act as guardians for child abuse victims. CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate. The volunteers will look out for the children’s interests as the cases are being investigated.

Patchel said, “The cost of a legal education and society are the reasons that graduates look for the high paying jobs. However, the percentage of NIU law graduates that go into public law is higher than the national average.”

Rose accuses law schools of not urging students to choose public law over corporate law. However, the fault does not lie with the schools but with the individual and society. Reynolds summed it all up, “We educate lawyers.”