What a Clinical Professor of Law at Loyola Law School Wishes They Had Known Before Entering the Law Industry
Amy, a Clinical Professor of Law, found the increasing administrative workload and committee responsibilities unexpected, noting that "we're asked to do more and more and more." The academic environment's political dynamics, with hierarchies between tenured and non-tenured faculty, also surprised Amy, contrasting with the more straightforward hierarchy of a law firm.
Higher Education, Legal Academia, Faculty Roles, Academic Politics, Administrative Workload
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Amy Levin
Clinical Professor of Law
LMU Loyola Law School, Los Angeles
University of California, Berkeley 1994
University of California, Los Angeles JD/MSW
Psychology
Education, Law
Education
Honors Student
Video Highlights
1. Increased workload and administrative responsibilities are significant aspects of the job, which may increase with seniority.
2. The legal profession and academia experience cyclical changes influenced by economic factors (recessions, pandemics) and have hierarchical structures that can be political.
3. While not unexpected, the level of political maneuvering and hierarchy within academia might surprise some, particularly the gradations between tenured and non-tenured faculty.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone had told you before you entered this industry?
That's an interesting question. I wouldn't say there have been any huge surprises, but I will say that we're asked to do more and more. As I get more senior, there are a lot of committees I need to sit on just by virtue of being on the faculty. I'm not sure I would've known about that before.
There's a lot of administrative work, and I feel like it's gotten much heavier over the years, both at the universities I've taught at. The legal profession has had huge ups and downs, especially with recessions, and there were swings with Covid. So, I think some of the ancillary responsibilities I have, I wasn't aware of before.
Other than that, I don't think there have been any huge surprises. Academia is fairly political. At a law firm, there's a hierarchy: associates, partners, and counsel. Academia has hierarchies too, between tenured and non-tenured faculty.
I'm at a lovely law school where the faculty is very valued, but at every law school, there are these gradations and hierarchies. This political aspect has probably been the most surprising environment I've worked in, but it's manageable.