Big Sis Briefing: Law grads, tough love and system truths.
Earlier this week, I posted a video on Instagram and TikTok about law graduates needing a reality check. I knew it would spark debate and it did.
The responses poured in: some applauded the tough love, others shared raw stories about how broken the system really is. I've spent the past few days reading every message, sitting with the different truths people shared and wrestling with the complexity of it all.
What struck me most was the tension at the heart of this conversation.
Two Truths Can Coexist
On one hand, I see graduates who talk a big game about their ambitions but don't match their words with consistent action. They want the prestige, the role, the clear pathway laid out for them but without putting in the groundwork.
On the other hand, there's legitimate frustration about systemic barriers: the hidden costs of PLT, universities churning out graduates without practical skills, AI screening systems creating new gatekeepers and yes, nepotism still thriving in corners of the profession.
Both sides have a point.
What Law Student Associations Can Do Better
Law Student Associations came up repeatedly in the conversations I had.
Here's my take: LSAs offer incredible opportunities to build leadership and make real impact. But if you put your hand up for these roles, treat them as the privilege they are and not just resume padding for clerkship applications.
Being student-elected means being community-minded, not self-serving. Students should hold their leaders to that standard.
Every LSA should have a dedicated Careers Officer whose job is simple: publish an honest, comprehensive guide that covers:
✨ The full spectrum of career options beyond Big Law clerkships;
✨ What job readiness actually looks like in today's market; and
✨ What it's really going to take to get there.
This information needs to reach first-years, not final-semester students in full panic mode.
Some LSAs already excel at this, I've contributed to many over the years and always jump at the chance to talk about in-house practice. But from what I heard from some students, others are missing the mark entirely.
What Universities Won't Tell You
This one's tougher.
Law remains a cash cow for universities. It's still the default "prestigious" choice for high-achieving students who don't know what else to do, backed by parents who see it as a safe bet.
Universities benefit from this positioning. What they don't advertise is that a law degree isn't a golden ticket to legal practice. There are additional hurdles, more study, extra costs and zero job guarantees.
At minimum, universities should acknowledge this reality upfront. A simple disclaimer: "This degree does not guarantee you will practice law."
Will they do it? Unlikely. It cuts too deep into the business model.
Acknowledging My Own Privilege
I stand by my tough love message but I also recognise my privilege in this conversation. I could walk into firms and see people who looked like me. I had access that others didn't. Visibility matters because you cannot be what you cannot see.
But privilege doesn't erase personal responsibility. If someone who shares your background has succeeded, it proves that the path exists. That matters, even if the path isn't fair or equally accessible to everyone.
The Hard Truth About Showing Up
Yes, it's harder now. More graduates, fewer jobs, AI screening, reduced community from online learning and less hands-on training. These are real barriers that deserve acknowledgment.
It's also true that initiative, resilience and proactivity matter more than ever.
Both realities exist simultaneously: the system is flawed AND you still need to show up for yourself. No one is coming to hand you a career on a silver platter.
Where to from here…
Students: Take imperfect opportunities. Show up early. Be accountable to your future self. Focus on what you can control, your effort, and think about the version of yourself five years from now who will thank you for it.
LSAs: Appoint genuine careers officers. Publish honest guides. Hold your leaders to higher standards and invite a broader range of practitioners on campus beyond the big firms that can fund the law ball.
Universities: Stop selling the fantasy. Acknowledge the real hurdles openly.
Practitioners: Share your stories. Mentor where you can. Be part of the solution.
We can't fix the whole system but we can control how we show up within it. That's where change starts, in the space between acknowledging what's broken and taking responsibility for what we can influence. Sometimes the most honest thing you can do is sit in the tension between two difficult truths and work from there.
Mel
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