Traveling in the heat of 2011 was an incredible journey, one with many complaints ...

until we learned about the hardships Lewis & Clark suffered ...

with no maps or other guides to refuge. We again learned to be happy with what we had ...

there is always someone who suffers more.

Some failed to plan well or spent their working lives increasing their standard of living to meet their compensation level -- and not saving; others suffered financial losses in the economic downturn; and still others have lived beyond what they expected with their savings depleted by normal bills or chronic illness.

But, what are the numbers? I haven't seen hard and fast numbers for the legal profession ... but here are some numbers for our country ... which I believe shed some light on the legal community.

The unemployment rate for Americans older than 75 years is twice what it was only five years ago. The rate might be higher if older folks were not embarrassed to say they are looking for work.There has been a 25% jump in the number of older people in the work force in the last 5 years. By 2018, the government projects that 10% of people over 75 years of age will be working or seeking work. Average net worth of households with at least one person over 70 years of age went down by 27% between 2007 and 2009. In 1981, social security paid 52% of the average worker's pre-retirement earnings; in 2001, the percentage was 39% and expected to decline further.

This is where our 1968 Ambassador Airstream was made... Jackson, Ohio. 

It was great to visit SteSpot's birthplace and see how they do it today.... :-)
 

Other examples include:  Legal Zoom, currently in battle with the North Carolina Bar Association about the unauthorized practice of law; forms available in books (remember Novo?); and online (see Granat's blog post for some).  People who believe they need legal help but can't afford it, will do the next best thing...get a form from these resources.  This happens in estate planning, real estate transfers, even in some litigation, and in other practice areas as well.

This will result in greater segmentation (a marketing term) of the legal industry. The "bet the company" cases and large companies will still use good law firms; others with less serious matters will use lower cost lawyers or do-it-yourself forms. (Whether these forms create more legal work later is another and unimportant issue for now.) And at the lower end of the economic spectrum, you can expect to see great competition.  Even large law firms at the higher end are experiencing competition, just at a different level of sophistication.

Change is in the air.  Hold onto your hats; the legal world is moving!

Amazing how many people seek to find shipwrecks. 

One of the best is the one in Kansas City, MO ...  The Arabia.

It's an incredible museum, privately owned and operated by the folks who found and brought up the steamboat ....

Not only inside, but "even in the street!"

That's a first.

Oh, and get rid of those bikes and horses!

The system of lighthouses along the coastline is truly remarkable ...

and stands to commemorate a bygone era.

Are you going to the dogs?

This state is serious!

The Grand Hotel has reached the pinnacle of success.

Unless you are staying at the hotel or going for a $40 lunch, you are excluded from entering the hotel! 

When they say "Grand," they mean it.

One of many charming lighthouses along the Great Lakes.

Technology/automation has had its impact on these lighthouses as well ...

Do these rules apply to the legislators as well?

Home of some of the wealthiest boat owners!

This day was absolutely gorgeous.

A funny thing happened when I watched television the other day ... Harry's Law. The protagonist was arrested by a police officer for driving a Mercedes in a small town that made it illegal to own, drive or park a foreign vehicle in the town!

Though coincidental, this program takes the idea to its ultimate. The argument in opposition to the law, obviously, was the Commerce Clause (and perhaps not so obviously, the First Amendment) ...  One point of the story was that this country was founded on the principles of of tolerance and inclusiveness; that is our strength.

And on the federal level, Congress is considering eliminating the student loan program! If that does happen, higher education will truly be only for the rich and perhaps truly gifted who may be eligible for scholarship.

No wonder students have to borrow money to go to school. I'm surprised that the average debt on graduation is as low as it is; the last figure I read was about $100,000.

From the seller's perspective, i.e., the law schools, one must ask why should they lower tuition? My alma mater recently sent me a letter that stated their next entry class of 321 students comes from an applicant pool of more than 7,000! Almost 25 to 1! With demand like that, I wouldn't lower my price, either.

But, with such high cost of entry, graduates and students are now asking whether the schools have an obligation to assure their employment after college ... In fact, several lawsuits have already been filed, and more to come, asking this very question. As I wrote in an earlier blog, the schools are not managing students' expectations very well.

The Dean of my alma mater, a top tier school, said at graduation this year that he is sad to say that last year's class still has a considerable number of unemployed students ... and that this year's graduating class will likewise find a tough employment market. Not only are many, a rather large percentage, unemployed, they also lack the practical knowledge and skills to open their own law practice. This is a skill the law schools do not even feign to teach. It is beyond their "professional standing."

Under these circumstances, perhaps schools need to post a consumer warning on each application: Caution: Attending Law School May Be Hazardous To Your Pocketbook. There is no guarantee that you will be gainfully employed for your ability to practice law. And, in fact, disclosing you have a law degree may be deleterious for other employment. The prospective employer may worry that you're just hanging around, waiting for a legal position to open up, or that you are too smart for the job under consideration.

Isn't that a double whammy!?

Is higher education a right? No. Should it be? Perhaps. But three things are clear:

• Without good lawyers, society as we know it is at risk.
• Without universal education (paid for by the state and federal government), our people will lack the skills needed to be an informed electorate needed for a free country
• Without a quality, universal education system in this country, we are doomed to move away from the dream and vision of our forefathers, the vision that made us so different and so much better than contemporaries ... and our place in history will be in jeopardy

Politicians need to take note: The teaching of our youth, even through college, is our primary responsibility and should not be compromised. Fighting war cost trillions! Educating our young cost millions! The former is irrelevant if the latter is left untended.

Great tree ... and so inviting to climb!

The Haunted House:

	Pumpkin spider web.
Ghosts and Beasts:
This is a beehive ... of activity ... made from pumpkins:

Pictures from from Croton-on-Hudson Halloween!

Minnesota has many who express their opinions. This is the home of the "great walkout."  After the last great bru-ha-ha, recall votes were taken ... and now the legislature is more evenly balanced .. Surprise!  The legislators are actually doing what their supposed to ... legislating and compromising to meet the issues of importance to the people

This protester was seeking to complain to Pres. Obama. A hunger strike for 68 days .. could have fooled me. He didn't look too hungry.  He must  have been HUGE when he started his strike.

What good is a permit? Guess they really want to protect the judges whose decisions may be questionable.

If they're trying to protect the adversaries, I don't think this building will protect anyone.

Not a laughing matter ...