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5 Pub. Int. L.J. N.Z. 1 (2018)
The Public Interest Flame

handle is hein.journals/piljnz5 and id is 5 raw text is: EDITOR'S NOTE The Public Interest Flame JAYDEN HOUGHTON* Why do you do law? When you started your legal education, you might have responded with some bright-eyed, idealistic declaration about wanting to advance social justice and make a difference in the world. But after a few years at law school, your answer might have changed, perhaps to reflect a more personal and pragmatic desire to secure a stable job and earn a good salary.' Whilst such goals are no less valid, the question remains: what is it about law schools that makes students less idealistic about using their legal education to serve the public interest? Robert V Stover suggests that law students' idealism is affected by changes in two factors: the values that shape students' future career preferences; and students' expectations about what careers would satisfy those values.2 Law schools shape those values and expectations, such as by signalling (explicitly or implicitly) the importance of a career path in commercial law.3 But law schools are not the only influencers. Recent data confirms that private law firms tend to offer graduates a higher salary than, * Rereahu Maniapoto. Lecturer, Faculty of Law, University of Auckland. Jayden has written the Editor's Note for this issue on behalf of all members of the editorial team. 1 If you experienced similar attitude changes during your legal education, you are certainly in good company and quite possibly the norm rather than the exception. See generally Lawrence S Krieger What We're Not Telling Law Students-and Lawyers-that They Really Need to Know: Some Thoughts-in-action toward Revitalizing the Profession from Its Roots (1998) 13 JL & Health 1; Kennon M Sheldon and Lawrence S Krieger Does Legal Education have Undermining Effects on Law Students? Evaluating Changes in Motivation, Values, and Well-Being (2004) 22 Behav Sci Law 261; and Lawrence S Krieger The Hidden Sources ofLaw School Stress:A voiding The Mistakes That Create Unhappy and Unprofessional Lawyers (Krieger, 2006). 2 Robert V Stover Making It and Breaking It: The Fate of Public Interest Commitment During Law Schoo/(University of Illinois Press, Urbana (IL), 1989) at 18-35. 3 See, for example, Auckland Law School Handbook 2018 (University of Auckland, Auckland, 2018). With one exception, the Handbook advertises career opportunities in commercial law firms only. The exception is a law firm with a dual focus on commercial law and criminal law. Although this is probably because commercial law firms tend to be better placed to afford to advertise in such a publication, this is not always the case, and the reader may nonetheless get the impression that a career path in commercial law is more prestigious, challenging and worthwhile than the many other options available to law students.

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