In the NYT's Dealbook, University of Colorado Law School Professor Victor Fleischer uses the announcement of a new focus on specialization for New York University Law School's third year law students as the occasion to proclaim that "twilight of the generalist law degree is here." Fleischer says that shifts in the legal market are driving the change:
Law firms are struggling with the new normal of a segmented industry. The new economics of the profession are marked by increased lateral mobility among partners, increasing numbers of nonequity partners, increased client scrutiny of fees and a decrease in the routine legal work that used to support the pyramid model. As a result, it is harder for law firms to devote nonbillable time to training entry-level associates. Law graduates are expected to arrive knowing more than just how to “think like a lawyer.” The tricky part for law schools is trying to figure out what, exactly, they need to know.
