Though I'm a bit late in commenting on this, I whole-heartedly agree with Stephanie's point. I actually found the student's suggestion that OCS was somehow colluding with firms to suppress information to be offensive. Perhaps, though, this is attributal to my interactions with OCS staff -- from Petal to some of the counselors -- where I have seen nothing but genuine concern for students as we try to navigate this tumultuous time. The fact is, if one doesn't consider a certain career choice to be a viable option, one has the power to steer the course in a different direction. If one's broader feeling is that the fact that hundreds of young lawyers have been laid off during the recession gives one pause and concern about working at a firm, that is certainly acceptable. It doesn't take OCS to provide a comprehensive report outlining furloughs and deferments for one to know this -- a quick google or Above the Law search will quickly reveal this information in detail. Petal's unwillingness to engage in a debate with the student essentially about why one should or shouldn't work at a firm was, to me, appropriate. While students certainly should have had, or should have, that conversation with OCS at some point, that forum was not the appropriate time or place.

-- JenniferGreen - 24 Jun 2010