Conspicuous Consumption and the Law Student

-- By DavidGarfinkel - 16 Apr 2010

Conspicuous Consumption as a Useful Metaphor

Veblen in his book, Theory of the Leisure Class, discusses how conspicuous consumption results partly from the competitive and hierarchal nature of society, and the need of the individual to be able to provide some sort of visual indicators demonstrating his status to others. The concept of conspicuous consumption can serve as a useful metaphor for understanding part of the decision making process of law students that result in so many “pawning off their license.” This is meant to go beyond the mere material aspect of conspicuous consumption, which is obviously prevalent throughout American society and exists within the law school. However, it is less useful to discuss that in the law school context with the relative lack of wealth disparity among students and the limit on the ability of students attain significant material demonstration when burdened by huge debt. What is more interesting is the different shape conspicuous consumption takes upon entering law school and what external processes shape this new form that leads to the eventual decision to pawn our license.

The New Competition and Hierarchy Created by Law School

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