"This book is a tight and fresh analysis of the American legal profession and its significance to society and its citizens. The book's primary objective is to expose, and correct, the principal misconceptions-myths--surrounding prelaw study, law school admission, law school, and the American legal profession itself. These issues are vitally important to prelaw advisors and instructors in light of the difficult problems caused by the Great Recessions of 2008 and 2020-21 and the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Critics increasingly observe that two mainstays of the legal profession--the traditional model of law school instruction and the conventional business model of law practice--are breaking down. Advisors need the tools to convey these concerns and to address remedies to them. Students who are unaware of the realities of gaining entry into the law profession, and what it means in practical terms to secure a job in professionally constrained times, are prime candidates for exploitation and need an understanding of contemporary legal education and practice. Knowing the truth about the legal profession, and what lawyers do, facilitates understanding of the judicial process and the highly significant role lawyers play in creating public policy and contributing to the social good. Aimed equally at pre-law advisors and potential law students, this book can be used as a supplement in the interdisciplinary undergraduate law-related instructional market, including courses that cater to majors/minors in political science and criminal justice in particular. It can also be used in career counselling, internships, and the extensive paralegal program market"-- Provided by publisher.