Journal of Labor Economics Vol. 10 No. 2 1992
Self-Recruitment in the Legal Profession
Abstract
We argue that lawyers' sons follow in their parents' footsteps because the occupation lends itself to low-cost transfer of relevant skills and knowledge from one generation to the next, especially in the context of the family law practice. Analysis of Project Talent data reveals that knowledge about the law is transmitted from lawyers to their children and that this transmitted knowledge is a significant factor in a son's decision to follow in his father's legal footsteps. Second-generation lawyers who receive these human capital transfers experience greater earnings than lawyers who have not received such transfers.
- DOI
- 10.1086/298284
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 182-201
- Language
- en
- Sources
- openalex crossref