Amid a publishing industry drenched with gloom, it seemed like good news when a new glossy monthly — JD Jungle, a periodical for young lawyers — arrived in the offices of the Phoenix last week. Then I opened it up.

The promotional letter from publisher Lawrence Burstein outlined the magazine’s mission in breathless tones: “Imagine being a young lawyer or law student. You’re smart. Articulate. Ambitious. Poised for success.” In other words, it’s what’s known in the publishing trade as an “aspirational book.” These magazines show people jetting off to Europe, wearing fine clothes, drinking the best wines. High journalism? No. But they’re entertaining. And that’s what magazines are for. Still: an aspirational magazine for young legal associates? You’ve got to be kidding. The only aspiration these people have (and I should know, I used to be one of them) is limiting their time in the law library to 90 hours per week.

Ever spoken to young associates at big corporate law firms? Most fantasize about getting out of it the way Tim Robbins dreamed of getting out of prison in The Shawshank Redemption. I’ve even heard some refer to leaving their firms as “going over the wall.” Huge debts from law school, sometimes greater than $100,000, are the chains that keep them in the pen. Highly paid associates exist for one purpose: to serve as billing vehicles for law-firm partners. If profits are down one year, associates are simply required to bill more hours at exorbitant rates.

Of course, you won’t learn any of this from JD Jungle. The inaugural issue features advice on investments and law-school exams, a piece on what Washington, DC, is like for a young lawyer, a primer on the “perfect” briefcase, and a Q&A with, of all people, Kato Kaelin (“I’ve been in court so many times over the past six years that when I go to the supermarket now, I buy everything in trial sizes”). There’s a profile of Boston’s own Survivor, Harvard Law student Nick Brown. Incongruously, the magazine also provides 10 bits of advice on “How To Win a Jury’s Heart.” The first time most of these young wretches will see the inside of a courtroom — let alone speak before a jury — is years away.

There are a couple of good things in JD Jungle, such as columns by Susan Estrich and Harvard Law School professor Alan Dershowitz. Overall, however, the magazine helps perpetuate the big lie put over on young people considering a legal career. There are good reasons to become a lawyer — such as the chance to solve problems, work toward a just society, and sue your credit-card company — but glamour is not one of them. Anyone who goes forward expecting unlimited expense accounts, starring roles in fascinating trials, and a share in huge jury verdicts is in for a big shock when the first summary-judgment motion gets dumped on him or her by a maniacal superior. If JD Jungle stays in business for any length of time, the magazine ought to watch out. It may be open to a claim of fraud.

Issue Date: May 3 - 10, 2001