Leading Wednesday's law school news, the Texas Lawyer reports on the results of a recent informal survey indicating that some 30% of graduates of Texas law schools opt for an "alternative" career at some point after graduation. The reason? Graduates sometimes prefer "a kinder, gentler work atmosphere where personal lifestyle and self-fulfillment considerations hold more weight and the sacrifices to be successful are not as great." Find the full story, which incorporates the results of an earlier survey by the American Bar Association, here.

Elsewhere, in the New York Law Journal's "Advice for the Lawlorn" section, a mid-level litigation associate looking to make a lateral move asks, "[W]hen will the scar of a lesser-ranked school ever go away in seeking future employment?" Columnist Ann Israel answers, with palpable regret, in the negative. And this bit of working world reality is most "ridiculous," she explains, for major firms in major legal markets. Read her full reply here.

Lastly, Cambridge-based publications supply several stories of interest. First, the Harvard Crimson reports today that the Harvard Law School Veterans Association has declined to sign its support for an amicus brief backing the controversial Solomon Amendment in an ongoing federal court case. As noted in a report last week, the amendment authorizes the Department of Defense to deny federal funding to institutions that limit access for military recruiters. The brief in question, filed by veterans groups at three other law schools, contends that the limitation of access will stigmatize students with military afffiliations and lead to a critical shortage of military lawyers.

Second, the Spring issue of the Harvard Law Bulletin features both an interview with Dean Elena Kagan of Harvard Law School, now half a year into her tenure, and a report on the newly launched $400 million capital campaign that will finance her ambitious plans for HLS. These plans include expanding the faculty in areas like international and environmental law, and upgrading the physical plant, especially its nonacademic student facilities. Half a billion dollars should surely help in achieving these ends.