Most law schools are, more than anything else, looking for potential scholars .
All of the paths described are thought to be good proxies for identifying those with scholarly potential. But one way to establish one's scholarly potential is by, in fact, publishing scholarly work before looking for a job. Indeed, increasingly, candidates for law teaching already have published one or more articles in law reviews by the time they enter the academic job market. Part of the value of having publications to your credit is that it shows you are serious about a career in scholarship. For the opinions of the author of the article, from which this short bit was excerpted, visit his page on his web site.