Law school employment data is reported 10 months postgraduate graduation under ABA Standard 509. Certain schools choose to make available additional information beyond what is required of them.
The Class of 2021 entered a historically robust job market, marking a major victory for legal education and signaling economic revival.
Legal Writing
Writing may not be at the forefront of your mind when considering a legal career, but for many attorneys it is an essential element. Attorneys spend their days crafting complaints, motions, pleadings and other documents which are frequently read by other attorneys and judges – which makes writing both challenging and rewarding; writing requires creative thought processes as well as clear writing to make an impactful statement that makes an impressionful argument against an opponent – but writing also allows lawyers to make an impactful difference in clients lives!
The Class of 2022 reported 84 percent of its graduates employed full-time and long-term legal jobs that require bar passage or have J.D. advantage requirements as of March 15 (roughly 10 months post graduation), an improvement over Class 2020 who were at roughly 80 percent. This indicates an improving job market for recent grads and shows better alignment between class size and legal job availability.
Of the full-time, long-term jobs reported by members of the class of 2022, roughly half were law firm employment opportunities; an additional 10% each went to government jobs, business jobs and clerkships; approximately 8% worked in public interest positions while remaining jobs could have been found at non-legal organizations or simply individuals who didn’t report their employment status.
These figures may not come as a shock, yet they still represent a notable decrease from peak hiring levels experienced during 2007. One reason could be due to entry-level jobs at large law firms becoming less plentiful since these peak years, although other factors may also play a part in this phenomenon such as pent-up demand from COVID-19 shutdowns and numerous salary hikes for entry-level and other positions at big law firms.
No matter the reason, it’s essential to keep in mind that job market trends can shift quickly. If law schools continue to enroll larger classes without regard for current market conditions, we risk creating an unfavorable asymmetry which could impede new graduates upon graduation. Therefore, we recommend reviewing enrollment practices and employment statistics collected so as to provide accurate and useful information for prospective law students.
Casebooks
Law school students frequently read and brief cases using the casebook method, which aims to teach students to “think like lawyers”. It is often employed in countries with common law legal systems, where judges interpret laws based on previous cases that have applied them. Casebooks typically contain cases from a specific area of law assigned by professors for use within classes.
Successful students frequently create outlines, or organized summaries, from each case they study. Outlines are particularly valuable during final exams because they help focus attention on relevant information while organizing thoughts and understanding key concepts presented. Furthermore, successful students often utilize them both within study groups as well as at home to prepare for exams.
An individual struggling in law school often blames professors, classmates and/or the law itself; however, oftentimes their studies are ineffective; that means reading assigned material and doing the required tasks in each class without missing classes or instant messaging while attending them; also taking meaningful notes in class and attending professor office hours as much as possible to seek guidance and seek help for guidance – this often is the problem!
Law school requires an entirely different mindset than undergrad, where attendance was often taken for granted. More responsibility lies with showing up on time for everything assigned by professors and fellow students in study groups alike; additionally there may be new tasks such as writing legal research memos and analyzing a case to learn.
Find and join a study group early. Study groups provide an ideal setting to discuss materials and receive feedback on your writing; in addition to being great sources of moral support and helping retake practice tests or discover which areas other students struggle with.
Study Groups
Study groups can be an invaluable way to enhance law school coursework, particularly during your first year. A study group allows you to discuss difficult concepts with others and compare notes while being held accountable. Before making your decision on joining or forming one however, it is essential that you carefully consider its benefits and drawbacks before making an informed choice.
Some of the drawbacks of joining a study group include socializing and distractions. If someone starts discussing sports or pop culture while you’re trying to concentrate, it can be hard to remain on task. Furthermore, it’s easy to become stuck in the habit of comparing yourself against your classmates; while getting along with classmates is important for learning purposes, developing an unhealthy competitive spirit could get in the way.
While the job market for new lawyers has improved significantly over recent years, it still presents difficulties to graduates seeking employment 10 months post graduation compared to what it was prior to the recession.
There are signs of hope on the horizon. The 2013 class marks the final enrollment surge that happened as students sought shelter in law school during a recession; therefore, new graduates are expected to decline over time and reduce competition for jobs.
Additionally, the job market has become more diverse. While the bulk of legal jobs remain at large firms, nontraditional careers for new graduates such as government service, public interest jobs and judicial clerkships have seen an upswing since these sectors tend to be more stable than private practice markets. Furthermore, businesses are offering compliance, legal technology and health care positions which offer graduates new avenues of opportunity.
Interviews
If you are fortunate to get an interview for law school, your chances of employment increase significantly compared to not doing so. Law schools use interviews as screening mechanisms to make sure students can manage the academic load and are likely to become successful lawyers.
Dependent upon the law school, interviews may consist of written questions or oral responses. You will most often be asked why you want to attend their law school; prepare to answer this with a story that illustrates your passion for law. In addition, law schools want to know if you possess the necessary commitment and dedication needed to become successful lawyers; this question shows them if students attend law school for other than legal reasons (ie getting rich quick) rather than academic ones (eg taking advantage of parental pressure to attend law school).
Not only can you expect to be asked about entry-level positions with large law firms, but you’ll be quizzed about other fields – like government work or corporate roles. If there’s something specific that intrigues you in this interview process, be prepared to discuss what it is you like most about that field and its plans for the future – this will allow interviewers to gain an understanding of your interests as a lawyer and judge the likelihood of your success in it.
Your employment prospects depend heavily on both the economy and your ability to prepare for life after graduation. With luck, you might land one of several booming fields – compliance, health care or technology companies as well as legal process outsourcing operations or e-discovery departments can offer promising employment prospects for recent law graduates – such as jobs in legal process outsourcing operations or e-discovery departments; otherwise you must develop your own niche quickly while adapting quickly in an unpredictable job market.