WSJ Reports Surprising News on Law School Employment
Have law schools been misleading with job-placement statistics? Recently released American Bar Association statistics suggest so. For the first time, 
the ABA reported data revealing how many law graduates at accredited schools secured full-time attorney jobs within nine months after graduation.
The Wall Street Journal published analysis of the data that paints a grim picture of employment rates out of law school:
The numbers suggest the job market for law grads is worse than previously thought. Nationwide, only 55% of the class of 2011 had full-time, long-term jobs that required a law degree nine months after graduation. The ABA defines “long-term” jobs as those that don’t have a term of less than one year.
What’s not surprising about the WSJ analysis is that students at top schools don’t have nearly as much difficulty finding work than students at lower-tier schools, generally.
More interesting are the exceptions. Among schools reporting that over 80% of their classes got full-time lawyer gigs were Louisiana State and George Washington, with St. Mary’s and Mississippi College, as well as a few others, not far behind.
When it comes to job placement, something is distinguishing these schools from those in their same tier. Local relationships? Goals of the graduates?
Check out the interactive graph. See what you think.