[UPDATE: As with last year, it appears the ABA took down the employment spreadsheet by late Friday afternoon, making this post … an exclusive. There may be substantial revisions to come.]
At last, something to write about! (And time to do it too!)
On Friday, the ABA updated its Employment Summary Report Web site, which provides employment data for each law school class going back to 2010. Many if not all law schools have uploaded their individual reports, and some intrepid researchers have already dug into them, but I prefer to wait until the easy-to-use spreadsheet comes out. Note: There may be revisions to these data, but this first, preliminary cut gives a good sense of the class of 2015’s employment outcomes. Also, I diligently account for all accredited law schools, so researchers should recognize that Concordia Law School must be inserted manually. Indiana Tech has no data.
39,423 people graduated from 204 ABA-accredited law schools outside of Puerto Rico roughly between September 1, 2014, and August 31, 2015. The employment information is good as of about March 15, 2016.
Here’s the employment status distribution.
Surprisingly, many of the employment status categories’ percentages are identical to last year, even though the absolute numbers have fallen. I almost thought I was looking at the 2014 data by mistake. Notably, the employment status tables added a section for “Employed – Law School/University Funded” jobs. It’s probable that a good chunk of these jobs were classified as “JD Advantage” until now, further clouding the validity of that category.
The display tables appear below the fold to conserve blog space.
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Here’s a table of graduate unemployment:
STATUS (EXCL. P.R.) | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unemployed – Not Seeking | 1,245 | 1,014 | 939 | 795 | 553 | 494 |
Unemployed – Seeking | 2,686 | 4,016 | 4,770 | 5,060 | 4,103 | 3,744 |
Status Unknown | 1,458 | 1,453 | 1,073 | 979 | 841 | 766 |
Total Grads | 43,526 | 43,735 | 45,757 | 46,112 | 43,195 | 39,423 |
Unemployed – Not Seeking | 2.9% | 2.3% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 1.3% | 1.3% |
Unemployed – Seeking | 6.2% | 9.2% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 9.5% | 9.5% |
Status Unknown | 3.3% | 3.3% | 2.3% | 2.1% | 1.9% | 1.9% |
Total Percent | 12.4% | 14.8% | 14.8% | 14.8% | 12.7% | 12.7% |
Pertinently, 59.9 percent of graduates held full-time jobs requiring bar passage, up only slightly from 58.7 percent for the class of 2014 and 55.9 percent for the class of 2013. (None of these figures include school-funded jobs.) The actual number of such jobs fell again to 23,600 from 25,344 last year. That’s a 6.9 percent decline. It’s troubling that demand for new full-time lawyers is falling with graduates. The phenomenon suggests that many graduates in past years were finding less stable work than the full-time/long-term category implies. Instead, fewer graduates aren’t translating to higher employment rates. I expected things to look better this year.
And now, what you crave: the year-over-year comparison table for each law school, sorted by their 2015 percentage of graduates in full-time bar-passage required jobs:
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PERCENT GRADUATES EMPLOYED FULL-TIME/LONG-TERM IN BAR-PASSAGE-REQUIRED JOBS (EXCL. LAW-SCHOOL-FUNDED JOBS) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
RANK | SCHOOL | ‘2014 | ‘2015 | CHANGE |
1. | Chicago | 87.1% | 90.8% | 3.7% |
2. | Pennsylvania | 91.4% | 89.8% | -1.5% |
3. | Cornell | 90.1% | 89.6% | -0.4% |
4. | Duke | 87.9% | 88.9% | 1.0% |
5. | New York University | 86.0% | 87.4% | 1.4% |
6. | Columbia | 87.2% | 87.2% | 0.0% |
7. | Harvard | 85.5% | 85.9% | 0.4% |
8. | California-Berkeley | 85.4% | 85.3% | -0.1% |
9. | Stanford | 85.0% | 85.1% | 0.1% |
10. | Michigan | 81.8% | 85.0% | 3.2% |
11. | Virginia | 84.8% | 84.7% | -0.1% |
12. | Baylor | 67.6% | 81.5% | 13.8% |
13. | Northwestern | 78.4% | 81.3% | 2.9% |
14. | Yale | 69.6% | 81.2% | 11.7% |
15. | Kentucky | 80.6% | 80.3% | -0.3% |
16. | Seton Hall | 72.3% | 79.4% | 7.1% |
17. | Vanderbilt | 74.2% | 78.9% | 4.7% |
18. | Idaho | 68.3% | 78.5% | 10.2% |
19. | Iowa | 77.8% | 78.1% | 0.2% |
20. | Boston College | 74.4% | 77.3% | 3.0% |
21. | Southern Methodist | 69.7% | 76.6% | 6.9% |
22. | Florida | 69.3% | 76.6% | 7.3% |
23. | Washington University | 72.9% | 76.3% | 3.4% |
24. | Texas | 71.5% | 75.7% | 4.2% |
25. | Boston University | 67.9% | 75.5% | 7.6% |
26. | Emory | 64.2% | 75.3% | 11.1% |
27. | Washington and Lee | 63.8% | 75.3% | 11.5% |
28. | Ohio State | 72.4% | 75.0% | 2.6% |
29. | Nevada | 65.5% | 74.0% | 8.6% |
30. | Notre Dame | 66.5% | 73.7% | 7.3% |
31. | California-Los Angeles | 71.7% | 73.7% | 2.0% |
32. | New Mexico | 80.2% | 73.2% | -7.0% |
33. | West Virginia | 58.9% | 72.8% | 13.9% |
34. | Southern California | 65.0% | 72.8% | 7.8% |
35. | Florida State | 67.2% | 72.6% | 5.5% |
36. | Georgia | 70.6% | 72.3% | 1.6% |
37. | Alabama | 72.5% | 72.2% | -0.3% |
38. | Colorado | 66.7% | 70.4% | 3.8% |
39. | Arizona State | 70.2% | 70.3% | 0.1% |
40. | St. John’s | 61.5% | 69.8% | 8.3% |
41. | Nebraska | 73.5% | 69.6% | -3.9% |
42. | Louisiana State | 72.4% | 69.5% | -2.8% |
43. | Missouri (Columbia) | 65.9% | 69.2% | 3.3% |
44. | Oklahoma | 68.5% | 69.0% | 0.5% |
45. | Washington | 64.0% | 68.6% | 4.6% |
46. | Drake | 64.6% | 68.4% | 3.8% |
47. | Cardozo, Yeshiva | 56.6% | 68.0% | 11.3% |
48. | Minnesota | 73.7% | 67.6% | -6.1% |
49. | California-Davis | 66.9% | 67.6% | 0.7% |
50. | Georgetown | 69.6% | 67.3% | -2.4% |
51. | Fordham | 67.8% | 66.8% | -0.9% |
52. | Hofstra | 56.8% | 66.8% | 10.0% |
53. | William and Mary | 63.7% | 66.3% | 2.6% |
54. | Florida International | 65.6% | 66.0% | 0.4% |
55. | Wake Forest | 69.5% | 65.9% | -3.6% |
56. | Rutgers (Merged) | 63.1% | 65.9% | 2.8% |
57. | Louisville | 66.1% | 65.6% | -0.4% |
58. | Tennessee | 57.0% | 65.6% | 8.7% |
59. | North Carolina | 69.1% | 65.5% | -3.6% |
60. | Texas Tech | 60.6% | 65.4% | 4.8% |
61. | Illinois | 64.3% | 65.2% | 0.9% |
62. | Albany | 62.3% | 65.0% | 2.8% |
63. | Drexel | 63.1% | 64.8% | 1.7% |
64. | Wisconsin | 66.5% | 64.8% | -1.7% |
65. | George Washington | 65.6% | 64.7% | -0.9% |
66. | Indiana (Bloomington) | 64.9% | 64.6% | -0.2% |
67. | Montana | 67.5% | 64.6% | -2.9% |
68. | Arkansas (Fayetteville) | 55.0% | 64.6% | 9.6% |
69. | California-Irvine | 63.4% | 64.5% | 1.1% |
70. | South Carolina | 65.3% | 64.5% | -0.8% |
71. | Gonzaga | 56.8% | 64.5% | 7.7% |
72. | Mercer | 68.5% | 64.3% | -4.2% |
73. | Utah | 66.7% | 64.3% | -2.4% |
74. | Brooklyn | 52.4% | 64.0% | 11.6% |
75. | Georgia State | 71.2% | 63.8% | -7.4% |
76. | Kansas | 67.2% | 63.7% | -3.5% |
77. | Creighton | 63.9% | 63.6% | -0.3% |
78. | Northeastern | 52.8% | 63.5% | 10.7% |
79. | Pace | 56.2% | 63.3% | 7.0% |
80. | New Hampshire | 64.3% | 62.9% | -1.4% |
81. | Tulsa | 68.4% | 62.8% | -5.6% |
82. | Marquette | 51.4% | 62.4% | 11.0% |
83. | Mississippi College | 53.1% | 62.3% | 9.2% |
84. | Loyola (CA) | 58.3% | 62.0% | 3.7% |
85. | Villanova | 65.0% | 62.0% | -3.0% |
86. | Stetson | 57.0% | 62.0% | 5.0% |
87. | George Mason | 52.2% | 61.8% | 9.7% |
88. | Arizona | 65.3% | 61.8% | -3.5% |
89. | Missouri (Kansas City) | 64.3% | 61.7% | -2.6% |
90. | Miami | 68.2% | 61.6% | -6.6% |
91. | Cincinnati | 63.2% | 61.5% | -1.7% |
92. | SUNY Buffalo | 60.2% | 61.3% | 1.1% |
93. | Richmond | 58.4% | 61.0% | 2.6% |
94. | Denver | 55.2% | 60.9% | 5.7% |
95. | Washburn | 72.3% | 60.8% | -11.5% |
96. | Nova Southeastern | 62.1% | 60.5% | -1.7% |
97. | Texas A&M [Wesleyan] | 52.2% | 60.4% | 8.2% |
98. | Belmont | 64.7% | 60.2% | -4.5% |
99. | Tulane | 60.9% | 60.2% | -0.8% |
100. | Wayne State | 52.1% | 60.0% | 7.9% |
101. | St. Louis | 62.5% | 59.9% | -2.6% |
102. | Case Western Reserve | 54.2% | 59.7% | 5.6% |
103. | Penn State (Dickinson Law) | 65.3% | 59.6% | -5.7% |
104. | North Dakota | 59.2% | 59.5% | 0.3% |
105. | City University | 48.0% | 59.5% | 11.5% |
106. | Northern Illinois | 59.6% | 59.4% | -0.2% |
107. | Connecticut | 52.9% | 59.2% | 6.3% |
108. | Wyoming | 49.3% | 58.9% | 9.6% |
109. | Temple | 61.3% | 58.9% | -2.4% |
110. | Indiana (Indianapolis) | 60.2% | 58.8% | -1.5% |
111. | Houston | 65.2% | 58.6% | -6.6% |
112. | William Mitchell | 55.9% | 57.8% | 1.9% |
113. | Maryland | 57.1% | 57.6% | 0.5% |
114. | Regent | 47.5% | 56.8% | 9.2% |
115. | Oklahoma City | 63.6% | 56.7% | -6.9% |
116. | Southern Illinois | 63.8% | 56.6% | -7.2% |
117. | California-Hastings | 51.0% | 56.5% | 5.5% |
118. | Brigham Young | 68.1% | 56.4% | -11.7% |
119. | Touro | 56.6% | 56.1% | -0.5% |
120. | San Diego | 47.8% | 55.9% | 8.1% |
121. | St. Thomas (MN) | 49.0% | 55.8% | 6.8% |
122. | South Dakota | 67.9% | 55.7% | -12.2% |
123. | Willamette | 67.2% | 55.3% | -11.9% |
124. | Syracuse | 57.3% | 55.0% | -2.3% |
125. | DePaul | 55.2% | 54.9% | -0.4% |
126. | Hawaii | 54.4% | 54.5% | 0.1% |
127. | Memphis | 57.3% | 53.7% | -3.5% |
128. | Faulkner | 45.8% | 53.7% | 7.9% |
129. | Samford | 56.6% | 53.6% | -3.0% |
130. | Pittsburgh | 52.5% | 53.6% | 1.1% |
131. | Appalachian | 35.8% | 53.3% | 17.5% |
132. | Baltimore | 52.2% | 53.2% | 1.0% |
133. | Duquesne | 57.1% | 53.1% | -4.0% |
134. | Penn State (Penn State Law) | 65.3% | 53.1% | -12.2% |
135. | Pepperdine | 49.0% | 52.8% | 3.8% |
136. | Arkansas (Little Rock) | 59.2% | 52.4% | -6.8% |
137. | St. Mary’s | 59.2% | 52.3% | -6.9% |
138. | Roger Williams | 46.2% | 52.3% | 6.1% |
139. | Cleveland State | 48.3% | 52.3% | 3.9% |
140. | Chicago-Kent, IIT | 52.1% | 52.0% | -0.1% |
141. | Mississippi | 55.3% | 51.8% | -3.5% |
142. | Dayton | 52.9% | 51.6% | -1.2% |
143. | Akron | 52.4% | 51.4% | -1.0% |
144. | Widener (Commonwealth) | 54.0% | 51.3% | -2.7% |
145. | Loyola (IL) | 55.3% | 51.0% | -4.4% |
146. | John Marshall (Chicago) | 56.1% | 50.9% | -5.2% |
147. | Liberty | 46.1% | 50.8% | 4.8% |
148. | Quinnipiac | 41.6% | 50.4% | 8.8% |
149. | Campbell | 59.7% | 50.3% | -9.4% |
150. | Michigan State | 46.2% | 49.5% | 3.3% |
151. | Oregon | 47.3% | 49.2% | 1.9% |
152. | Howard | 54.9% | 49.1% | -5.7% |
153. | Charleston | 52.7% | 48.9% | -3.9% |
154. | Widener (Delaware) | 44.9% | 48.8% | 3.9% |
155. | Seattle | 48.8% | 48.7% | -0.1% |
156. | New York Law School | 43.4% | 48.6% | 5.2% |
157. | Elon | 39.4% | 48.1% | 8.6% |
158. | Vermont | 48.5% | 47.5% | -0.9% |
159. | Lewis and Clark | 52.6% | 47.3% | -5.3% |
160. | Loyola (LA) | 51.4% | 47.0% | -4.4% |
161. | Chapman | 47.8% | 47.0% | -0.9% |
162. | South Texas | 61.8% | 46.9% | -14.9% |
163. | Pacific, McGeorge | 44.9% | 46.1% | 1.1% |
164. | Toledo | 43.9% | 45.7% | 1.8% |
165. | Catholic | 45.8% | 44.4% | -1.4% |
166. | American | 45.0% | 44.2% | -0.8% |
167. | Northern Kentucky | 44.9% | 44.0% | -0.9% |
168. | Suffolk | 46.7% | 43.5% | -3.1% |
169. | Western New England | 37.8% | 43.3% | 5.6% |
170. | St. Thomas (FL) | 47.2% | 43.0% | -4.2% |
171. | Maine | 50.5% | 42.9% | -7.7% |
172. | New England | 42.5% | 42.8% | 0.3% |
173. | Valparaiso | 49.4% | 42.0% | -7.4% |
174. | Western State | 32.7% | 41.8% | 9.2% |
175. | Concordia | N/A | 41.7% | N/A |
176. | Ohio Northern | 46.8% | 41.3% | -5.5% |
177. | La Verne | 45.5% | 41.0% | -4.4% |
178. | California Western | 48.4% | 40.2% | -8.2% |
179. | Lincoln Memorial | 66.7% | 40.0% | -26.7% |
180. | Arizona Summit [Phoenix] | 39.9% | 39.8% | -0.1% |
181. | Santa Clara | 35.6% | 39.3% | 3.6% |
182. | Florida Coastal | 34.5% | 38.8% | 4.3% |
183. | Capital | 38.8% | 38.5% | -0.2% |
184. | Florida A&M | 33.9% | 38.1% | 4.2% |
185. | Southwestern | 38.7% | 37.0% | -1.7% |
186. | Detroit Mercy | 37.2% | 36.8% | -0.4% |
187. | Golden Gate | 24.6% | 36.7% | 12.1% |
188. | San Francisco | 33.0% | 36.1% | 3.1% |
189. | Southern University | 34.5% | 36.1% | 1.5% |
190. | Ave Maria | 36.4% | 36.0% | -0.3% |
191. | Texas Southern | 40.3% | 35.4% | -5.0% |
192. | Barry | 42.6% | 34.5% | -8.1% |
193. | Massachusetts — Dartmouth | 30.9% | 34.5% | 3.6% |
194. | North Carolina Central | 40.8% | 32.7% | -8.1% |
195. | Hamline | 48.7% | 30.0% | -18.7% |
196. | WMU Cooley | 30.0% | 27.5% | -2.5% |
197. | Atlanta’s John Marshall | 43.7% | 26.7% | -17.0% |
198. | Charlotte | 34.1% | 26.3% | -7.8% |
199. | Thomas Jefferson | 29.7% | 24.5% | -5.2% |
200. | Puerto Rico | 16.4% | 23.8% | 7.4% |
201. | District of Columbia | 26.2% | 22.1% | -4.2% |
202. | Whittier | 27.3% | 21.3% | -6.0% |
203. | Pontifical Catholic | 5.5% | 16.6% | 11.1% |
204. | Inter American | 11.1% | 7.6% | -3.5% |
TOTAL (EXCL. P.R.) | 58.7% | 59.9% | 1.2% | |
10TH PERCENTILE (EXCL. P.R.) | 38.8% | 39.3% | 0.5% | |
25TH PERCENTILE (EXCL. P.R.) | 48.5% | 49.2% | 0.7% | |
MEDIAN (EXCL. P.R.) | 58.9% | 59.9% | 1.0% | |
75TH PERCENTILE (EXCL. P.R.) | 67.2% | 67.6% | 0.4% | |
90TH PERCENTILE (EXCL. P.R.) | 73.7% | 78.9% | 5.2% | |
MEAN (EXCL. P.R.) | 58.2% | 58.6% | 0.5% |
Notes:
(1) This will be the last year Mitchell and Hamline separately report employment data. The spreadsheet contains an entry for Mitchell | Hamline for those interested.
(2) Similarly, Rutgers now reports as one school, so the 2014 entry is the weighted average employment rate for both the Camden and Newark campuses.
(3) Countering the trend, Penn State became two law schools as of this year, so I used the weighted average employment rate for the class of 2014 for both schools.
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Previous posts on this topic:
- CLASS OF 2014 EMPLOYMENT REPORT (Updated)
- CLASS OF 2013 EMPLOYMENT REPORT
- Quick Comment on the 2012 Employment Data
- Class of ’11 This is Your JD on Versatility
- Those of You Who Wanted Transparency… [Class of 2010]
That’s all I’ve got.
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