Strong JAG Placement, 10 Month Employment Highlight W&L Law Graduate Report

By Peter Jetton
April 13, 2018

Washington and Lee University School of Law has released a report on employment rates for its class of 2017.

Data from the Office of Career Strategy (OCS) show another year of strong performance in employment. The report measures employment 10 months after graduation.

According to the report, 83.8 percent of the class of 2017 has secured a full-time job that either requires bar passage or for which a J.D. degree is an advantage. This places W&L as the #2 ranked law school for employment in the Virginia, Maryland and DC market for the second straight year.

“I am happy for our recent graduates and the exciting and fulfilling first jobs that they continue to land after law school,” said Cliff Jarrett, assistant dean for career strategy. “Like our recent classes, the class of 2017 is working in a diverse range of positions, both in terms of practice area and location.  Our alumni, faculty and staff continue to help our students reach their career goals and will continue to do so until all of our students have their desired outcome.”

Related: Read about our students’ job searches in our Career Paths feature.

OCS also is reporting positive employment news for the class of 2018. Over 60 percent of the class is already employed in JD required or preferred jobs, with time remaining for more students to finalize their post-graduate plans. In particular, this year’s graduating class has enjoyed tremendous success with placement in U.S. armed forces JAG positions. In all, eight students will go into JAG positions, including 5 to the U.S. Army, which has one of the most competitive selection processes.

The employment report for the class of 2017, available online, was prepared in accordance with requirements of the American Bar Association and includes summary data about the employment status of the 99 graduates in the class.

The report shows graduates working in a diverse range of jobs. 53 percent of those employed are heading to law firms, and more than a quarter of those will be working for “Big Law,” typically firms with over 500 lawyers. 11 percent are working in government and 6 percent in public interest jobs such as legal aid offices.

One particular area of strength for W&L Law has always been placement in federal and state clerkships, and this remains the case for the class of 2017. 26 percent of those employed are clerking, including placements in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth and the Sixth Circuits, and federal district courts in New Mexico, Washington and West Virginia as well as state courts in California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia.

These 99 graduates are employed in 23 states and one foreign country. The top geographic areas for employment are Virginia, the District of Columbia, and New York.