W&L Law Releases 2018 Graduate Employment Report Employment up again. Strong law firm and clerkship placements highlight W&L Law ABA report.
Washington and Lee University School of Law has released a report on employment rates for its class of 2018.
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, 87.6% of the class of 2018 secured a full-time, long-term job that either requires bar passage or for which a J.D. degree is an advantage. This is almost 5% higher than the employment percentage for the class of 2017, which placed W&L as the #2 law school for the Virginia, Maryland and DC market. The overall employment rate for the class including all employment types and graduate school is 93%.
“Frankly, the class of 2018 blew it out of the water,” said Cliff Jarrett, assistant dean for career strategy. “Their at-grad and 10 month employment numbers are post-recession highs, and their bar passage rate, especially in our core markets like VA, NY and DC, was off the charts. While they excelled in law firm and clerkship positions, the class as a whole continues to show the diversity of what you can do with a W&L Law degree and where you can do it. As always, this success would not have been possible without the support of our alumni, a group that continues to go above and beyond to help our students land their desired jobs.”
The report shows graduates working in a diverse range of jobs, with a significant number of graduates in larger law firms and clerkships. Almost 50% of those employed are heading to law firms, and more than thirty percent of those are working for “Big Law,” firms with over 500 lawyers. More than 20% will be clerking for judges, and another almost 25% are working in government positions.
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 2018. 22% of those employed are clerking, including placements in the US Court of Federal Claims, federal district courts in Texas, Kentucky and Virginia as well as state appellate and trial courts in Maryland, New Jersey, Kentucky, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia.
These 113 graduates are employed in 22 states and one foreign country. The top geographic areas for employment are Virginia, Washington D.C., North Carolina and New York. The employment report for the class of 2018, available online, was prepared in accordance with requirements of the American Bar Association and includes summary data about the employment status of all the 2018 graduates.
OCS also is reporting positive employment news for the class of 2019. Almost 70% of the class is employed in JD required or preferred jobs, with significant time remaining for more students to finalize their post-graduate plans.
