W&L Law Releases 2021 Graduate Employment Report According to the report, 90.7 percent of the class of 2021 secured a full-time, long-term job that either requires bar passage or for which a J.D. degree is an advantage.
Washington and Lee University School of Law has released a report on employment rates for its class of 2021. The report, which measures employment 10 months after graduation, shows another year of strong performance.
According to the report, 90.7 percent of the class of 2021 secured a full-time, long-term job that either requires bar passage or for which a J.D. degree is an advantage. This is 7 percent higher than the employment percentage for the class of 2020. The overall employment rate for the class including all employment types and graduate school is 95.7 percent.
“The class of 2021 has shown a real sense of determination in reaching their employment goals over the last couple of years. To be able to achieve what they have achieved during a global pandemic is a true testament to their resilience. It is also a reflection of the support and assistance that our faculty, staff, and especially our loyal alumni have provided in the planning, mentoring, and execution of the career goals for those recent graduates,” said Cliff Jarrett, assistant dean for career strategy.
“Certainly our graduates have benefited from a robust legal market in general, but it is great to see so many of the members of that class to end up in these exciting and fulfilling positions.”
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The report shows graduates working in a diverse range of jobs, with a significant number of graduates in larger law firms and clerkships. Almost 80 percent of those employed are heading to clerkships or law firms, and 32 percent of those graduates working for firms are working for “Big Law,” firms with over 500 lawyers. The other 20 percent of the class is split between government, business, and public interest 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 2021. Members of that class are clerking in federal district courts in Virginia, North Carolina, Texas, Ohio, Louisiana, and California and two members of that class will be clerking for the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.
W&L Law’s geographic diversity remains strong with these 118 graduates going to work in 25 different states. The top geographic areas for employment are Virginia, New York, and Washington D.C.. The employment report for the class of 2021 is available online and includes data about the employment status of all the 2021 graduates. An extensive summary also is available online.
The Office of Career Strategy also is reporting positive employment news for the class of 2022. More than 80 percent of that class already is employed in bar passage required or JD advantage jobs, the highest percentage in well over a decade.
