W&L Law Releases 2023 Graduate Employment Report According to the report, 98.1 percent of the class of 2023 secured a job that either requires bar passage or for which a J.D. degree is an advantage.

By Law Communications
April 15, 2024

Washington and Lee University School of Law has released a report on employment rates for its class of 2023. The report, which measures employment 10 months after graduation, shows another year of strong performance.

According to the report, 98.1 percent of the class of 2023 secured a job that either requires bar passage or for which a J.D. degree is an advantage. The overall employment rate for the class including all employment types and graduate school is 99.1 percent.

“Through hard-work, dedication, and the exceptional legal training that the W&L Law community provides, our graduates continue to achieve professional success,” said Freda Coleman-Jackson, Interim Assistant Dean for Career Strategy. “We look forward to witnessing their impact on the legal profession.”

The report shows graduates working in a diverse range of jobs, with a significant number of graduates in larger law firms and clerkships. Almost 76 percent of those employed are heading to clerkships or law firms, and nearly 50 percent of those graduates at firms are working for “Big Law,” firms with over 500 lawyers. The other 25 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 2023. Seventeen members of that class are clerking in state and federal courts, including three in federal district courts in Virginia, Texas and Kentucky.

W&L Law’s geographic diversity remains strong with these graduates going to work in 20 different states and territories. The top geographic areas for employment are Virginia, New York and Washington D.C. The employment report for the class of 2023 is available online and includes data about the employment status of all the 2023 graduates. An extensive summary also is available online.

The Office of Career Strategy also is reporting positive employment news for the class of 2024. More than 84 percent of that class already is employed in bar passage required or JD advantage jobs, consistent with last year’s strong at-graduation rates.