The National Association for Law Placement (NALP) has released a report indicating the lowest rate for post-grad employment since the mid-‘90s, according to New York Lawyer. Only 88.3 percent of the 40,000 law graduates polled were employed nine months after their 2009 graduation. While this number may not seem prohibitively low, many of those employed are only working in positions that are temporary, part-time, or do not even require a J.D. Plus, about 22 percent of 2009 grads with jobs are still looking for other work.
At least law schools are trying to alleviate the situation, with 42 percent reported as having provided on-campus jobs to grads. According to an estimate by NALP, a full 2 percentage points in the employment rate is due to programs created by law schools.
Will the classes of 2010 and 2011 meet the same fate? The NALP report seems to suggest the numbers could drop further. However, as the economy steadily improves, hopefully the employment rate will rise as well.
Fittingly, an article in The Connecticut Law Tribune advises law grads to consider alternative avenues of employment. Instead of only holding out for that elusive six-figure salary at a private firm, graduates can take non-legal jobs to make money and then gain experience working pro bono. Government and public interest positions are becoming more popular, as are jobs in compliance and even paralegal work. The bottom line is to be aware of the flailing job market and to keep an open mind when seeking employment.
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Read the full article: Law Grads Face Lowest Unemployment Rate in Thirteen Years