KU's 2014 law grads achieve best employment outcomes since 2007


 
LAWRENCE — University of Kansas School of Law graduates in the Class of 2014 continued the school’s upward trend in employment success, securing jobs at a rate not achieved since before the Great Recession, according to data released this spring by the American Bar Association.

By mid-March of this year, 92 percent of the 2014 class had secured positions, representing a 6 percent rise in overall employment from the previous year and a 12 percent increase since 2011. This achievement places KU Law inside the top 20 percent of schools nationally for overall employment.

Moreover, the quality of jobs obtained by graduates also continues to improve. Many regard full-time, long-term jobs that either require bar passage or where having a law degree is an advantage as the highest quality positions for new graduates. The percentage of KU law students landing these “best jobs” rose to 80 percent, a 3 percent improvement from the previous year and part of an 18 percent rise since 2011. With these results, KU Law has the highest percentage of students in “best jobs” among law schools in Kansas and Kansas City, and ranks among the top 26 percent of law schools nationally in this category.

“KU Law graduates are in high demand by a broad array of employers. Our rise in ‘best jobs’ includes traditional positions with top firms and agencies, highly coveted judicial clerkships and prestigious ‘nontraditional’ careers, such as joining consultancies like KPMG that advise international companies,” said Arturo Thompson, assistant dean of career services. “When you combine the affordability of a KU Law degree with the ability to pursue careers across disciplines and around the globe, we see a bright future for this class and those who follow.”

National Jurist Magazine ranked KU Law the 18th “best value” law school in the country, based on high bar passage rates, strong employment numbers and affordability. The law school also ranks 27th in the nation for lowest debt at graduation, up two spots from last year, according to U.S. News & World Report.

“Without the burden of excessive student loan debt, KU Law graduates are free to choose jobs that best fit their interests,” said Stephen Mazza, dean and professor of law. “To help maximize those opportunities for students, we have reduced our class size by 30 percent, amped up direct faculty and alumni involvement in job searches, and increased career-building resources through initiatives like our Traveling ‘On-Campus’ Interview program.”

Over the past five years, KU Law students and graduates have accepted summer and/or permanent employment with law firms, businesses, government agencies, public interest organizations and judges across the country, including one recipient of a prestigious Equal Justice Works fellowship. A considerable number of graduates accept judicial clerkships, including seven from the Class of 2014. Recent graduates have been law clerks at all levels of federal and state courts.

Employment data for KU and all ABA-approved law schools can be viewed on the ABA website and analyzed at Law Jobs: By the Numbers. Find an infographic with complete Class of 2014 employment data on the KU Law website.

Pictured: Cassandra Dickerson, left, and Christopher Shelton, both 2014 graduates of the KU School of Law, speak with employers during Legal Career Options Day in 2011. Dickerson is now director of student-athlete development at KU Athletics, and Shelton is an attorney at the Law Offices of Roderick H. Polston PC in Oklahoma.

Mon, 06/01/2015

author

Mindie Paget

Media Contacts

Mindie Paget

Office of Research

785-864-0013