U.S. Job Market for New Law Grads Improves (Slightly) for Third Year; Class of 2013 was the Largest in the History of U.S. Legal Education

A new article in the National Jurist magazine reports that the job market in the United States for recent law graduates is slowly improving, marking the third straight year of higher employment statistics. The article reports that 57 percent of the class of 2013 found long-term, full-time positions that require bar passage within nine months of graduation. Only 56.2 percent found similar jobs in 2012 and 54.9 percent in 2011.

The article notes that the class of 2013 was the largest in the history of U.S. legal education, with 46,776 matriculants. (The class of 2014 will be 4,000 smaller than that.)

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The U.S. job placement numbers, even improving for a third year, are not where they should be and U.S. law graduates who cannot find full-time employment have a difficult time repaying student loans from college and law school. Law schools across the Unted States have seen smaller numbers of applicants.

Despite the numbers of unemployed and underemployed lawyers, many clients remain in poor and underserved communities. Victims of housing discrimination, domestic violence victims, veterans seeking help obtaining benefits, and persons seeking help with political asylum applications are among the groups still looking for lawyers to help prepare their cases.

(mew)