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I posted this on another board, but thought I'd have a discussion about some of the postings I have been seeing from UMN students about job prospects. It is a bit troubling to read some of the comments on the various boards regading Minnesota employment. Here are a few quotes from Minnesota grads/students on MinnLawyer Blog. There are many more out there.

"I’m planning on leaving the state, if I don’t find full time work by September. I still have a part-time semi-legal job until June.

I am taking another bar exam in a state with far fewer lawyers, and one that has a better overall employment rate. If the best I can do is a 30k job, that only required a bachelor degree, I might as well live somewhere with nice weather.

I doubt that quote will be put in any U of M recruitment materials."

"The employment numbers being bandied about for this year’s graduating class are something like 1/3 of them have jobs."

"Many others are people like me who are working part time jobs that have no benefits and no chance of advancement as we struggle in our search for full time work."

This is probably typical of law schools in the T30 or so, although Minneapolis has a reputation for having an exceptionally glutted market. Minneapolis is a very nice city, but it has high COL for its size and location and 4 (!) law schools. In an economy with inconsequential biglaw hiring, I suppose everybody becomes a TTTT.

I know a lawyer in North Dakota and he does okay up there. He says small firms up there are actually hiring, and I'm sure a UMN degree is well respected.