Top Law Schools

Here's the employment data (granted it's old but it's what USNEWS provides).

Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2008 administrations)

State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar MO
Bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 96.5% - High
Statewide bar passage rate (first-time test takers) 91.4%
Class of 2008 Graduates

Total graduates 291
Graduates known to be employed at graduation 88.3% - Medium
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 95.5% - Medium
Class of 2008 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Graduation

Graduates whose employment status is unknown 6.2%
Graduates whose employment status is known 93.8%
Graduates known to be employed 94.1%
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program 3.3%
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work 2.2%
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work 0.4%
Class of 2008 Graduates-Class Breakdown at Nine Months

Graduates whose employment status is unknown 0.7%
Graduates whose employment status is known 99.3%
Graduates known to be employed 96.2%
Graduates known to be enrolled in a full-time degree program 3.1%
Graduates known to be unemployed and seeking work 0.3%
Graduates known to be unemployed and not seeking work 0.3%
Starting Salaries of Graduates Employed Full-time (Class of 2008)

25th percentile private sector starting salary $110,000
Median private sector starting salary $145,000
75th percentile private sector starting salary $160,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information 70%
Median public service starting salary $55,000
Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2008)

Percent employed in academia 1.0%
Percent employed in business and industry 14.0%
Percent employed in government 7.0%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships 4.0%
Percent employed in law firms 67.0%
Percent employed in public interest 4.0%
Percent employed in an unknown field 3.0%
Percent employed in a judicial clerkship by an Article III federal judge 3.0%
Employment Location (Class of 2008)

Graduates employed in-state 27%
Graduates employed out-of-state 58.0%
Graduates employed in foreign countries 4%
Number of states where graduates are employed 30
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) 7.0%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) 14.0%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) 17.0%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) 24.0%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) 10.0%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) 1.0%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) 2.0%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) 9.0%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) 1.0%
Employment location unknown 11.0%
Career Services

(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)
Career services operations The Career Services Office provides a full spectrum of professional development programming and opportunities for students as well as focused outreach to potential employers across the nation. The CSO commitment to close interaction in matching students with outstanding employment opportunities remains a hallmark of Washington University Law. Visit us at http://law.wustl.edu/career_services/
Job Type

Bar admission required/anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks) 84.0%
Bar admission required/anticipated - percent employed in full-time positions 98.7%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent) 13.0%
J.D. preferred - percent employed in full-time positions 45.9%
Professional other (jobs that require professional skills or training but for which a J.D. is neither preferred nor particularly applicable; e.g., accountant, teacher, business manager, nurse) 1.0%
Professional other - percent employed in full-time positions 100.0%
Non-professional other (job that does not require any professional skills or training or is taken on a temporary basis and not viewed as part of a career path) 1.0%
Non-professional other - percent employed in full-time positions 100.0%
* Law School Careers details based on 2010 data

no

Hannibal wrote:no

/thread

Sickening.

I think ultimately the school's cruddy name will hold it back. I mean the acronym WUSTL doesn't do anything for it... Then when you actually say the name in full, three geographic locations come to mind, and to the uninitiated, the following thought process occurs: "Ah, Washington University -- Do they mean D.C. or Pacific Northwest? DC is kinda cool being the seat of political power, but Washington State has a high quality of life... -- oh wait, 'of St. Louis.' Oh. Oh. Meh."

It confuses the listener then leaves him disappointed

2 things.

1. The 3% art 3 clerkship really worries me.....

2. East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) 1.0%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) 2.0%

That is pretty low considering it s proximity to those areas...... especially Texas.

thexfactor wrote:2 things.

1. The 3% art 3 clerkship really worries me.....

2. East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) 1.0%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) 2.0%

That is pretty low considering it s proximity to those areas...... especially Texas.

Art 3 clerkship placement should have no weight (or extremely small weight) in your decision to go to a school, unless it's YHS.

thexfactor wrote:2 things.

1. The 3% art 3 clerkship really worries me.....

2. East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) 1.0%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) 2.0%

That is pretty low considering it s proximity to those areas...... especially Texas.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 2#p4165932

I don't think it's indicative of that much. I'm happy to be told in explicit detail of why I'm wrong, though.

And still many lawyers in other areas have no clue where WUSTL is or whether the law school is any good. This includes partners of big east coast firms. Oddly enough, I get a lot more name/prestige recognition from non-lawyers than lawyers. Go figure. Anyway, it's nice to see this investment growing in apparent value, but I am still only hoping that "apparent value" ultimately translates to "actual value".

I'm glad they asked questions in such a way as to suss out whether grads were actually employed in legal positions or waiting tables somewhere. The employment stats aren't as bad as I thought they were.

Graduates employed in-state 27%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) 24.0%


Am I the only one who noticed this?

SBL wrote:Graduates employed in-state 27%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) 24.0%


Am I the only one who noticed this?

I did too. OP - the math for your statistics does not add up. According to your statistics, 58% of Graduates were employed out of state. But if you add up all of the regions you have listed, not even including West North Central, at least 61% percent of graduates would be employed out of state. I excluded West North Central since MO is located within that region, but (and I don't have any statistics to back this up), since many of those states are close to WashU, I would assume that a great deal of WashU graduates can find work in those areas. I'm from the midwest, and I can tell you that WashU is a very respected school throughout the area.

I'm kinda happy about this even though it might not translate to placement (I know it typically doesn't, but a girl can hope).

On an unrelated note, I'm happy GULC has to share the #14 spot with UT Austin now. /sour grapes