ABA releases employment data for 2015 grads

The American Bar Association has released its annual employment reports for law schools for 2015 graduates. Of the four Indiana law schools included, Notre Dame Law School had the highest percentage of graduates working in full-time long-term positions where bar passage was required, while Valparaiso University Law School had the highest unemployment rate.

Notre Dame Law School had 132 of its 179 graduates working in a full-time job where bar passage is required or 74 percent. Another three were working in a full-time, short-term job with those qualifications, and five were working at a part-time long-term job. Sixteen were seeking employment, or nine percent. Four were employed by the law school in full-time long-term positions.

Indiana University Maurer School of Law had 128 of its 198 law graduates working in a full-time long-term job where bar passage is required, or 65 percent. Another four were working in full-time short-term positions where passing the bar would be required. The school had 28 graduates working in a full-time long-term position where having a J.D. would be an advantage, or 14 percent. Twenty were seeking a position. Of the others, three graduates’ employment status was unknown, two were seeking another degree and two had their start date at their new job deferred. Four were employed by the law school short-term.

Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law had 151 of its 257 graduates working in full-time long-term positions where bar passage would be required, or 59 percent. Two were working in part-time long-term positions where bar passage was needed, and two were working in part-time short-term positions. Sixty-one were working in full-time long-term positions where a J.D. would be an advantage, or 24 percent. Sixteen were unemployed and seeking a position or 6 percent, the lowest percentage among the Indiana law schools who reported data. Five were pursuing another graduate degree, and six were employed in a position that did not require a law degree.

Valparaiso University Law School had 55 of its 131 graduates working full-time in a long-term job where bar passage is required, or 42 percent. Two were working full-time short-term in in jobs requiring bar passage, and two were working part-time long-term. Another 23, or 18 percent, were working at a job where having a J.D. would be an advantage. Twenty-seven graduates, or 21 percent, were seeking employment, the highest among Indiana law schools. Seven were pursuing another graduate degree. Eight were employed in professional positions that did not need a J.D., whether short or long-term, and three reported not seeking work.

The data for all reporting law schools is available at http://employmentsummary.abaquestionnaire.org/.