Statistics, Success Stories, and the Road Ahead

The job market continues to present challenges for our students and graduates. While some 2011 graduates are waiting for bar results or looking for work, many have secured rewarding positions. Further, and most important for your purposes, many of them found those positions after graduation.

Graduating students, if you are still looking, stay positive. We routinely hear exciting employment news from third-year students. Consider these paid positions members of the class of 2011 secured after graduation as evidence that, with hard work and a little luck, you can find a great job with an Oregon Law diploma. (These are just examples; this is not an exhaustive list.)

Last month, we reported Oregon Law’s Class of 2011 nine-month employment statistics to NALP and the ABA. As of February 15, 2012, about twenty percent of the members of that class reported that they were not employed and were seeking work; about half of those graduates were taking or retaking the bar exam in February.

Based on all that, we offer this advice: for now, treat finding a job as though it is your job. Be proactive, persistent, creative, and open-minded about your job search. Reach out to many Oregon Law alumni and other attorneys who do what you want to do or practice where you want to live. Learn about their work. Show them your resume. Ask them who is hiring.

Next, take bar preparation seriously. Attend lectures, and focus on the material while you are there. Stay on schedule. Turn off email, Facebook, and your phone while you are studying. Take practice tests under exam conditions.

Finally, remember that we remain available to help all our graduates search for employment and prepare application materials. Congratulations on your upcoming graduation, good luck with the bar exam, and check in often to let us know how we can be helpful.

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