Employment Rate for 2018 Graduates Strong

2018 JD Graduate Law Employement - 30% Law Firms, 23% Government, 22% Judicial Clerkships, 10% Public Interest, 8% Business and Industry, 7% Education

Eugene, Ore. - The overall employment rate for Oregon Law’s 2018 graduates is 91%. That rate includes graduates reporting employment as of March 15, 2019, and those reporting positions with near-term start dates or who are pursuing full-time graduate degrees. Among employed graduates, 90% obtained their first job in full-time positions requiring bar passage or for which their J.D. degree offered a competitive advantage. These numbers signal a strengthening legal job market. Nearly two-thirds of the graduates found full-time, long-term bar-pass required or JD advantage positions, which is the number reported in US News.

Success in the Public and Private Sectors

Among graduates reporting employment:

  • 40% are working in the public sector (Government/Education/Public Interest)
  • 38% are working in the private sector (Law Firms/Business & Industry)
  • 22% are working in judicial clerkships

Marcilynn A. Burke, Oregon Law Dean and Dave Frohnmayer Chair in Leadership and Law, points to a renewed emphasis in student success strategy and the dedication of the entire Oregon Law community. “I’m so thankful for everyone who has helped our graduates be successful,” said Dean Burke.

Oregon Law Graduates…

  • Represent small and large firms
  • Work across the country and around the world—recent graduates landed positions in Germany and Thailand
  • Serve as judicial clerks at every level—in trial, appellate, and supreme courts—and in state and federal courts across the country

“This outcome is generated by a laser focused strategy that helps our students and graduates understand where their greatest opportunities exist and prepares them to be competitive candidates for those jobs,” said Jennifer Espinola, Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Law School Dean of Students.

With the ABA, National Association for Law Placement, and U.S. News all reporting the employment data of law school graduates, it can become easy for counselors to lose the one-on-one interactions with students and concentrate on the statistical endgame. Rebecca Ivanoff, J.D. ‘10, Assistant Dean for Career Planning and Professional Development, has chosen to take a different path.

Ivanoff and her team connect with students early and strive to instill the importance of starting best practices. “We encourage students to dedicate themselves to developing as professionals from day one,” she said. “Through the first-year Career Exploration and Professional Planning course, students reflect on their strengths and interests, and engage in skill-building practice, knowledge-building research, and one-on-one coaching sessions with attorney-counselors to learn how to successfully identify and attain meaningful pre-and-post-graduate employment.”

Although the Career Center’s staff is dedicated to guiding students, Ivanoff is quick to credit Oregon Law’s hard-working students. “Students understand that their post-graduate employment success is directly related to the efforts they make in school. They work hard to develop professional networks, dedicate themselves to developing practical skills, and hone their interview skills. The employment results achieved by the class of 2018 are a testament to their efforts.”

Find the details in American Bar Association’s employment summary.