National Jurist - September 2007 - (Page 31)

More than half of all ON-CAMPUS INTERVIEWS take place at just 13% of the nation’s law schools. But a hot job market could be good news for students at the other 87% of the schools — especially those schools making a name for themselves. By Ursula Furi-Perry Fordham Law School and University of Illinois have been fighting it out in U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings the past few years. And Fordham, located in New York City, finally moved into a tie at 25 with the Champaign, Ill., law school. But Fordham has had a significant edge over Illinois for some time now in a different, but perhaps even more important ranking — where law firms interview on campus. The private law school on Manhattan’s upper West side draws nearly 150 of the nation’s largest law firms each fall for on-campus interviews. By comparison, University of Illinois, based in a relatively small town, drew only 64. While that number places Illinois a very respectable 37th out of 183 law schools, it highlights the significant differences between the schools of choice for large employers and those that are not as favored. In fact, more than 50 percent of all oncampus interviews will take place at only 25 schools — or 13 percent, according to a National Jurist analysis of NALP members. NALP is an association for legal employers and law schools, and almost all major law firms are members. And, whether a law firm loves your school enough to interview on your campus or not has a significant impact on your chances of getting a job at the nation’s leading firms. Yet, despite the fact that most of the nation’s most prestigious law schools draw well with employers, there are other factors that impact this ranking, and a handful of schools are making strong in-roads — as evidenced by a new study by Vault.com on the Most Underrated Law Schools. That, and an expected strong hiring market this fall, has many hopeful that this fall’s OCI season will be a love-fest for more than just 25 law schools. More JOBS this fall? This fall, more law firms are expected to interview on law school campuses, and the largest firms have increased starting salaries to $160,000 to attract the best talent. “The market for new law school graduates has been remarkably steady for the past five or six years, and we’ve seen the past two years the employment figures for the class approach 90 percent six months after graduation, which is the highest it’s been in many years,” said James Leipold, executive director for NALP. Associate positions are on the rise — as are associate salaries — yet law graduate numbers remain constant. A recent article in The National Law Journal reports that student interest in summer associate positions at large law firms has declined each year since 2001. Law firms have reacted by increasing the number of schools where they interview, and the number of offers they make for summer associate positions. Law firms have increased the average number of offers from 23 to 37 over the past five years. But the typical law firm still only interviews at nine law schools, and that leads to a September 2007 THE NATIONAL JURIST 31 collection of haves and have-nots among law schools. More large law firms will visit Georgetown University Law Center this fall than any other law school in the nation. Overall, the school expects an estimated 640 interviewers from 280 NALPmembers, and an additional 160 interviewers from other law firms. “There are not a whole lot of employers who want to come on campus who aren’t coming,” said Gihan Fernando, assistant dean for career services at Georgetown University Law School. “It is the recognition of the quality of our graduates and that we are the largest law school. There is a sense that an employer can be from anywhere in the country and be sure they will have a full interview schedule.” Almost all of the nation’s largest law firms rely on the on-campus recruitment process for future associates. Most law firms will invite three to six out of 20 interviewees to a call-back interview. And more than 60 percent of students who get a call-back interview receive a summer associate offer from the law firm, NALP statistics show. And more than 90 percent of summer associates get full-time job offers. But just a few hundred miles south of Georgetown, only two NALP-member law firms will visit Regent University School of Law in Virginia Beach, Va. Regent University is not alone. Out of 183 law schools, 119 bring out less than 30 NALP-member law firms. In fact, only 25 law schools bring out more than http://Vault.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of National Jurist - September 2007

National Jurist - September 2007 Contents Free Speech Disturbing the Peace For the Record Judge Approves $49 million BAR/BRI Settlement Law School Causes Emotional Stress, Study Finds New Textbook Breaks the Mold Southern Illinois Settles Lawsuit with Christian Legal Society Ave Maria Law Professors Protest School’s Move The Firm Report Student Hoax Shuts Down Hastings Law NCCU Grad Expands Her Program for Troubled Kids Hawaii Grad Finds Excitement in Saving Whales Diversity Hampering Whittier Accreditation? The Paper Chase Chronicles The Supreme Court: An Insider’s View Detroit Mercy’s Innovative Changes Pay Off Career Hotline The J.D. Files

National Jurist - September 2007

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