National Jurist -September 2008 - (Page 33) The annual midlevel survey (see the chart) examined 11 areas that contribute to job satisfaction. They include relations with partners and other associates, the interest and satisfaction level associates have in their work, training and guidance, policy on billable hours, management openness about firm strategies and partnership chances, compensation and benefits and the respondents’ inclination to stay at their firm for at least two more years. Respondents graded their firms on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest score. For some law graduates, the top priority is the future — making partner at a good firm. Sometimes a search of available data can tell a lot about chances to make partner. Many other factors can tip the balance from one employer to another in a job seeker’s decision-making process — whether an employer offers a variety of legal work, adequate training programs or bonuses. A firm that offers associates the chance to try different kinds of law could be the right choice for a law graduate who has not decided on a particular practice area. Aside from all the rankings, the most important resource is the face-to-face meeting with an attorney. The formal firm interview usually provides the biggest opportunity to get information. Candidates should remember that they are not on a simple fact-finding mission — the way they frame their questions can create a good or bad impression on employers. An equally important resource is talking to other attorneys at the office in a less formal setting. The on-campus interview Overall, rates of on-campus interviewing and participation in job fairs generally either increased or at least remained relatively constant. The average number of offers made by employers to current second-year law students for summer 2008 positions was 39 offers per firm, a level not seen since before 2001. The acceptance rate for summer programs was very close to that of the prior year, at 29.1 percent. The median class size for summer 2007 was six, unchanged from summer 2006, although the average size increased from 11 to 13, driven by a few very large programs of more than 100. Among the report’s findings: • Over half of schools reported an increase of 5 percent or more in the num- ber of employers on campus, and 32 percent reported a change of less than 5 percent, according to NALP. These percentages varied somewhat by region. • On the employer side, 39 percent reported visiting the same number of schools in their recruiting efforts. The nationwide median number of schools at which employers recruited was eight, with firms of 100 or fewer attorneys and those reporting from the Midwest and Southeast most likely to have maintained the number of schools they visited. Fielding offers Approximately 93 percent of summer program participants received an offer for an associate position, according to NALP, with 77 percent of these offers accepted. Both the offer and acceptance rates increased compared with 2006, when the figures were 91 percent and 73 percent, respectively. Employers issued a median of 46 and an average of 93 callback invitations to current second-year students for summer 2008 programs. Nationwide, 72 percent of these callback invitations were accepted. Overall, 60 percent of callback interviews resulted in an offer, with a median of 15 offers per employer. About 29 percent of the offers made to Class of 2009 students for 2008 summer programs were accepted, a figure that has fluctuated some over the past 10 years and is now at a level similar to that of the late 1990s. This level of callback activity is somewhat higher than in 2006, when the average and median number of callback invitations were 82 and 42, respectively. Despite the overall upward trend over the past seven years, the volume of interviewing has not yet returned to the level of 2000, when the average was 95 and the median was 55. For large firms of 251 or more attorneys, about two-thirds of callback invitations to second-year students resulted in offers, compared with about 39 percent in firms of 100 or fewer attorneys. However, acceptance rates were higher at firms of 100 or fewer attorneys, almost half, compared with about 27 percent in firms of 251 or more attorneys. Analyses at the city level revealed wide variations. For example, employers in New York City, not surprisingly, reported by far the highest level of activity in callback invitations and interviews of second-year students, making an average of 133 offers to second-year students for summer 2008. About 38 percent of survey respondents, or 179 employers, reported recruiting of third-year students not previously employed by them. This level of activity is similar to that for the prior four years. However, it is not at the level of 1999 and 2000, when almost two-thirds of respondents recruited third-years. What does the market look like? The vast majority of Class of 2007 law school graduates — 91.9 percent — were Globalize your prospects Study comparative and international law abroad at one of Temple University Law School’s unique programs. U.S. law professors are joined by practitioners from the host country to teach courses with real-world relevance. Field trips build on in-class learning. with TEMPLE LAW! STUDY LAW IN JAPAN DURING THE SPRING 2009 SEMESTER January 9 – May 1, 2009 TOKYO Beasley School of Law International Programs 1719 N. Broad Street, Room 710 Philadelphia, PA 19122 Phone: (215) 204-1448 Fax: (215) 204-2282 E-mail: Intllaw@temple.edu ROME 2009 SUMMER STUDY • • • • May 29 – July 3, 2009 (dates tentative) All instruction is in English. ABA approved. Housing is available. Space is limited. www.law.temple.edu/study_abroad 33 September 2008 THE NATIONAL JURIST http://www.law.temple.edu/study_abroad
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