Association reports hiring of new law grads at lowest level since 1996

Listen to this article

The National Association for Law Placement has released a report finding law firms are hiring new associates at the slowest rate since 1996.

The National Association for Law Placement has released a report finding law firms are hiring new associates at the slowest rate since 1996.

The 2010 graduating class of law students has found that, nine months out, 86.7 percent are employed, though only 68.4 percent have jobs requiring bar admission — the lowest percentage NALP has ever recorded.

The report also shows the employment rate for the Class of 2010 would be even lower if 2.7 percent had not taken jobs through law school-created programs.

In New Jersey, a mixed bag of employment results has been reported from 2010 law school graduates.

Rutgers University’s Newark law school reported more than 88 percent of its 249 graduates were employed by February of 2011. Rutgers University-Camden reported 84.3 percent of its 2010 class was employed nine months after graduation.

The Newark campus reports approximately 6 percent were hired in part-time, temporary roles, while 74 percent of the positions accepted by graduates required passing the bar exam.

Nationally, 50.9 percent of graduates have entered private practice — the lowest level in 30 years. NALP cites cutbacks in summer associate programs by large firms as a culprit.

For Rutgers-Newark students, 32.7 percent of 2010 graduates entered private practice, and 32.3 percent obtained judicial clerkships. More than 35 percent of Rutgers-Camden grads entered judicial clerkships, while only 26.2 percent chose private practice.

At Seton Hall University Law School, 86.7 percent of 2010 graduates were employed as of February, with 40.88 percent of the class entering private practice, and 36.1 percent taking judicial clerkships.