Are you one of the thousands of law students wondering what the employment outlook for 2013 looks like in the legal profession? As a law graduate in 2013, the job outlook is very important to me. Therefore, I have done some of my own research on the subject.
Law school is very expensive and many are fearing a lack of jobs in 2013. Many claim that law school is a losing investment. That may be up for debate, but many people with JDs still are able to find employment -- and good employment.
Result: 2013 is a MUCH BETTER year than previous years for finding a legal position.
Legal Employment Outlook by City, 2013
New York - Much bigger improvement on 2012, 2011
San Francisco - Improvement on 2012, 2011
Boston - Improvement on 2012, 2011
Factors that may help current law graduates find a job.
For example, the New York Times recently stated, "In 2004 there were 100,000 applicants to law schools; this year there are likely to be 54,000." That means a much lower number of people will be looking for legal jobs in the future. That means that you will have a much better chance of finding a law job in the couple of years than people who graduated in 2009 and 2010.
While it is still not a good time to look for legal work, 2013 looks to be a much better year than previous years.
Law Demand Currently High
"“We have a significant mismatch between demand and supply,” said Gillian K. Hadfield, professor of law and economics at the University of Southern California. “It’s not a problem of producing too many lawyers. Actually, we have an exploding demand for both ordinary folk lawyers and big corporate ones.”"
Even with some negative publicity on law school, according to the New York Times, there is an EXPLODING demand for lawyers. However, many law graduates do have a problem finding jobs. Why do some law graduates find jobs after graduation while others do not? First, interning while in law school and building skills is very important. Law firms are hiring, but oftentimes they take the graduates and people with experience.
T1, T2, T3, T4, it does not matter
If you have legal experience during law school, it matters very little where you went to law school and in what tier that law school was in. Graduates are finding legal jobs, on average, at the same rate no matter what their school's US News rank is. If you think that going to a tier 4 school is going to put you at a disadvantage in 2013, you might want to rethink that and think more positively.
If you are graduating in 2013 or 2014, you can increase your marketability by doing some of the following:
Remember, it is POPULAR to talk about how law schools are bad right now. It's a huge money maker for newspapers, such as the New York Times. And yes, the New York Times exists SOLELY to make money. Therefore, they print what is read and what gives them advertisement revenue. Do not let these stories, or stories written by scambloggers scare you into being complacent about looking for work. Those that believe they will NOT do well do NOT do well. It's merely a self-fulfilling prophecy. That is one reason I do not, nor will I, read those blogs anymore. If you are willing to try to find a job without complaining about the process on the internet constantly, YOU WILL FIND A LEGAL JOB.
Hear what other law students are saying who recently graduated:
"I graduated from a small liberal arts college in Upstate NY with a 3.7 gpa and got a 155 on the LSAT. Went to Syracuse Law, not a "top tier" school by any stretch of the imagination. I worked hard and will graduate in the top 10% of my class and already have a job making $80k a year in Syracuse as a first year associate. My total debt is about $80k. Pretty significant, but manageable with the starting salary and yearly pay raises. I'm more fortunate than most in that I have found employment, but I worked harder than I ever have to ensure success in law school."
"Do I have any regrets? Not a one! Being able to think like a lawyer has yielded me financial and psychological benefits beyond chronicling."
" I've left the legal field and now make a far better income doing much more interesting work, but I've never regretted attending law school or practicing law. It taught me how to think in a disciplined way, how to advocate, and how to work smart. Those things continue to serve me well, every day."
The Myth that Medical School is better than Law School is WRONG:
"I think the same thing applies to medical education. I worked at a medical school and I was appalled at the cost of tuition and the quality of the education. The students were paying an exorbitant amount of money for a less than sterling education. But the school bled them like they were cattle to be slaughtered."
"Why all the talk about law school? Pharmacy students graduate with more debt and even more limited job opportunities. There are way too many Pharmacy schools now and they are pumping out graduates with 200k in debt into a dismal job market. The situation with the profession of pharmacy is significantly worse than law and it all happened in the past 5 years."
***
It is YOUR life. You are in charge of what you do with it. As a law school graduate, you have the opportunity to recreate the image you have of yourself. You are ending your life as a student. You are entering the "real world." You can either paint a negative mental picture of yourself like many of the law school scambloggers did, or you can begin to develop your life according to your terms. You are very lucky to be graduating now into a decently good legal market. While it is not perfect, there is a good chance that you will find a job. And you WILL FIND A JOB as long as you are willing to put in the work.
What is the Legal Market in 2013 going to look like?
Law school is very expensive and many are fearing a lack of jobs in 2013. Many claim that law school is a losing investment. That may be up for debate, but many people with JDs still are able to find employment -- and good employment.
Result: 2013 is a MUCH BETTER year than previous years for finding a legal position.
Legal Employment Outlook by City, 2013
New York - Much bigger improvement on 2012, 2011
San Francisco - Improvement on 2012, 2011
Boston - Improvement on 2012, 2011
Chicago - Improvement on 2012, 2011
Seattle - Similar as 2012, 2011
Los Angeles - Improvement on 2012, 2011
Portland - Similar as 2012, 2011
Denver - Improvement on 2012, 2011
Los Angeles - Improvement on 2012, 2011
Portland - Similar as 2012, 2011
Denver - Improvement on 2012, 2011
Pheonix - Little data found.
Las Vegas - Similar as 2012, 2011
Washington DC - Much bigger improvement on 2012, 2011
Washington DC - Much bigger improvement on 2012, 2011
Miami - Improvement on 2012, 2011
Detroit - Improvement on 2012, 2011.
Salt Lake City - Improvement on 2012, 2011.
Manhasset, NY - Improvement on 2012, 2011
New York, and Washington DC had a much better outlook than before. Los Angeles and the Southern California market is also looking good for finding a legal job. The northwest is similar to in years past, but it is no worse than before.
Salt Lake City - Improvement on 2012, 2011.
Manhasset, NY - Improvement on 2012, 2011
New York, and Washington DC had a much better outlook than before. Los Angeles and the Southern California market is also looking good for finding a legal job. The northwest is similar to in years past, but it is no worse than before.
Factors that may help current law graduates find a job.
- Current law graduates have little to worry about. First, many people in the legal profession -- many of these baby boomers -- are now retiring. They will continue to retire over the next few years, increasing the amount of jobs in the legal field.
- With the worry that finding a legal job is a challenge, many people are not going to law school. This means less competition for legal jobs.
For example, the New York Times recently stated, "In 2004 there were 100,000 applicants to law schools; this year there are likely to be 54,000." That means a much lower number of people will be looking for legal jobs in the future. That means that you will have a much better chance of finding a law job in the couple of years than people who graduated in 2009 and 2010.
- Many law school graduates do not want to work in law, but instead are using law school to help them move into the business sector (think: high finance, government regulation, international relations, economic theory, college instructor positions, entrepreneurial positions, writer, non-profit administration, corporate leadership roles, etc.). Many employers value a JD. A JD is especially helpful in the financial sector and real estate sector, where employees are often required to know laws that pertain to their field.
- The Law job outlook is not much different than the job outlook in many other sectors. There are no guaranteed ways to find a job or get rich. STEM degree holders are having trouble finding jobs. Dentists and doctors also have trouble looking for work. Those who say that you are better of forgoing college and going to work using only a high school degree are not to be listened to.
While it is still not a good time to look for legal work, 2013 looks to be a much better year than previous years.
Law Demand Currently High
"“We have a significant mismatch between demand and supply,” said Gillian K. Hadfield, professor of law and economics at the University of Southern California. “It’s not a problem of producing too many lawyers. Actually, we have an exploding demand for both ordinary folk lawyers and big corporate ones.”"
Even with some negative publicity on law school, according to the New York Times, there is an EXPLODING demand for lawyers. However, many law graduates do have a problem finding jobs. Why do some law graduates find jobs after graduation while others do not? First, interning while in law school and building skills is very important. Law firms are hiring, but oftentimes they take the graduates and people with experience.
T1, T2, T3, T4, it does not matter
If you have legal experience during law school, it matters very little where you went to law school and in what tier that law school was in. Graduates are finding legal jobs, on average, at the same rate no matter what their school's US News rank is. If you think that going to a tier 4 school is going to put you at a disadvantage in 2013, you might want to rethink that and think more positively.
If you are graduating in 2013 or 2014, you can increase your marketability by doing some of the following:
1. Look for legal experience, even if it is unpaid experience.
2. Take classes that employers like to see.
3. Become involved with your local bar association. Go to bar meetings. This is a great way to "network" without really trying. People will talk to you and very few law students actually do this (and the ones who do find jobs).
Remember, it is POPULAR to talk about how law schools are bad right now. It's a huge money maker for newspapers, such as the New York Times. And yes, the New York Times exists SOLELY to make money. Therefore, they print what is read and what gives them advertisement revenue. Do not let these stories, or stories written by scambloggers scare you into being complacent about looking for work. Those that believe they will NOT do well do NOT do well. It's merely a self-fulfilling prophecy. That is one reason I do not, nor will I, read those blogs anymore. If you are willing to try to find a job without complaining about the process on the internet constantly, YOU WILL FIND A LEGAL JOB.
Hear what other law students are saying who recently graduated:
"I graduated from a small liberal arts college in Upstate NY with a 3.7 gpa and got a 155 on the LSAT. Went to Syracuse Law, not a "top tier" school by any stretch of the imagination. I worked hard and will graduate in the top 10% of my class and already have a job making $80k a year in Syracuse as a first year associate. My total debt is about $80k. Pretty significant, but manageable with the starting salary and yearly pay raises. I'm more fortunate than most in that I have found employment, but I worked harder than I ever have to ensure success in law school."
"Do I have any regrets? Not a one! Being able to think like a lawyer has yielded me financial and psychological benefits beyond chronicling."
" I've left the legal field and now make a far better income doing much more interesting work, but I've never regretted attending law school or practicing law. It taught me how to think in a disciplined way, how to advocate, and how to work smart. Those things continue to serve me well, every day."
The Myth that Medical School is better than Law School is WRONG:
"I think the same thing applies to medical education. I worked at a medical school and I was appalled at the cost of tuition and the quality of the education. The students were paying an exorbitant amount of money for a less than sterling education. But the school bled them like they were cattle to be slaughtered."
"Why all the talk about law school? Pharmacy students graduate with more debt and even more limited job opportunities. There are way too many Pharmacy schools now and they are pumping out graduates with 200k in debt into a dismal job market. The situation with the profession of pharmacy is significantly worse than law and it all happened in the past 5 years."
***
It is YOUR life. You are in charge of what you do with it. As a law school graduate, you have the opportunity to recreate the image you have of yourself. You are ending your life as a student. You are entering the "real world." You can either paint a negative mental picture of yourself like many of the law school scambloggers did, or you can begin to develop your life according to your terms. You are very lucky to be graduating now into a decently good legal market. While it is not perfect, there is a good chance that you will find a job. And you WILL FIND A JOB as long as you are willing to put in the work.
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