Law schools hit new lows - GI Bill, Tuition Assistance, Veterans Education Benefits, Military College Credit, Military to Civilian Transitions - Navy Times

Law schools hit new lows

The days of top law school graduates having their pick of six-figure jobs at boutique firms are over.

Postgraduate employment rates for law students are at their lowest levels in 15 years. The typical student leaves school nearly $100,000 in debt. And after several years of recession-driven enrollment gains, applications to law schools nationwide are down nearly 10 percent this year.

According to the National Association for Law Placement, only slightly more than two-thirds of spring 2010 graduates had jobs requiring law licenses nine months later — the lowest mark since the industry group starting keeping count.

Stung by criticism that prospective students aren’t aware of those unflattering statistics, law schools accredited by the American Bar Association now will be required to report the types of jobs their graduates obtained, not just overall employment rates.