Duke Law School has unseated the mighty University of Virginia to claim the legal employment throne in 20245. Nearly 98 percent of Duke’s JD graduates landed those coveted full-time, permanent jobs requiring bar passage-the kind that actually justify those soul-crushing student loans.
Cornell Law followed close behind with an impressive 96.43 percent employment rate, while Baylor University showed the T-14 elites they aren’t the only game in town by securing third place with 95.45%.
Washington University in St. Louis (95.09 percent) and former champion Virginia (94.65 percent) rounded out the top five.
The most surprising character in this legal employment saga is the job market itself.
Despite the 2024 class being stuffed with 11 percent more graduates than its predecessor-that’s 3,722 additional JDs competing for desk space-the overall employment rate actually improved. More than 82 percent of graduates secured bar admission jobs, the highest rate ever recorded by the ABA.
Baylor Law deserves special mention for punching above its weight as the highest-ranked non-T-14 school on the list5. Currently sitting at #43 in those US News rankings everyone pretends not to care about (while secretly checking obsessively), Baylor is showing that Texas-sized employment results don’t require an Ivy League pedigree.
I’m curious how Duke Law’s approach to career services has evolved to achieve such impressive employment outcomes. Are there specific programs or initiatives that have contributed to this success?
Yeah, heard Duke ramped up their networking events and mentorship programs. Really makes a difference in landing those top spots.
Looks like Duke Law is playing the game of thrones with law schools. Virginia, better watch your back!
It’s impressive seeing Baylor hold its own against those top law schools. Makes you think twice about the whole T-14 dominance thing.
These employment stats are impressive, but how many of these jobs are actually in the graduates’ desired fields? LawFuel Editors, care to delve deeper into this aspect?
Good question, are we talking big law jobs or are some of these graduates underemployed?
It’s important to note that while the overall employment rate is a useful metric, the quality and diversity of these positions often give a clearer picture of a law school’s performance.