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Washington and Lee University School of Law

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Washington and Lee University School of Law Employment Data 9 Months After Graduation
 Class of 2012Class of 2011Class of 2010Class of 2009Class of 2008Class of 2007Class of 2006
Total Graduates130129123138141124129
Total Employed or Seeking Advanced Degree95116116126125115118
 
Full-time 80 98 91 109 115 105 111
Part-time 7 15 19 8 7 0 3
Unknown 2 0 1 2 2 8 1
 
Fellowships† 2 12 13 - - - -
Pursuing Graduate Degree 6 3 5 7 1 2 3
 
Bar Passage Required 68 81 82 102 116 102 101
JD Preferred 13 27 23 9 3 3 8
Other Professional 3 4 4 4 2 3 1
Non-Professional 3 1 1 2 1 0 4
Unknown 0 0 1 2 2 5 1
 
Unemployed
(seeking/not seeking
35 10 2 10 13 6 6
Employment status unknown 2 3 5 2 3 3 5

2011 Update Notes: With this update of employment data nine months after graduation, we broke out a category previously referred to as "Permanent" into full-time, part-time and unknown positions.

The fellowships category is comprised of any position wholly or partially funded by the law school. Students enrolled in the Post-Graduate Fellowship program work in law-related fields in a location and practice area of their choosing. They receive a modest stipend on a quarterly basis that helps them to relocate to the area where they have focused their job search and to gain valuable experience while continuing to seek permanent employment. For the Class of 2010, 51 students were enrolled in the post-graduate fellowship program at graduation. Only 13 students remained in the program nine months after graduation, the rest having secured long-term employment. For the Class of 2011, 64 students were enrolled in the program at graduation and 12 remained in the program after nine months. For the Class of 2012, 35 students were enrolled in the program at graduation and two remained in the program after nine months.

ABA Employment Reports: Class of 2012 | Class of 2011 | Class of 2010

ABA Standard 509 Information Report: Current Report

NALP Reports: 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006

Scholarship Data: General Information | Scholarship Data

Transfer Information: Credit Evaluation

Employment Types of Employed Graduates 9 Months After Graduation
 Class of 2012Class of 2011Class of 2010Class of 2009Class of 2008Class of 2007Class of 2006
Law Firms 33 52 36 71 71 64 64
Solo 0 1 1 1 1 0 1
2-10 10
20
13 8 6 13 8
11-25 6
6
0 4 4 5 7
26-50 1
5
2 3 6 1 5
51-100 2
2
5 5 8 5 6
101-250 3
4
3 16 5 7 15
251-500 3
4
5 7 11 12 1
500+ 8
10
7 27 27 21 19
unknown 0
0
0 0 3 0 2
Business and Industry 12
19
8 13 9 4 13
Government 17
10
23 9 11 10 9
Public Interest 4
6
10 2 7 5 6
Clerkship 18
23
22 21 25 21 22
Federal 6
11
13 5 11 8 9
State and Local 12
12
9 16 14 13 13
Military 0
1
2 2 3 3 3
Other 0
0
0 0 0 0 0
Academia 3
2
11 1 1 2 0
Other/unknown 0 0 1 2 0 2 1

What is Business and Industry? The "Business" category (under Employment Types) captures many different types of employment. It may include professional positions, such as within a general counsel's office or in a bank, and non-professional jobs, such as working in a restaurant. Of the professional positions captured in this category, some require a law degree and some do not.

What is Academia? Academic positions include those at any academic level, including elementary, secondary, and higher education, and regardless of whether they are at private or public institutions. Positions include faculty member, teacher, librarian, administrator, and in-house legal counsel. This category only includes employment in an academic institution; it does not include pursuing a degree or being enrolled in an academic program at an academic institution.

Geographic Destinations of W&L Law School Graduates 9 Months After Graduation
 Class of 2012Class of 2011Class of 2010Class of 2009Class of 2008Class of 2007Class of 2006
Northeast (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) 0 2 2 4 3 2 2
Mid-Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) 13 15 14 17 24 18 12
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI)3632651
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, SD, ND)1110110
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)54697372645381
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN)3225564
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX)6646562
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY)2233576
Pacific (AK, CA, WA, HI, OR)4963865
Foreign1021301

 

Top 5 Employment Locations 9 Months After Graduation
 Class of 2012Class of 2011Class of 2010Class of 2009Class of 2008Class of 2007Class of 2006
Virginia32433436342934
District of Columbia341913141215
New York78101512117
Maryland2595224
California3753735
Texas6435231

 

Full-time Salaries of Employed Graduates 9 Months After Graduation
 Class of 2012Class of 2011Class of 2010Class of 2009Class of 2008Class of 2007Class of 2006
Total Number of Employed Graduates87113111119124113115
Total Number of Employed Graduates Reporting Salaries7077839310185101
Percentage of Employed Graduates Reporting Salaries80.568.9%74.8%78.1%81.5%75.2%87.8%
25th Percentile$47,750$50,000$48,000$55,000$52,000$50,000$48,000
Median$57,404$60,998$58,500$90,000$80,000$75,000$65,000
75th Percentile$70,000$86,250$90,000$160,000$145,000$125,000$115,000
Mean$68,220$74,270$72,907$102,491$95,526$86,681$77,698
Judicial Clerk18212218211822
25th Percentile$43,750$47,000$45,750$45,040$45,700$40,000$38,500
Median$51,000$57,408$54,000$51,327$50,800$44,000$43,000
75th Percentile$57,100$60,750$57,400$56,000$55,000$52,000$50,500
Mean$49,985$54,016$52,039$50,489$50,160$44,966$44,296
Private Practice28373064635460
25th Percentile$52,000$52,000$70,000$90,000$90,000$75,000$66,500
Median$72,500$85,000$102,500$145,000$135,000$105,000$102,500
75th Percentile$138,750$145,000$150,000$160,000$160,000$145,000$125,000
Mean$91,461$92,562$108,417$125,746$120,746$106,037$98,017
Government147177868
25th Percentile$42,500$42,500$40,000$42,500$48,574$50,000$45,000
Median$49,000$55,000$51,630$46,625$52,500$51,750$49,000
75th Percentile$60,470$56,000$62,467$61,000$59,000$55,000$54,000
Mean$52,698$50,071$54,819$50,930$56,581$51,583$48,463
Public Interest*3-6----
25th Percentile--$40,000----
Median$43,300-$44,500----
75th Percentile--$48,000----
Mean$43,161-$48,333----

* No salary data was reported for Public Interest jobs between 2006-2009 and in 2011. During this period, the number of graduates working in this area by year was as follows: 2011(6), 2009 (2), 2008 (7), 2007 (5), 2006 (6).