Outlook improves for law grads

A higher percentage of last year’s graduates from Texas law schools found work as lawyers than the class of 2015.

The improvement in job placement comes at a time when demand for legal services is essentially flat nationwide and law schools have cut back on enrollment as students become reluctant to invest $100,000 or more for a law degree that may not lead to a job. And despite the improvement, many 2016 law school graduates are still looking for work or have taken jobs that don’t require a law degree.

The University of Texas School of Law topped the placement of recent graduates. Nearly 80 percent from the class of 2016 graduates were working full-time in long-term positions that requires passage of the bar exam, up from 76 percent the previous year, according to data compiled by the American Bar Association and reported by the university.

Each year, the association measures how many law school graduates find jobs by mid-March, roughly nine months after they graduate. The data provide insight into how likely it is for graduates to find positions as lawyers upon graduation.

The Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University reported the biggest employment jump among local schools. Fifty-two percent of the class of 2016 found full-time, long-term jobs that required passage of the bar exam, compared with only 35 percent a year earlier.

The University of Houston Law Center also saw a big boost. Sixty-eight percent of the 2016 graduating class found jobs as lawyers, compared with 59 percent one year earlier.

Tiffany Tucker, interim assistant dean for career development, said the University of Houston Law Center has increased its employer outreach efforts, which has created new opportunities for students and recent graduates.