Thomas Jefferson School of Law - Post-graduation Employment

Post-graduation Employment

In 2013, the National Law Journal reported the college has the worst unemployment rate after graduation (31.5%) amongst all law schools in the country.

24.2% of the Class of 2011 were known to be employed in long-term, full-time legal jobs (excepting solo practitioners) nine months after graduation. 54.2% of the Class of 2011 were employed in part-time or short-term jobs, unemployed and seeking employment or pursuing additional education. The employment status of 3.8% of the Class of 2011 was unknown. 0% of the Class of 2011 obtained a federal clerkship. 0.8% of the Class of 2011 were known to be employed in law firms of 101 attorneys or more. 5.1% of the Class of 2011 were known to be employeed in full-time, long-term government or public interest jobs. 0% of the Class of 2011 were employed in school funded jobs.

In January 2011, a New York Times article about the inability of many recent law school graduates to get jobs discussed Thomas Jefferson's claim that 92% of the class of 2009 was employed within nine months of graduation. The school's claim was based on a survey of the class of 2009. However, 25% of 2009 graduates who did not participate in the survey were counted as employed. In the New York Times article, the school's Associate Dean for Student Affairs attributed the average debt level to the school's admittance of immigrants and those who are the first in their familty to attend law school – people who are statistically more likely to lack individual or family resources.

U.S. News & World Report has reported that the average Thomas Jefferson student graduates with $131,800 in debt and 95% of students graduate in debt. On March 22, 2012, U.S. News & World Report included Thomas Jefferson in its list of "10 Law Schools That Lead to the Most Debt."