U.S. News & World Report today released its 2019 rankings of law schools, and once again the University of Pennsylvania Law School is the top school in the country in terms of the percentage of graduates securing full-time jobs (not funded by the law school that last at least a year), and for which bar passage is required or a J.D. is an advantage.
The ranking uses data from law schools’ classes of 2016; Penn Law was number one for employment outcomes both at graduation and 10 months after students graduated. In total, the Class of 2016 was 98.1 percent employed.
“I’m proud of the great work our new graduates are doing in the law and related fields,” said Ted Ruger, Dean of the Law School. “The law, the economy, and society are in the midst of seismic change. Now more than ever young lawyers need to be equipped with the knowledge, skills, and experience to meet the changing needs and demands of clients across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. The best data point to evaluate Penn Law students’ success is that they are prepared to excel both in their first jobs after graduation, and as their careers evolve over their lifetimes.”
Penn Law’s Class of 2016 secured rewarding and fulfilling employment in law firms of all sizes, in global corporations, in federal and state clerkships, in public interest and nonprofit organizations, and in government positions. Overall, once again the Law School is ranked number 7 in the country by U.S. News.
“Penn Law’s academic and professional programming is a model for legal educators,” said Jodi Schwartz L’84, one of the nation’s top tax lawyers and a Partner at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz in New York. “The Law School’s approach to recruiting the most talented and diverse student body, and preparing them for the new realities of firm work and navigating the legal job market, has paid dividends year-after-year.”
“Penn Law has long been a national leader in its emphasis on public service, which is visible in its large cohort of alumni working in public interest organizations,” noted Catherine Carr L’79, Adjunct Professor and immediate past Executive Director of Community Legal Services. “The Penn Law experience helps students embrace diversity, both in people and thought, and understand the value of multifaceted, interdisciplinary approaches when facing the complex issues clients seeking access to justice encounter.”
Penn Law traces its history to 1790 when James Wilson, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, framer of the Constitution, and member of the first U.S. Supreme Court, delivered the University of Pennsylvania’s first lectures in law to President George Washington and members of his Cabinet. Today the hallmarks of the Penn Law experience are a cross-disciplinary, globally-focused legal education, and vibrant community. Penn Law prepares graduates to navigate an increasingly complex world as leaders and influential decision-makers in the law and related fields.