Following two months of legal job loss in February and March, April is giving many in the legal field more optimism since 1,500 new legal jobs were added in the US last month, according to the official monthly report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

There was also good news in general for employment in the US, which increased by 244,000 jobs in April.  Yet even with more people getting employed, the rate of unemployment went from 8.8 percent to 9 percent in April, because of more unemployed people that were beginning to look for work again.

This is especially good news for everyone in the legal industry, since the losses mentioned above include 300 in March and 2,000 in February.

There are thousands of law students that are ready to graduate this month, and hopefully there will be enough jobs to go around in the current depressed market.

• Employment Rate for Law Graduates Dives to 15 Year Low
• Job Market for New Grads Edges up
• Legal Sector Jobs Edged Upward in January
• American Bar Association to Kill LSAT?
• Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi LLP Announces its New Partner

The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funds are part of more than $4 billion in Justice Department Recovery Act funds available to assist state, local and tribal law enforcement and criminal justice.

Some funds will be targeted to the retention and creation of criminal justice-related jobs, in areas such as criminal courts, and crime victim and witness programs.

Those regions getting money were chosen by population and crime statistics.

• Subpoenas Issued to 11 Financial Institutions by New Federal Task Force
• DOJ Veteran Joins King & Spalding’s Antitrust Division
• April is a Good Month for the Legal Industry with 1,500 New Jobs Added
• DOJ Will Not Defend DOMA
• Bail Denied for Assange