Summary: In contrast to the rest of the country, the University of New Mexico School of Law is reporting that a majority of its graduates have found employment.
According to KOB.com, the University of New Mexico Law School is in a category by itself. The school is reporting that its grads are finding jobs, whereas new attorneys elsewhere in the country are having a difficult time finding work.
The school’s dean resigned in April.
For example, Lila Jones, a recent graduate, is moving to Washington, D.C. to work for the Department of Justice in its Environmental and Natural Resources division. According to University of New Mexico School of Law News, Washington, D.C. is actually the school’s second largest job market, after New Mexico.
Good numbers were reported at the school in June as well.
Jones said, “I’m excited because the subject matter is exactly what I wanted to do and also because it’s a public service position which means I can combine my dedication to the community I live in with my profession which is a gift.”
Other students are excited about their jobs as well. According to the law school’s latest numbers, 80 percent of graduates found full-time jobs that required bar passage less than a year after graduation. The national average is 60 percent.
Of course, New Mexico’s job market is better than others because it is not oversaturated with law grads as are many other markets in the country. Additionally, the school states that its culture of students who support each other, a wide alumni network, and its work requirements contribute to its job placement rates.
The school’s law review dedicated an issue to Breaking Bad.
Heather Harrigan, who works in the law school’s Career Services office, said, “Whether it’s through our externship program, our criminal law and practice program, appellant law and practice program, there’s lots of ways for our students to get really great experience.”
For many students who study law in New Mexico, they take their knowledge to new areas. Jones will represent the school while working on a national level. She commented, “For New Mexico it’s so critical. We are a small state and we have an abundance of some resources and then very limited resources in other ways and so understanding how the law affects that can really help New Mexico move forward if we work together as a community.”
Source: KOB.com
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