A new Business Insider story “The 25 best law schools in the US to make connections and get a job” highlights the latest GraduatePrograms.com networking ranking, which was created through polling thousands of former and current law school students and asking them to rank schools with the best networking opportunities. BC Law comes out at #12 in the country.
This isn’t a surprise, says Heather Hayes ’95, Assistant Dean for Career Services. “We are a powerhouse up and down the Atlantic, and a big part of that strength is in our alumni network, which is second to none in New England.” That said, Hayes explains, given BC’s national reputation for producing excellent lawyers and the enthusiastic alumni network beyond the Northeast, graduates land jobs wherever they choose to go. “You don’t have to attend another law school if you want to work outside of Boston,” she says. “Our alumni are very passionate about giving back and very loyal to BC Law.”
In addition to a strong academic background, legal employers are also recognizing the importance of high emotional intelligence in workplace success. New hires who are smart, have real-world experience and also work very well with others fit the BC Law brand. “This is something that our entire community–faculty, students, alumni and staff–value very highly,” Hayes says. “Students looking for a supportive, creative environment where they can work as a team want to come here, and we foster that in our classrooms and in our Career Services programs as well.”
BC Law’s strengthening jobs numbers are being highlighted in a number of other ways recently. Above the Law’s latest rankings, which are based heavily on employment outcomes, put BC Law at #16, up five places from last year. And out of 41 Northeast law schools ranked by BostInno for their JD-required placements, BC Law came in at #7–behind only behind only Yale, Harvard, Columbia, Cornell, NYU, and the University of Pennsylvania.
Another ranking of law schools purely by JD-required placement rates was the subject of a recent TaxProf blog post. BC Law came in at #16.
Many students use career placement statistics to help them decide which law school is right for them. The most recent numbers (for the Class of 2014) posted on the School’s Career Services website show overall employment stands at 90.10%. Employment in full-time, long-term, bar admission required/JD advantage jobs increased from a combined 71.5% in 2013 to 83.88%.
“Boston College Law School remains committed to placing our graduates in positions that meet their individual career goals and that are meaningful professional experiences,” says Hayes. “The school does not use one-year school-funded positions as a way of masking overall challenges in the placement of graduates or to inflate placement statistics. Post-graduate positions at Boston College Law School are extremely limited and are funded to provide substantive educational and career-enhancing opportunities.”
For the Class of 2014, BC Law has a total of four school-funded fellowship positions: two full-time, and two part-time.