Northwestern’s School of Law has the highest percentage of graduates landing positions at the nation’s largest law firms, according to new research compiled by The National Law Journal.
The rankings, which were published Monday, showed NU’s law graduates were often hired in their first year out of school.
“We were very pleased,” said Donald Rebstock, the School of Law’s associate dean. “It’s a great accomplishment and great external recognition.”
NU also ranked first in the country as the best law school for job prospects in a study conducted by The Princeton Review last fall, Rebstock said. U.S. News and World report ranked the school 10th in 2009.
The school ranks high on these surveys because administrators listen to employers and shape programs to fit their needs, School of Law Prof. Albert Alschuler said.
“We have a demanding program,” he said. “We emphasize interdisciplinary studies and legal writing, and those are things that firms care about.”
The school’s administrators encourage students to apply after at least two years of work experience, said Makoa Kawabata, president of Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity.
“When we’re cultivating that type of class at the Law School, it makes sense that students would be able to get top jobs,” the Weinberg junior said.
NU Law graduates are better prepared for real-world work experience than any other school’s graduates, School of Law Prof. Steven Lubet said.
“We give the best theoretical and practical education,” he said. “Of all the top law schools, we’ve got the strongest curriculum in skills training.”
The School of Law received fifth place in The National Law Journal’s survey last year and second place two years ago, Rebstock said. Recent success could be due to the school’s new strategic plan, which was updated in 2008, he said.
“We set up focus groups with top partners to really identify what graduates need beyond just legal reasoning and analysis,” Rebstock said. “Having this very employer-centered strategy is ultimately what makes our success.” [email protected]
