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Employment Statistics

92% Employment for Class of 2022 in positions that are full-time, long-term and either require a law license or where having a J.D. provides a significant advantage to performing or obtaining the role.

95% Overall Employment for Class of 2022 which also includes positions that are professional in nature.

ABA Employment Data

Three years of ABA employment summary reports are included on this page and can also be found at www.abarequireddisclosures.org.

2022 ABA Employment Summary

2021 ABA Employment Summary 

2020 ABA Employment Summary*

*Information on employment outcomes for the Class of 2020 may not reflect a particular law school’s typical results in this area. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, bar admission exams were canceled or delayed in many jurisdictions, thus making it more challenging for graduates to secure employment by the annual Graduate Employment Status Date of March 15.

NALP Employment Data

In addition to the ABA Employment Reports and information noted above, Drake also provides additional employment data to the National Association for Law Placement, an association of over 2,500 legal career professionals advising law students, lawyers, law offices, and law schools across North America and beyond. 

2021 Drake Law NALP Report

2020 Drake Law NALP Report 

2019 Drake Law NALP Report

Our Career Development Office is happy to answer questions you have and provide current information to you, please contact our office if you would like to discuss any of this data further.

Employment Breakdown

From the American Bar Association (April 2021): Per Interpretation 509-2 of Standard 509, law schools may choose to publicize additional employment outcome data beyond what the Employment Protocols require. This additional data, per Standard 509, must be “complete, accurate, and not misleading to a reasonable law school student or applicant.” Law schools are expected to use “due diligence in obtaining and verifying such information.” The following additional employment outcome data has not been, and will not be, audited by the ABA. It is meant to supplement the annual ABA Employment Summary Report, which reflects the employment status of members of each graduating class as of the annual Graduate Employment Status Date of March 15. Please reference the 3 years of employment outcome data posted on the ABA Required Disclosures webpage of each ABA-Approved Law School or at www.abarequireddisclosures.org.

  2020 2021 2022
Reporting Rate 100% 100% 100%
Total Students  95 100 109
Employed 86 (90.5%) 95 (95%) 104 (95%)
   ♦ Bar Required 69 (72.6%) 76 (76%) 89 (82%)
   ♦ J.D. Preferred 13 (13.7%) 16 (16%) 14 (13%)
   ♦ Professional 4 (4.2%) 2 (2%) 0
   ♦ Other 0 1  (1%) 1 (1%)
   ♦ Type Unknown 0 0
Enrolled in Full-time Degree Program 1 (1.0%) 1 (1%) 1 (1%) 
Not Seeking or Start Date Deferred/Unemployed 0 1 (1%)
Seeking - Unemployed 8 (8.4%) 4 (4%) 3 (3%)

All employment data is as of ten months post-graduation.

 

Types of Employment

  2020 2021 2022
Number Employed    
86 95 104
Private Practice
41 (47.7%) 56 (58.9%) 73 (70%)
Government 19  (22.1%) 8 (8%) 11 (11%)
Judicial Clerkship 7 (8.1%) 9 (9%) 2 (2%)
Business 11 (12.8%) 16 (16.8%) 9 (9%)
Public Interest 6 (6.97%) 6 (6.3%) 8 (8%)
Education 2  (2.3%) 0 1(1%)

Percentages in the above chart are of total students employed, not total number of graduates.

Geographic Distribution of Graduates

Region                     States 2020 2021 2022
W. North Central IA, KS, MN, MO, ND, NE, SD 89.5% 81% 82.7%
E. North Central IL, IN, MI, OH, WI 4.7% 3.1% 4.8%
Mountain AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY 1.2% 3.1% 5.8%
South Atlantic DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV 1.2% 6.3% 2.9%
Mid-Atlantic NY, NJ, PA 1.2% 1.0% 0
Pacific AK, CA, HI, OR, WA 0% 0 1.9%
E. South Central KY, MS, TN, AL 0% 1.0% 1.9%
W. South Central TX, AR, LA, OK 2.3% 3.1% 0
New England CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT 0% 0 0
International Worldwide 0% 1.0% 0
Total   100% 100% 100%

Percentages in the above chart are of total students employed, not total number of graduates.


Questions? Contact the Drake Law School Career Development Office at 515-271-2988 or law-career@drake.edu.

 
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