Careers

The Strength of a Michigan Degree
The distinctive legal education Michigan offers, along with career services support and a powerful global alumni network, is a potent combination that adds up to a stellar career placement track record for our students.

An Unparalleled Network
The Michigan alumni network is an invaluable resource, especially during economic times such as these. We have an active, worldwide network of more than 20,000 alumni, available for advice on job searches, volunteering to help mentor students and, in some cases, finding placement opportunities. Our offices of Career Services and Public Service provide frequent opportunities to connect with alumni both individually and in group settings. In addition, faculty members routinely reach out to contacts they have across the corporate and public sectors on behalf of students.

Portability
A Michigan degree is highly valued in the marketplace, and highly portable—we have substantial placements in every major legal market, and many of our graduates move successfully within the public and private sectors. We send people to an average of 34 states at graduation. For summer employment, students spread out even farther, going to between 37 and 44 states. About one in five students goes to three different markets during the course of their time at Michigan Law, and most go to at least two different states. Our students pursue diverse options in most of the country’s legal markets and in many international markets as well.

The Employment Landscape
Put plainly, the legal employment landscape, especially at some of the country's largest firms, took a hit in the midst of the recession. The job market remains tight in every sector going into 2011. Although we're seeing positive signs on the horizon, students who will be job seekers over the next two or three years have to be especially strategic in their searches. In such an environment, it is important to be flexible in your career considerations and strategic about your approach.

The Good News
The employment rate for Michigan Law grads has consistently exceeded 98 percent, which is strong evidence that our grads are highly sought after by employers, even in an extremely competitive market. Our graduates are employed by BigLaw (mega firms with 750-plus attorneys), large and medium-size firms, boutique firms specializing in particular practice areas, public interest and government, the judiciary, and employers outside the law but for whom legal thinking and familiarity is an enormous asset. Some students and alumni can't be confined by national borders and find themselves practicing all types of law on every continent (well, not Antarctica).