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Employment Statistics
The following statistics are designed to provide an overview of the work our students pursue. If you have questions about anything that follows or about your particular situation, please contact the Office of Career Services at 802-831-1243, and we will be glad to talk with you.
Overall Employment Rate*
Approximately 89% of the Class of 2010 was employed in some capacity or in a degree program within 9 months of graduating. The majority of those graduates were working as lawyers or in some other professional capacity (e.g., environmental manager for a public utility).
Employment by Job Type
Most VLS students begin their careers in full-time legal or law-related positions and, as the following chart illustrates, they are evenly spread across a range of positions, including law firm associates, judicial law clerks, legislative aides, government specialists and environmental advocates.
*Based on employment statistics reported to the National Association for Law Placement (NALP) that are reflected in the American Bar Association and US News reports.
Employment by Location
VLS students annually take the bar exam in 30 different states and, while the East Coast remains the most popular, there is considerable interest each year in the Pacific Northwest, the Rocky Mountain states, the Bay Area, Alaska, and Chicago. Chances are quite good that wherever you are looking there is a VLS graduate already there paving the way.
| Class of 2010 | Class of 2009 | Class of 2008 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| New England (CT,ME,MA,NH,RI,VT) | 37% | 32.4.0% | 34.0% |
| Mid-Atlantic (NY,NJ,PA) | 21% | 11.4% | 19.4% |
| East North Central (IL,IN,MI,OH,WI) | 2.5% | 2.1% | 3.5% |
| West North Central (IA,KS,MN,MO,NE,ND,SD) | 2.5% | 0.7% | 0.7% |
| So. Atlantic (DE,DC,FL,GA,MD,NC,SC,VA,WV) | 18% | 25.7% | 25.0% |
| East South Central (AL,KY,MS,TN) | 0% | 4.1% | 2.1% |
| West South Central (AR,LA,OK,TX) | 1.5% | 0.7% | 0.0% |
| Mountain (AZ,CO,ID,MT,NV,NM,UT,WY) | 5% | 6.0% | 4.9% |
| Pacific (AK,CA,HI,OR,WA) | 10.5% | 15.6% | 9.7% |
| International | 2% | 1.3% | 0.7% |
More than just a statistic…
Here is a sample of where some of our graduates are working.
National and Regional Law Firms
- American Capital Energy, Boston, MA
- Bernstein Shur, Portland, ME
- Beveridge & Diamond, Washington, DC
- Cleveland, Waters & Bass, Concord, NH
- Downs, Rachlin & Martin, Burlington, VT
- Electric Insurance Company, Boston, MA
- Latham & Watkins, New York, NY
- Sheehan, Phinney, Bass & Green, Concord, NH
- Sulloway & Hollis, Concord, NH
- Weil Gotshal, Boston, MA
Judicial Clerkships
- On the federal level, graduates are clerking with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second and Eighth Circuits and with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission - Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel.
- On the state court level, graduates are clerking in in Alaska, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington State.
Fellowships/Honors Program
- AAAS Fellow at US DOE, Washington, DC
- Environmental Law Institute Fellow Washington, DC
- New York State Assembly Fellowship
- Presidential Management Fellowship Program
- U.S. Department of Justice Honors Program, Washington, DC
- U.S. EPA - OGC Honors Program, Washington, DC
Public Interest/Non-Profit Organizations
- Bexar Land Trust, TX
- California Coastkeeper Alliance
- Connecticut Fund for the Environment
- Environmental Integrity Project, DC
- National Regulatory Research Institute, DC
- VT Defender General's Office
- In addition, graduates are working in legal services organizations in New York and Pennsylvania, and in public defender offices in Montana, New Hampshire, Vermont and Washington State.
Government
- U.S. Army JAG
- U.S. EPA - OECA, Washington, DC
- U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Comminssion
- Alaska Department of Administration, Juneau, AK
- California Coastal Commission, San Francisco, CA
- CT Department of Environmental Protection
- In addition, graduates are working at the local prosecutor's office in Colorado, New York, Vermont and Washington State.
On Campus Recruiting
- Fall 2010 – 30 employers recruited on campus or via video conferencing, including a number of national and regional law firms, government agencies, and public interest organizations.
- Spring 2011 – 25 employers from around New England interviewed on campus, including a number of local law firms, government agencies and public interest organizations.
- DC Job Fairs - In addition, we hosted a fall and spring job fair for VLS students in Washington, DC with 14 employers inthe fall and 21 in the spring
JD and JD/MELP Class of 2010 Bar Exam Statistics
- Our graduates took the bar exam in 30 different states last summer.The following table compares the 2010 pass rate of VLS graduates with that of all law students in the four states in which the largest number of VLS graduates sat for the exam.
| State | VLS First-Time Taker Pass Rate | Overall First-Time Taker Pass Rate |
|---|---|---|
| VT | 91.6 | 81% |
| NY | 83% | 86% |
| MA | 85.7% | 91% |
| NH | 77% | 81.8% |
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