Dayton Docket

The University of Dayton School of Law finished second in Ohio in one of the key measures used to judge the success of graduates in finding employment.

Job numbers for the Class of 2024 show 89.8% of graduates secured full-time, long-term, bar required or J.D. advantage jobs in the 10 months after graduation. That number puts Dayton Law second among the 10 law schools in the Ohio area, according to an analysis of the Employment Summary Reports released to the American Bar Association.

This is the fifth time in 6 years the School of Law has been in the top 2 in Ohio in that metric and it’s been in the top 3 all 6 years.

Career Services Office Director and Assistant Dean Tim Swensen says one of the big reasons for the law school’s continued employment success is its alumni.

“Our alumni step up and help in amazing ways by offering positions and offering networking opportunities,” Swensen says.

As much as the numbers are a point of pride for the law school’s Career Services Office, Swensen says the real joy is in seeing graduates start their legal careers.

“These are individuals who have established relationships with us and who we want to see on a personal basis go off, start their careers, do things they enjoy and contribute to their communities,” Swensen says. “It’s really gratifying when you hear back from a student that they’re excited about what they get to do.”

As far as trends among the jobs graduates are getting, Swensen says he’s seen more getting positions on either end of the spectrum of firm size with an uptick in those going to big firms in big cities and an increase in those hired in small firms in more rural areas.

No matter where they end up, Swensen says it’s great to see the impact UDSL graduates are having.

“We’re not just producing excellent attorneys but excellent attorneys who are making the places they live and work better places,” Swensen says.