Drexel University’s Thomas R. Kline School of Law is called an “Employment Leader” on the cover of preLaw Magazine’s Back to School issue (Vol. 26, No. 1) and is ranked the second most improved law school in the cover story, which recognizes 46 law schools that have improved employment rates by 15 percent or more in the last decade.

From 2019 to 2021 Drexel Kline Law JDs averaged a 90.7 percent employment rate for high-quality legal jobs 10 months after graduation—several points higher than the national average in each of those years. And in the last decade Drexel University Kline School of Law’s post-graduation employment rate grew by 45.5 percent.

“Our employment outcomes reflect the hard work that our students undertake throughout law school, the dedication of our faculty and the mission-driven focus of our outstanding career services office,” said Donna Gerson, associate dean for career strategies.

To compare the employment outcomes of the Classes of 2011, 2012 and 2013 with those of the Classes of 2019, 2020 and 2021, preLaw Magazine used data from the American Bar Association (ABA) to create a “three-year average of a modified employment rate, designed to track the quality of jobs.” So, for example, a full-time job requiring a JD counted more than a part-time job not requiring a JD.

The cover story, “Most Improved Law Schools: Employment Turnaround,” describes 2012 as a dismal year for legal education with the ABA reporting that only 54.9 percent of law school graduates landed full-time jobs that required law degrees. The last 10 years have seen a turnaround in the industry. Job rates have gradually improved since 2012, reaching 84.7 percent for 2021 graduates.

The article notes that the three most improved schools, including Drexel’s Kline School of Law, which opened in 2006 and graduated its first class in 2009, were all relatively new in 2012.