Clarification of 2021 U.S. News Employment Data

The 2021 U.S. News & World Report display of employment at 10 months after graduation is misleading because U.S. News failed to include school-funded jobs, such as our Public Service Fellowships, in its employment percentage. Under the ABA standards, the percentage of 2018 graduates employed 10 months after graduation is 86.8 percent.

Founded on the principles of experiential learning, interdisciplinary studies, and a commitment to public service, UCI Law students graduate with the intent and commitment to pursue a variety of professional goals. We are proud of all we do to extend our commitment to public service beyond the three years of law school through our Public Service Fellowship program.

Eleven graduates from the class of 2018 (9.6 percent of the class) launched public service careers through a UCI Law Public Service Fellowship. These students were not included in the U.S. News employment percentage.

Class of 2018 Fellows held a variety of positions around the world, including at the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees, Media Legal Defence Initiative, California Appellate Project, Veterans Legal Institute, and ArchCity Defenders.

The disconnect between actual employment outcomes available to and attained by graduates and the U.S. News display of employment “success” is not a new phenomenon, nor is it wholly unique to UCI Law. Yale Law School also recognized the problematic discounting of weight provided by U.S. News to public interest fellowships in 2017.

Employment opportunities available to graduates should be a factor in deciding where to attend law school. UCI Law is proud of the ability to support students in the launch of public interest careers and urges prospective students to review our complete statistics on employment and that of other law schools under consideration, rather than relying on a single incomplete source.   

Jasminder Deol
Assistant Dean for Career Development