On-Site Interviews Drop by 45 Percent at Texas Law School
Students at the University of Texas School of Law at Austin are getting an early taste of the poor job market.
The number of scheduled on-campus interviews for 3Ls has dropped by 45 percent at the school since last year, the Daily Texan reports.
David Montoya, assistant dean for career services at the law school, told Texas Lawyer that employers may continue to register for the second round of interviews, scheduled to begin in October, and numbers for August interviews are also in flux. “Every day it changes, but we do expect the number to be lower,” he said.
Montoya told Texas Lawyer that the dropoff isn’t as great for employers seeking 2Ls. “The number of employers seeking 2Ls, while down from last year at this point, is nonetheless encouraging,” he said.
Above the Law broke the news last week with publication of a memo e-mailed to 3Ls warning about the reduced number of interviewing firms.
UT isn’t the only Texas law school seeing a drop off. Out of nine ABA-accredited law schools in the state, seven have reported that fewer employers are visiting their campuses for interviews, the Daily Texan says.
Texas Lawyer has specifics at other schools. They include:
–Julie Doss, assistant dean for career services at UT law school in Austin, says the number of employers interviewing 3Ls is one-fourth to one-half the usual number. “We are still going to have a lot of firms register later, the small to medium-sized firms,” she told Texas Lawyer.
–Heather Creed, assistant dean of professional development and student relations at Baylor University law school in Waco, says that, so far, 30 percent to 35 percent fewer employers have signed up for on-campus interviews. She expects the final numbers won’t be as dramatic, since several employers typically register late.
–Fewer than 50 employers have signed up for on-campus interviews at the South Texas College of Law in Houston, compared to a usual number of about 60. More employers are expected to come on board.
–About 90 employers have signed up for on-campus interviews at the University of Houston Law Center, compared to a usual number of about 105.
