NALP Bulletin, February 2002 

Almost 60% of schools responding to NALP's "Three Quick Questions" survey reported a decrease in the number of employers on campus last fall compared with fall 2000. In contrast, response to this survey a year ago, in which schools compared their employer numbers for 2000 and 1999, found 28% reporting a decrease.

There were changes on the employer side as well, with about one-third reporting visiting fewer schools, and 40% visiting the same number of schools. A number commented on forced cancellations and substituting telephone or video interviews for in-person interviews. One firm reduced the number of schools at which it interviewed, opting instead to bring candidates to the office. One employer commented that more schools offered "NYCity Days" for their students, which encouraged that employer to interview at schools it would not normally have considered.

A look at preliminary figures compiled from NALP's "Snapshot Survey of the 2001 Recruiting Season," in conjunction with figures from prior years, suggests that, compared with recent years: (a) fewer students are receiving an offer from their summer employer and that, among those that do, more are likely to accept, and that (b) fewer callback interviews are resulting in an offer and that the acceptance rate to these offers is higher. These early results suggest that 2001 looks more like the early to mid-nineties than to the late nineties.

Complete findings on fall recruiting and summer program outcomes, including those for individual cities, are available in Perspectives on Fall 2001 Law Student Recruiting (PDF format).

Trends in Summer and Fall Recruiting Outcomes 1993-2001

*Figures for 2001 are preliminary, based on reports received as of January 6, 2002. Summer outcome figures are for 2L's only; figures for prior years include a small number of (post-graduate) 3L's.
Source: "Perspectives on Fall Recruiting," 1993-2001.