HIGHER EDUCATION BUBBLE UPDATE, LEGAL EDUCATION EDITION: Comparing the Class of 2016 employment outcomes with the classes of 2015 and 2014. “Because there was a significant decline in the number of graduates across these law schools between 2014 and 2015, and again between 2015 and 2016, however, this modest increase in the percentage of graduates in these positions masks an actual decline in the number of graduates in such positions. . . . In the three-year period, then, between 2013 and 2016, the number of first-time takers from ABA-accredited law schools taking the July bar exam who passed the exam and became eligible for jobs requiring bar passage declined by roughly 12,466, or by 32%. In that time period, however, the percentage of those eligible for full-time, long-term bar passage required positions who landed such positions has increased from 66.6% to 86.8% between 2013 and 2016.”

Plus: “Some geographic differences also are noteworthy. The percentage of graduates of all law schools in states with more than one law school who were in full-time, long-term, bar-passage-required or JD advantage jobs was over 80% in five states (Missouri (82.4%), New York (82.1%), Pennsylvania (81.9%), Tennessee (81.7%), Virginia (81%)). In nine states, however, it was less than 70% (Arizona (69.7%), Ohio (69.4%), Washington (67.8%), Michigan (66.3%), Louisiana (66.2%), Florida (65.5%), California (64.3%), Oregon (63.1%), North Carolina (59.6%)).”