What Happens After Graduation? The Post-Law School Experiences and Reflections of Aotearoa, New Zealand Law Graduates

Abstract

From 2014 to 2019, a national, longitudinal study followed a group of self-selected law students enrolled at four of the six Aotearoa New Zealand law schools. This paper presents study participants’ self-reported post-law school reflections and experiences. These provide insight as to how participants’ time at law school served them after graduation. Reported data include participants’ work experiences, future career plans and reflections on their law school experience. The data is unique in that it captures the postgraduation experiences and reflections of a cohort which includes not only those who are employed in the legal profession but also those who are not. Key findings are largely positive self-reported post-law school outcomes for Aotearoa New Zealand law graduates, but that Aotearoa New Zealand law schools have work to do review and/or improve the delivery of the learning and teaching experiences leading to those outcomes. The reported data give law teachers, law schools and universities new information to consider and use in course and programme development and reviews. It will also be of interest to prospective and current law students and their families, employers of law graduates and the legal profession.