When deciding between Drexel Law and other long-established law schools in the area, I was concerned about what career opportunities I’d have coming from a newer school. In the end, I chose Drexel because I was shown proof positive that the Philadelphia legal community was ready and willing to embrace Drexel students. As deposit deadlines approached, I was down to Drexel and one other area school which had a well-established, positive reputation. Drexel had impressed me in every way and offered me a far superior scholarship, but I was willing to invest the money in the other school if I thought it would truly put me in a better position to begin my legal career. Drexel had only one entering class at that point, so there were no employment statistics to examine. So I e-mailed Amy Montemerano, Drexel’s Assistant Dean of Career and Professional Development, and asked if I could call her with a few questions. To my surprise, I almost immediately received a return e-mail, saying, “I’d be happy to meet with you in person. Can you come in tomorrow?”

I met with Dean Montemerano the next day and told her, “I have only one major concern with attending Drexel. There are 5 other law schools in the Philadelphia area with established reputations and alumni networks. I’m wondering how the current class is doing with their 1L summer job search?” She handed me a list of all the 1L students who had secured summer jobs and internships thus far. The list represented close to ½ the class (and it was only March), and included law firm jobs, internships with U.S. District Court, state court, and city court judges, government agencies, public interest organizations, and the like. It was clear to me that, despite Drexel’s newness, the legal community had plenty of room for Drexel Law students. With my last concern allayed, I went directly to the Admissions office and put down my deposit.

Now that I’m a 1L at Drexel, my experiences have been even more positive than I hoped. The Career Services office, as well as the many student organizations, provide numerous chances to network with practicing attorneys through various events on campus. In addition, Drexel pays for each 1L student to be a member of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division, giving us access to even more networking opportunities. Honestly, the only problem is that if I took advantage of every event available, I’d never have time to study! Career Services was extremely helpful to me during my search for 1L employment, and I recently accepted an internship with a U.S. District Court judge for the summer. In my interview, he spoke of his very positive impression of Drexel, and also of his surprise at my early application. This reminded me of another advantage we have in the 1L job hunt…Drexel is on a quarter system and we have our first grades much earlier than other law schools!