For the 4th consecutive year, the University of Iowa College of Law has landed a spot on the Go-To Law Schools: Big Law report. This annual report ranks the top 50 law schools by percentage of 2023 juris doctor graduates who took associate positions at the nation’s 100 largest law firms.

For the first time this year, data for the report was sourced directly from law schools, a notable shift from the past reliance on submissions from law firms. Of the top 50 law schools, Iowa Law placed 35th, up from 45th in 2023 and 47th in 2022.

Melissa Norman, Director of Career and Student Services, attests to Iowa Law’s continued success in the rankings

“Iowa Law consistently places students in Big Law firms across the country. With the change in the methodology of data collection, this year’s ranking more accurately reflects our students’ successes with Big Law employers,” says Norman. “Furthermore, while not reflected in these rankings, many of our students start in judicial clerkships and immediately transition into Big Law at the clerkship’s conclusion. Iowa Law students work hard to land Big Law positions with the support of faculty, alumni, and the Career Services Office.”

For many students like Lex Dosunmu, now a 3L who secured a job at Dechert LLP in New York City, the college’s reputation for placing graduates into top-tier legal positions was a driving force behind his decision to attend Iowa Law.

“Before arriving on campus, I had heard all about how the Career Services team at Iowa Law is something of the Gold Standard when it comes to helping students prep for their job interviews. I also found, from my own research, that Iowa Law consistently places a high number of JD graduates in Big Law (and judicial clerkships) across the nation each year. Today, as someone who has benefitted from such consistent guidance and helpful resources, I am happy to corroborate everything I’ve heard about Iowa Law being a top go-to law school for Big Law firms across the AM Law 100.”

In addition to the invaluable support of Iowa Law’s Career Services, Anelisa Gamiz Sandoval, another 3L, attributes her placement at Snell and Wilmer in Phoenix, Arizona, to the college’s robust alumni network

“Iowa Law alumni and Career Services were extremely helpful in securing my job at a Big Law firm in Phoenix. I found my job after attending a panel Career Services put together for Southwest recruitment. I think everyone on the panel was an Iowa Law alum, which made making connections with the panelists much easier. I reached out to one of the panelists when I was back home in Phoenix to meet for a coffee. Through that connection, I made more connections with Iowa alums at the firm where she works. If it weren’t for the Career Services panel or the connections I made with Iowa Law alumni, I probably wouldn’t have gotten my job in Big Law.”

Iowa Law’s consistent recognition as a top-tier institution in Big Law underscores its unwavering commitment to fostering student success and excellence in the legal profession.

For a complete list of the Top 50 Go-To Law Schools in Big Law, please visit Law.com.