Unemployed law graduate, Anna Alaburda, sues former school for ‘inflating employment data’

'This will be the first time a law school will be on trial to defend its public employment figures', says former student's lawyer

(Thomas Jefferson School of Law via Facebook)

An aspiring lawyer in the US is taking her former school to court over claims it falsified employment data, after claiming she has been unable to find a full-time job since graduating almost a decade ago.

As reported by The New York Times, 37-year-old Anna Alaburda, from California, graduated at the top of her class, passed the state bar exam and, overall, spent around $150,000 (£105,600) on getting her degree from the independent Thomas Jefferson School of Law (TJSL) in San Diego.

However, after almost ten years of trying, Ms Alaburda has said she is yet to find a job as a full-time lawyer and, according to legal documents, has accused the school of adopting “the practice of inflating statistics and presenting misleading figures to US News & World Report, as well as the American Bar Association (ABA).”

This, say the documents, is so that law schools can “attract larger numbers of prospective students nationwide,” adding that students are “unaware” such statistics are “false and misleading.”

TJSL, however, has told the NYT its employment data is accurate and Ms Alaburda’s claim is “meritless.”

Having tried to bring the case to trial since 2011, Ms Alaburda’s lawyer, Brian Porcel, told the NYT: “This will be the first time a law school will be on trial to defend its public employment figures.”

Mr Procel says in the documents that 82.9 per cent of graduates were employed in full-time, law-related positions in the 2005/06 academic year, with that figure increasing to 92.1 per cent in 2009/10. These figures, though, say the papers, include part-time and non law-related.

The complaint continues: “In other words, if graduates accept part-time employment working as a waiter or a clerk at a convenience store, they are considered to be ‘employed nine months after graduation.’

“These figures are particularly misleading in light of the fact that 25 per cent of graduates from law schools nationwide in 2009 said their jobs were temporary.”

NYT has also reported that, according to testimony expected at trial, a former employee at the school will say she was “pressured into inflating graduate employment data.”

According to local news site Fox 5 San Diego, TJSL issued a statement on behalf of its dean, Thomas Guernsey, which said the institution was unable to comment on the specific details of the lawsuit during ongoing litigation.

However, the statement defended the school and said it was “wholeheartedly committed” to providing students with all the knowledge, skills, and tools needed to do well in their studies, exams, and also in their post gradation roles. It concluded: “We have a strong track record of producing successful graduates, with 7,000 alumni working nationally and internationally.”

According to the lawsuit, Ms Alaburda sent out more than 150 resumes to law firms and practicing attorneys in an effort to obtain full time employment. The complaint adds: “She received only one job offer - one which was less favorable than non-law related jobs that were available to her.”

The documents also say the former student graduated from TJSL in 2008 with “more than $150,000” in debt, some of which require repayment at interest rates “exceeding eight per cent.”

Instead of being in a full-time salaried role, Ms Alaburda “has been forced to seek part-time and contract work reviewing documents for law firms.” Her employment has been outlined as “inconsistent” since she graduated, having been employed on a “project-by-project basis.” She has also spent “considerable time” working with recruiters and headhunters in her quest to find suitable employment.

Ms Alaburda is seeking $125,000 (£87,930) in damages.

TJSL has yet to respond to the Independent’s request for comment.