Law Student Engagement in Work-Integrated Learning and Its Impact on Employability and Graduate Employment

The development of student employability is considered essential by stakeholders to meet the challenges of a dynamic legal environment and the demands of graduate employers. Law schools have responded by incorporating more ‘skills-based’ education in the curriculum. Work-integrated learning (‘WIL’), an education approach that combines formal learning with work-focused experiences, is acknowledged across academic disciplines to enhance student employability and graduate employment by developing students’ technical knowledge and skills, and increasing their understanding of, and connection with, the profession. The study reported in this article draws on national data to examine how law graduates, across diverse groups, engaged in various types of WIL during their university degree, and the impact of these WIL activities on aspects of employability and their transition to employment. The results indicated increasing student participation in WIL, albeit with variations by WIL activity type and student group characteristics, and highlighted its benefits for perceived employability compared to a more limited impact on job attainment. The findings provide a basis for legal stakeholders to evaluate existing WIL programs and inform new WIL offerings designed to support inclusion and enhance employability and transition to work.