The case against Thomas Jefferson Law School has ended with the jurors voting against the plaintiff. The law school graduate claimed that the school misrepresented employment data to their prospective students.
In a report by Sky News, the jurors voted 9-3 against Anna Alaburda who claimed that the California law college mislead its graduate with false promises about her degree, getting a secure job in the future. This lawsuit is the first of its kind to go to trial but there are 15 similar lawsuit filed by graduates across the nation.
Alaburda said she graduated top of her class in 2008 but has been unable to find a full-time job as a lawyer, The New York Times reported. She reportedly sent her curriculum vitae to 150 employers. She added that she only managed to gain part-time positions such as reviewing documents for law firms. The law school graduate was seeking $125,000 in damages.
Alaburda also noted that she chose Thomas Jefferson as it has been featured in the 2004 edition of best graduate schools by U.S. News & World Report. Accordingly, the college claimed that over 80 percent of their graduates were employed nine months after they graduated. She continued that she knew it was not as competitive as the first- and second-tier law schools but "it still had pretty decent statistics and was A.B.A. accredited."
The attorneys of Alaburda noted that the school did not disclose to her that some of their law graduates ended up working in book stores, hair salons, and restaurants, The San Diego Union Tribune reported. The college countered that Alaburda turned down two job offers in the legal field and added that other Thomas Jefferson law graduates have had successful careers. The lawyer of Thomas Jefferson, Michael Sullivan, added that earning a law degree does not guarantee a well-paying job.
Alaburda and her attorney have left the court immediately after the case was concluded. She has not issued any statement yet.
