Employment Data for Recent Graduates

The information in the tables below is as of 10 months after graduation. This data was reported to the ABA and/or NALP according to their reporting guidelines.

Related: Career Development Facts and Statistics | Map: Where Our Graduates Go | Clerkships by Term and Location | Prominent Alumni | Bar Passage Data for Recent Graduates

Career Brochure (Aggregate Data for Classes of 2019-21, Including Employers Listed by Location and Court District) 
 

ABA Employment Summary Reports

Class of 2022 | Class of 2021 | Class of 2020

Employment Status

  2022 2021 2020
Employed 322 98.5% 312 98.1% 311 98.7%
Pursuing Graduate Degree 2 0.6% 1 0.3% 1 0.3%
Start Date Deferred 0 0% 1 0.3% 1 0.3%
Not Seeking Employment 0 0% 0 0% 1 0.3%
Seeking Employment 1 0.3% 4 1.3% 1 0.3%
Unknown 2 0.6% 0 0% 0 0%
TOTAL GRADUATES 327   318   315  
Number of graduates receiving funding as Powell, Kennedy or Ruff fellows (included in figures above) 7 2.1% 13 4.1% 11 3.5%

Employment by Industry/Sector

  2022 2021 2020
Law Firms 239 74.2% 214 68.6% 216 69.5%
Judicial Clerkships 51 15.8% 63 20.2% 63 20.3%
Government 13 4.0% 19 6.1% 13 4.2%
Public Interest 15 4.7% 16 5.1% 15 4.8%
Business/Industry 4 1.2% 0 0% 4 1.3%
Academia 0 0% 0 0% 0 0%
Unknown 0 0% 0 0% 0 0%
TOTAL EMPLOYED GRADUATES 322   312   311  

Employment Type

  2022 2021 2020
Bar Admission Required/Anticipated 319 99.1% 311 99.7% 307 98.7%
J.D. Preferred 3 0.9% 1 0.3% 4 1.3%
Professional Other 0 0% 0 0% 0 0%
Nonprofessional Other 0 0% 0 0% 0 0%
Undeterminable 0 0% 0 0% 0 0%
TOTAL EMPLOYED GRADUATES 322   312   311  
Full-time, Long-term 322 100% 309 99.0% 308 99.0%
Full-time, Short-term 0 0% 2 0.6% 0 0%
Part-time, Long-term 0 0% 1 0.3% 1 0.3%
Part-time, Short-term 0 0% 0 0% 2 0.6%
TOTAL EMPLOYED GRADUATES 322   312   311  

Law Firm Employment

FIRM SIZE 2022 2021 2020
501+ Attorneys 187 78.2% 178 83.2% 183 84.7%
251-500 22 9.2% 11 5.1% 15 6.9%
101-250 8 3.3% 6 2.8% 8 3.7%
51-100 9 3.8% 7 3.3% 3 1.4%
26-50 5 2.1% 1 0.5% 1 0.5%
11-25 6 2.5% 5 2.3% 2 0.9%
2-10 2 0.8% 6 2.8% 4 1.9%
1 0 0% 0 0% 0 0%
Unknown 0 0% 0 0% 0 0%
TOTAL LAW FIRM GRADUATES 239   214   216  

Judicial Clerkship Employment

CLERKSHIP TYPE 2022 2021 2020
Federal Courts 42 82.4% 50 79.4% 55 87.3%
State, Local and Territorial Courts 9 17.6% 13 20.6% 8 12.7%
Tribal and International Courts 0 0% 0 0% 0 0%
TOTAL JUDICIAL CLERKSHIP GRADUATES 51   63   63  

See also: Clerkships by Term and Location

Salaries

PRIVATE SECTOR (Law Firms and Business/Industry) 2022 2021 2020
75th Percentile $215,000 $215,000 $190,000
Median $215,000 $215,000 $190,000
25th Percentile $215,000 $205,000 $190,000
Total Graduates in This Category 243 214 220
Salaries Reported 240 211 216
Response Rate 98.8% 98.6% 98.2%
PUBLIC SECTOR (Judicial Clerkships, Government, Public Interest and Academia) 2022 2021 2020
75th Percentile $78,592 $72,344 $69,790
Median $69,878 $66,773 $64,649
25th Percentile $69,107 $61,482 $63,985
Total Graduates in This Category 79 98 91
Salaries Reported 79 96 91
Response Rate 100% 98.0% 100%
ALL SECTORS 2022 2021 2020
75th Percentile $215,000 $215,000 $190,000
Median $215,000 $210,000 $190,000
25th Percentile $109,818 $72,750 $72,750
Total Graduates in This Category 322 312 311
Salaries Reported 319 307 307
Response Rate 99.1% 98.4% 98.7%
Graduates receiving funding as Powell, Kennedy or Ruff fellows are included in Public Sector.

Employment Locations

Map of Employment Locations
Map of Clerkship Locations

  2022 2021 2020
New York 88 27.3% 69 22.1% 77 24.8%
District of Columbia 64 19.9% 77 24.7% 76 24.4%
Texas 45 14.0% 31 9.9% 27 8.7%
Virginia 25 7.8% 28 9.0% 27 8.7%
California  23 7.1% 28 9.0% 22 7.1%
All Other States 73 22.7% 78 25.0% 82 26.4%
International 4 1.2% 1 0.3% 0 0%
Unknown 0 0% 0 0% 0 0%
TOTAL EMPLOYED GRADUATES 322   312   311  

Bar Passage Data for Recent Graduates