Graduate Employment Outcomes
Overview
This chart includes an overview of the employment data for the 2013-2021 graduating classes. You will also find more detailed employment data in the sections below. To view the official ABA reports for the past 3 graduating classes, click the following links.
Class of 2021 Official ABA Graduate Report
Class of 2020 Official ABA Graduate Report
Class of 2019 Official ABA Graduate Report
Information on employment outcomes for the Class of 2020 may not reflect a particular law school’s typical results in this area. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, bar admission exams were canceled or delayed in many jurisdictions, thus making it more challenging for graduates to secure employment by the annual Graduate Employment Status Date of March 15. Please reference the 3 years of employment outcome data posted on the ABA Required Disclosures webpage of each ABA-Approved Law School or at www.abarequireddisclosures.org
| JD 2021 | JD 2020 | JD 2019 | JD 2018 | JD 2017 | JD 2016 | JD 2015 | JD 2014 | JD 2013 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Graduates | 184 | 182 | 182 | 193 | 197 | 183 | 195 | 187 | 194 |
| Employed | 178 | 175 | 178 | 188 | 187 | 176 | 190 | 180 | 186 |
| Bar Passage Required | 164 | 167 | 167 | 175 | 170 | 168 | 175 | 170 | 171 |
| JD Advantage | 12 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 10 |
| Professional Position | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 5 |
| Non-Professional | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Undeterminable | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pursuing Graduate Degree | 5 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Unemployed: Not seeking | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unemployed: Seeking | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Unemployed: Start Date Deferred | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Employment Status Unknown | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
Employment by
Employment by Type
Employment status is collected for 100% of graduating classes; 9 months after graduation.
| JD 2021 | JD 2020 | JD 2019 | JD 2018 | JD 2017 | JD 2016 | JD 2015 | JD 2014 | JD 2013 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Law Firm Overall | 42.14% | 54.29% | 49.45% | 53.19% | 52.4% | 54.44% | 53.9% | 47.5% | 49.5% |
| Size: 500+ | 34.83% | 42.29% | 41.21% | 47.87% | 45.99 | 43.18% | 43.6% | 36% | 41% |
| Size: 251-500 | 7% | 1.69% | 4.95% | 1.59% | 3.21% | 6.25% | 3.6% | 6% | 5% |
| Size: 1-250 | 5.62% | 6.85% | 3.30% | 1.06% | 3.20% | 4.55% | 6.7% | 5% | 3.5% |
| Size: Unknown | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.57% | 0 | 0.5% | 0 | 0 |
| Judicial Clerkships | 32.58% | 27.43% | 30.77% | 30.85% | 28.3% | 27.84% | 26.7% | 32% | 31% |
| Public Interest | 14.05% | 12% | 8.24% | 4.78% | 5.9% | 6.82% | 6.7% | 9% | 4.5% |
| Government | 6.74% | 1.71% | 3.85% | 4.78% | 3.2% | 5.68% | 2.5% | 2% | 2% |
| Business | 3.93% | 4.57% | 4.95% | 5.32% | 9.1% | 5.11% | 6.7% | 5% | 7% |
| Academia | 0.5% | 0.56 | 0.55% | 1.06% | 1.1% | 0 | 1.0% | 0.5% | 2% |
| Graduate School | 2.72% | 0.55% | 1.10% | 2.07% | 2.03% | 1.64% | 1.5% | 1% | 1.5% |
| Start Date Deferred | 0.5% | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2% | 0 |
| Unemployed: Seeking | 0.54% | 1.65% | 0.55% | .52% | 1.52% | 0.55% | 0 | 1% | 1.5% |
| Unemployed: Not Seeking | 0 | 0.55% | 0.55% | 0 | 1.52% | 0.55% | 0 | 0 | 0.5% |
| Unknown | 0 | 0.55% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.09% | 1.0% | 0 | 0.5% |
Clerkship Specific
Clerkship status is collected for each class at 9 months after graduation.
| JD 2021 | JD 2020 | JD 2019 | JD 2018 | JD 2017 | JD 2016 | JD 2015 | JD 2014 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employed graduates reporting a clerkship as a first job | 31% | 27% | 31% | 31% | 29% | 28% | 27% | 33% |
| Employed graduates reporting a clerkship starting at any time | 45% | 44% | 43% | 40% | 37% | 35% | 34% | 38% |
| Clerks reporting multiple clerkships | 36% | 31% | 40% | 31% | 39% | 34% | 37% | 38% |
Employment by Region
Number of students per region; information collected for all employed graduates.
| JD 2021 | JD 2020 | JD 2019 | JD 2018 | JD 2017 | JD 2016 | JD 2015 | JD 2014 | JD 2013 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SF & Other Bay Area | 47 | 48 | 50 | 58 | 52 | 45 | 56 | 51 | 61 |
| LA & Other Southern CA | 14 | 15 | 23 | 32 | 22 | 31 | 28 | 25 | 25 |
| Other West (AZ, NM, UT,CO, WY, ID, AK, HI, NV, WA, OR, MT) |
15 | 17 | 20 | 11 | 13 | 17 | 9 | 16 | 16 |
| NY & Other Northeast (ME, NH, VT, MA, CT, RI) |
36 | 28 | 28 | 32 | 39 | 30 | 39 | 35 | 34 |
| DC & Other Mid-Atlantic (NJ, DE, PA, MD, VA) |
36 | 35 | 31 | 25 | 24 | 30 | 25 | 25 | 18 |
| Chicago & Other Midwest (OH, IN, IL, MO, KS, NE, IA, ND, SD, MI, MN, WI) |
13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 15 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 9 |
| Southeast (WV, NC, SC, GA, FL, TN, KY, AR, AL, MS, LA, TX, OK, PR) |
15 | 19 | 15 | 15 | 20 | 14 | 23 | 16 | 20 |
| International | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Employment by Salary
To protect student privacy, salary range is not reported where fewer than 5 students reported their salary. Percentiles are not reported where fewer than 10 students reported their salary.
Class of 2021
| Salary Range | 25th Percentile | 50th Percentile | 75th Percentile | Students Reporting | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Law Firm 500+ Attorneys |
$190k – $215k | $215k | $215k | $215k | 62/62 |
| Law Firm 251-500 Attorneys |
<5 | <5 | <5 | <5 | 3/3 |
| Law Firm 1-250 Attorneys |
$95k – $215k | <10 | <10 | <10 | 9/9 |
| Judicial Clerkships | $55,756 – $78,861 | $65,819 | $67,309 | $73.827 | 58/58 |
| Business (Legal/Non-Legal) | <5 | <5 | <5 | <5 | 2/7 |
| Government | $67,000 – $121,000 | <10 | <10 | <10 | 7/12 |
| Public Interest | $54k – $84,348 | $60k | $50k | $68k | 22/25 |
| Total Students Reporting | 171/184 |
Class of 2020
| Salary Range | 25th Percentile | 50th Percentile | 75th Percentile | Students Reporting | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Law Firm 500+ Attorneys |
$170k – $200k | $190k | $190k | $190k | 76/76 |
| Law Firm 251-500 Attorneys |
$190k – $205k | <10 | <10 | <10 | 9/9 |
| Law Firm 1-250 Attorneys |
$70k-$190k | <10 | <10 | <10 | 8/10 |
| Judicial Clerkships | $64,009 – $78,081 | $66,344 | $70,584 | $72,030 | 49/49 |
| Business (Legal/Non-Legal) | <5 | <10 | <10 | <10 | 2/8 |
| Government | <5 | <10 | <10 | <10 | 2/3 |
| Public Interest/Academic | $45k – $67000 | $45k | $51k | $57,500 | 11/16 |
| Total Students Reporting | 164/178 |
Class of 2019
| Salary Range | 25th Percentile | 50th Percentile | 75th Percentile | Students Reporting | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Law Firm 500+ Attorneys |
$170k – $190k | $190k | $190k | $190k | 75/75 |
| Law Firm 251-500 Attorneys |
$190k – $190k | <10 | <10 | <10 | 7/9 |
| Law Firm 1-250 Attorneys |
<5 | <10 | <10 | <10 | 4/6 |
| Judicial Clerkships | $61,218 – $73,905 | $61,425 | $66,120 | $67,930 | 55/56 |
| Business (Legal/Non-Legal) | $100,00 – $205,000 | <10 | <10 | <10 | 5/8 |
| Government | <5 | <10 | <10 | <10 | 4/7 |
| Public Interest/Academic | $45k – $63500 | $45k | $52720 | $55,000 | 11/16 |
| Total Students Reporting | 162/178 |
Class of 2018
| Salary Range | 25th Percentile | 50th Percentile | 75th Percentile | Students Reporting | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Law Firm 500+ Attorneys |
$165k – $190k | $190k | $190k | $190k | 90/90 |
| Law Firm 251-500 Attorneys |
<5 | <10 | <10 | <10 | 3/3 |
| Law Firm 1-250 Attorneys |
<5 | <10 | <10 | <10 | 3/7 |
| Judicial Clerkships | $44,385 – $73,905 | $65,271 | $67,856 | $69,283 | 57/58 |
| Business (Legal/Non-Legal) | <5 | <10 | <10 | <10 | 4/10 |
| Government | <5 | <10 | <10 | <10 | 4/9 |
| Public Interest/Academic | $45k – $75k | $45k | $45k | $53,598 | 9/11 |
| Total Students Reporting | 170/188 |
Class of 2017
| Salary Range | 25th Percentile | 50th Percentile | 75th Percentile | Students Reporting | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Law Firm 500+ Attorneys |
$165k – $180k | $180k | $180k | $180k | 86/86 |
| Law Firm 251-500 Attorneys |
$130k – $180k | <10 | <10 | <10 | 5/6 |
| Law Firm 1-250 Attorneys |
$125k – $180k | <10 | <10 | <10 | 5/6 |
| Judicial Clerkships | $52,379 – $72,303 | $62,005 | $66,317 | $67,845 | 53/53 |
| Business (Legal/Non-Legal) | $38k – $150k | 72k | 100k | 147k | 11/17 |
| Government | <5 | <10 | <10 | <10 | 4/6 |
| Public Interest/Academic | $27k – $70k | $45k | $48k | $55k | 10/13 |
| Total Students Reporting | 174/187 |
Class of 2016
| Salary Range | 25th Percentile | 50th Percentile | 75th Percentile | Students Reporting | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Law Firm 500+ Attorneys |
$125k – $180k | $180k | $180k | $180k | 76/76 |
| Law Firm 251-500 Attorneys |
$150k – $180k | $180k | $180k | $180k | 11/11 |
| Law Firm 1-250 Attorneys |
$125k – $190k | <10 | <10 | <10 | 7/8 |
| Judicial Clerkships | $45,684 – $70,333 | $61,956 | $64,650 | $66,137 | 49/49 |
| Business (Legal/Non-Legal) | $90k – $160k | <10 | <10 | <10 | 6/9 |
| Government | $40k – $82,840 | $57,499 | $65,325 | $76k | 8/10 |
| Public Interest/Academic | $45k – $130k | $47k | $51k | $65k | 11/12 |
| Total Students Reporting | 168/175* |
*Total number does not include one employment record at law firm with unknown size
Class of 2015
| Salary Range | 25th Percentile | 50th Percentile | 75th Percentile | Students Reporting | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Law Firm 500+ Attorneys |
$145k – $160k | $160k | $160k | $160k | 85/85 |
| Law Firm 251-500 Attorneys |
$110k – $160k | <10 | <10 | <10 | 6/6 |
| Law Firm 1-250 Attorneys |
$100k – $174k | $120k | $160k | %160k | 13/14 |
| Judicial Clerkships | $58,562 – $69,329 | $61,963 | $63,722 | $65,231 | 52/52 |
| Business (Legal/Non-Legal) | $60k – $225k | <10 | <10 | <10 | 8/13 |
| Government | <5 | <10 | <10 | <10 | 3/5 |
| Public Interest/Academic | $36k – $100k | $45k | $45k | $60k | 15/15 |
| Total Students Reporting | 182/190 |
Class of 2014
| Salary Range | 25th Percentile | 50th Percentile | 75th Percentile | Students Reporting | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Law Firm 500+ Attorneys |
$106k – $160k | $160k | $160k | $160k | 70/70 |
| Law Firm 251-500 Attorneys |
$135k – $160k | <10 | <10 | <10 | 8/8 |
| Law Firm 1-250 Attorneys |
$75k – $160k | <10 | <10 | <10 | 9/10 |
| Judicial Clerkships | $57,982 – $68,643 | $61,857 | $63,091 | $64,585 | 60/60 |
| Business (Legal/Non-Legal) | $111,726 – $250,000 | <10 | <10 | <10 | 6/10 |
| Government | <5 | <10 | <10 | <10 | 3/4 |
| Public Interest | $36k – $116k | $38,500 | $45k | $80k | 16/17 |
| Total Students Reporting | 172/180* |
*firm size and salary unknown for one graduate