A wide range of employment opportunities awaits NYU Law graduates. Private practice is the most common starting point, though many take public service and government positions. We report JD employment data to the American Bar Association (ABA) nine months after each class graduates. Below is an overview of employment information at that time for the last four years. You can view official ABA employment summary reports for the classes of 2013, 2012, 2011, and 2010. You may also view the most recent summary report prepared by the National Association for Law Placement (NALP).
| EMPLOYMENT OF NYU LAW GRADUATES 9 MONTHS AFTER GRADUATION | ||||
| Class of 2013 | Class of 2012 | Class of 2011 | Class of 2010 | |
|
TOTAL GRADUATES |
537 | 482 | 466 | 497 |
|
Employed |
514 (95.7%) |
467 (96.9%) |
446 (95.7%) |
480 (96.6%) |
| Bar admission required | 505 | 440 | 424 | 456 |
| JD preferred | 9 | 23 | 17 | 22 |
| Other Professional | 0 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| Non-Professional | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
|
Pursuing Graduate Degree |
6 | 7 | 4 | 6 |
|
Unemployed - not seeking |
3 | 4 | 4 | 9 |
|
Unemployed - seeking |
9 | 4 | 10 | 2 |
|
Employment Status Unknown |
5 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| EMPLOYMENT FUNDING | ||||
| Class of 2013 | Class of 2012 | Class of 2011 | Class of 2010 | |
|
OF EMPLOYED - LAW SCHOOL/UNIVERSITY FUNDED POSITIONS |
42 | 62 | 57 | 22 |
NYU Law's commitment to funding public service employment
Since 1993, the Law School has provided some graduates with launch grants for pursuit of public service employment. Launch grant recipients perform full-time legal work, acquiring valuable training and developing a strong professional network. The grants are typically three to six months in duration, though we have made year-long funding available following the recent economic crisis. In the vast majority of cases, the grants have led to permanent legal employment, in many cases with the same organization at which the launch grant work was performed.
The launch grants further NYU Law's longstanding commitment to public service. They are in addition to named fellowships (also included in the chart above) that support work with public service organizations—positions that lead to fulltime jobs at the fellowship organization or with other employers. Additionally, we guarantee funding for all first- and second-year students who work during the summer in approved public service internships. During the summer of 2013 that funding encompassed 436 students working in the U.S. and 28 other countries. NYU Law graduates enjoy continued support for public service employment through the Law School's pioneering Loan Repayment Assistance Program, instituted in 1984. JD graduates working in public service positions for 10 years and earning under $80,000 per year may qualify to have all of their eligible federal law school loans forgiven.
| EMPLOYMENT TYPES OF EMPLOYED GRADUATES | ||||
| Class of 2013 | Class of 2012 | Class of 2011 | Class of 2010 | |
|
Law Firm |
65.76% | 63.81% | 53.81% | 61.7% |
| Solo Practice | 0.59% | 0.0% | 0.42% | 0.0% |
| 2 to 10 attorneys | 3.25% | 2.01% | 6.67% | 2.7% |
| 11 to 25 attorneys | 1.48% | 1.34% | 4.17% | 1.7% |
| 26 to 50 attorneys | 0.89% | 0.0% | 3.33% | 0.0% |
| 51 to 100 attorneys | 1.18% | 0.34% | 1.67% | 0.7% |
| 101 to 250 attorneys | 3.25% | 7.05% | 2.92% | 3.7% |
| 251 to 500 attorneys | 10.06% | 10.74% | 10.83% | 10.1% |
| 501 or more attorneys | 79.29% | 78.52% | 70% | 81.1% |
| Firm size unknown | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
|
Business and Industry |
2.14% | 5.14% | 4.93% | 2.9% |
|
Government |
7.59% | 7.49% | 7.85% | 6.7% |
|
Public Interest |
12.06% | 14.78% | 18.16% | 14.2% |
|
Judicial Clerkship* |
11.87% | 7.92% | 14.35% | 13.1% |
| Federal | 77.05% | 72.97% | 79.37% | 79.4% |
| State & Local | 22.95% | 27.03% | 19.05% | 19.0% |
| Other | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1.59% | 1.6% |
|
Academia |
0.39% | 0.86% | 0.22% | 0.6% |
|
Military |
0.19% | 0.0% | 0.45% | 0.8% |
* This number reflects only those who take a clerkship immediately following graduation. In keeping with recent hiring preferences of judges, a substantial number of graduates work for one or more years before serving as clerks; approximately 20% of each class ultimately clerks, and some hold more than one clerkship.
| GEOGRAPHIC DESTINATIONS OF EMPLOYED GRADUATES | ||||
| Class of 2013 | Class of 2012 | Class of 2011 | Class of 2010 | |
|
Northeast |
3.31% | 2.57% | 2.02% | 2.5% |
|
Mid-Atlantic |
69.65% | 66.60% | 67.87% | 69.1% |
|
East North Central |
2.14% | 2.57% | 1.12% | 2.5% |
|
West North Central |
0.19% | 0.21% | 0.67% | 0.0% |
|
South Atlantic |
9.14% | 11.53% | 7.87% | 9.4% |
|
East South Central |
0.58% | 0.43% | 2.47% | 0.8% |
|
West South Central |
2.72% | 2.78% | 2.25% | 1.7% |
|
Mountain |
1.56% | 0.43% | 0.90% | 1.0% |
|
Pacific |
8.95% | 11.35% | 11.91% | 10.6% |
|
International |
1.75% | 1.71% | 2.92% | 2.3% |
| MOST POPULAR EMPLOYMENT DESTINATIONS | ||||
| Class of 2013 | Class of 2012 | Class of 2011 | Class of 2010 | |
|
New York |
66.34% | 63.38% | 62.56% | 64.0% |
|
California |
7.78% | 10.70% | 9.87% | 9.0% |
|
District of Columbia |
5.06% | 7.92% | 4.26% | 5.8% |
| FULL-TIME SALARIES OF EMPLOYED GRADUATES | ||||
| Class of 2013 | Class of 2012 | Class of 2011 | Class of 2010 | |
|
Total Employed Graduates |
514 | 467 | 446 | 480 |
| Salaries Reported | 504 (98.05%) |
460 (98.50%) |
387 (86.77%) |
403 (83.96%) |
| 25th Percentile | $64,390 | $60,000 | $55,000 | $67,963 |
| Median | $160,000 | $160,000 | $145,000 | $160,000 |
| 75th Percentile | $160,000 | $160,000 | $160,000 | $160,000 |
| Mean | $120,983 | $120,354 | $108,003 | $129,500 |
|
Law Firm |
Class of 2013 | Class of 2012 | Class of 2011 | Class of 2010 |
| Salaries Reported | 337 (99.70%) |
297 (99.66%) |
218 (90.83%) |
291 (96.68%) |
| 25th Percentile | $160,000 | $160,000 | $160,000 | $160,000 |
| Median | $160,000 | $160,000 | $160,000 | $160,000 |
| 75th Percentile | $160,000 | $160,000 | $160,000 | $160,000 |
| Mean | $154,325 | $155,985 | $153,119 | $156,062 |
|
Judicial Clerk |
Class of 2013 | Class of 2012 | Class of 2011 | Class of 2010 |
| Salaries Reported | 61 (100%) |
37 (100%) |
64 (100%) |
62 (98.41%) |
| 25th Percentile | $57,408 | $56,000 | $57,000 | $56,656 |
| Median | $62,467 | $60,000 | $60,000 | $60,000 |
| 75th Percentile | $64,729 | $63,865 | $64,729 | $64,387 |
| Mean | $60,661 | $59,494 | $59,025 | $59,541 |
|
Business & Industry |
Class of 2013 | Class of 2012 | Class of 2011 | Class of 2010 |
| Salaries Reported | 6 (54.55%) |
18 (75.00%) |
11 (50.00%) |
4 (28.57%) |
| 25th Percentile | $51,500 | $77,500 | $160,000 | $160,000 |
| Median | $86,250 | $100,000 | $160,000 | $160,000 |
| 75th Percentile | $102,500 | $124,413 | $160,000 | $160,000 |
| Mean | $80,750 | $133,425 | $153,119 | $156,062 |
|
Government |
Class of 2013 | Class of 2012 | Class of 2011 | Class of 2010 |
| Salaries Reported | 37 (94.87%) |
35 (100%) |
28 (75.57%) |
19 (59.38%) |
| 25th Percentile | $24,000 | $24,000 | $24,000 | $60,000 |
| Median | $63,000 | $60,000 | $33,000 | $62,000 |
| 75th Percentile | $70,000 | $62,467 | $62,500 | $65,000 |
| Mean | $54,426 | $47,028 | $45,488 | $63,208 |
|
Public Interest |
Class of 2013 | Class of 2012 | Class of 2011 | Class of 2010 |
| Salaries Reported | 60 (96.77%) |
69 (100%) |
65 (80.25%) |
23 (33.82%) |
| 25th Percentile | $25,500 | $24,000 | $24,000 | $40,000 |
| Median | $46,000 | $40,000 | $43,000 | $48,000 |
| 75th Percentile | $54,871 | $53,000 | $52,390 | $54,000 |
| Mean | $44,350 | $38,525 | $38,519 | $49,093 |
|
Academia |
Class of 2013 | Class of 2012 | Class of 2011 | Class of 2010 |
| Salaries Reported | 2 (100%) |
4 (100%) |
1 (100%) |
1 (33.33%) |
| 25th Percentile | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Median | n/a | $32,000 | n/a | n/a |
| 75th Percentile | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Mean | $37,000 | $32,000 | $54,000 | $60,000 |
| FIRST NON-CLERKSHIP EMPLOYMENT OF ALL GRADUATES | ||||
| Class of 2010 | Class of 2009 | Class of 2008 | Class of 2007 | |
|
Law Firm |
69.9% | 79.0% | 79.4% | 82.5% |
|
Public Interest |
16.7% | 12.4% | 13.1% | 11.9% |
|
Government |
9.7% | 5.0% | 4.0% | 3.1% |
|
Business and Industry |
3.0% | 2.2% | 2.4% | 1.9% |
|
Academia |
0.7% | 1.4% | 1.1% | 0.6% |