Career Services

Employment Data for Recent Graduates

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) 10 months after each class graduates. Below is an overview of employment information at that time for the last three years.

ABA Employment Summary Reports

You can view official ABA employment summary reports for the classes of 20222021, and 2020. You may also view the most recent summary report prepared by the National Association for Law Placement (NALP).

 
EMPLOYMENT OF NYU LAW GRADUATES 10 MONTHS AFTER GRADUATION *
  Class of 2022 Class of 2021 Class of 2020

TOTAL GRADUATES

473 466 476

Employed

462
(97.67%)
1
457
(98.50%)
460
(96.64%)
     Bar Passage Required 455 442 444
     J.D. Advantage 6 15 16
     Professional Position 1 0 0
     Other Position 0 0 0

Enrolled in Graduate Studies

0 3 0

Employed - Start Date Deferred

1 0 1

Unemployed - Not Seeking

22 0 2

Unemployed - Seeking

8 4 13

Employment Status Unknown

0 2 1

1:This percentage does not include 1 graduate whose employment start date was deferred by less than 1 month after the 10 month reporting deadline. 

2: 1 graduate was employed full-time in a 1-year judicial clerkship but not receiving remuneration. Per the ABA Employment Protocols, this is coded as "Unemployed - Not Seeking."

EMPLOYMENT FUNDING
  Class of 2022 Class of 2021 Class of 2020

Of Employed - Law School/University Funded Positions

13 21 29

 

EMPLOYMENT TYPES OF EMPLOYED GRADUATES **
  Class of 2022 Class of 2021 Class of 2020

Law Firm

71.21%

70.68% 68.26%
     Solo Practice 0.0% 0.31% 0.0%
     2 to 10 attorneys 0.30% 0.93% 3.18%
     11 to 25 attorneys 0.91% 0.93% 1.91%
     26 to 50 attorneys 1.22% 2.17% 1.59%
     51 to 100 attorneys 1.52% 0.62% 1.59%
     101 to 250 attorneys 4.26% 2.79% 3.18%
     251 to 500 attorneys 13.37% 14.55% 9.87%
     501 or more attorneys 78.42% 77.71% 78.66%
     Firm size unknown 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%

Business and Industry

0.87% 1.97% 2.39%

Government

3.03% 3.94% 4.57%

Public Interest

16.67% 17.72% 20.43%

Judicial Clerkship3

8.23% 5.47% 4.35%
     Federal 78.95% 72.0% 80.0%
     State & Local 21.05% 28.0% 20.0%
     Other 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%

Academia

0.0% 0.22% 0.0%

Military

0.0% 0.0% 0.0%

3 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 2022 Class of 2021 Class of 2020

Northeast
(CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)

1.30% 1.09% 1.52%

Mid-Atlantic
(NY, NJ, PA)

73.16% 73.30% 73.04%

East North Central
(IL, IN, MI, OH, WI)

1.95% 1.31% 1.09%

West North Central
(IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, SD, ND)

0.0% 0.22% 0.87%

South Atlantic
(DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)

9.52% 10.72% 9.35%

East South Central
(AL, KY, MS, TN)

0.65% 0.88% 1.09%

West South Central
(AR, LA, OK, TX)

1.30% 1.31% 1.52%

Mountain
(AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY)

1.30% 1.75% 0.65%

Pacific
(AK, CA, WA, HI, OR)

9.09% 8.10% 8.91%

International

1.73% 1.31% 1.96%

 

MOST POPULAR EMPLOYMENT DESTINATIONS **
  Class of 2022 Class of 2021 Class of 2020

New York

71.00% 71.55% 70.15%

California

8.01% 5.91% 7.63%

District of Columbia

5.63% 7.00% 5.23%

 

FULL-TIME SALARIES OF EMPLOYED GRADUATES **
  Class of 2022 Class of 2021 Class of 2020

Total Employed Graduates

462 457 460
Salaries Reported

459
(99.35%)

457
(100%)
460
(100%)
25th Percentile $76,950 $76,648 $71,000
Median $215,000 $215,000 $190,000
75th Percentile $215,000 $215,000 $190,000
Mean $169,751 $169,206 $143,808

Law Firm

Class of 2022 Class of 2021 Class of 2020
Salaries Reported 327
(99.39%)

323
(100%)

314
(100%)
25th Percentile $215,000 $215,000 $190,000
Median $215,000 $215,000 $190,000
75th Percentile $215,000 $215,000 $190,000
Mean $210,753 $209,496 $180,877

Judicial Clerk

Class of 2022 Class of 2021 Class of 2020
Salaries Reported 38
(100%)
25
(100%)
20
(100%)
25th Percentile $66,214 $64,825 $66,277.25
Median $72,170 $71,616 $69,927
75th Percentile $76,961 $75,406 $72,756.75
Mean $71,033 $69,693 $68,738

Business & Industry

Class of 2022 Class of 2021 Class of 2020
Salaries Reported 3
(75%)
9
(100%)
11
(100%)
25th Percentile n/a $140,000 $55,000
Median $175,000 $175,000 $90,000
75th Percentile n/a $180,000 $131,500
Mean $150,000 $160,944 $87,091

Government

Class of 2022 Class of 2021 Class of 2020
Salaries Reported 14
(100%)
18
(100%)
21
(100%)
25th Percentile $60,000 $66,750 $60,000
Median $70,680 $71,000 $62,000
75th Percentile $76,388 $74,402 $74,702
Mean $70,942 $76,227 $62,507

Public Interest

Class of 2022 Class of 2021 Class of 2020
Salaries Reported 77
(100%)
81
(100%)
94
(100%)
25th Percentile $57,000 $50,000 $52,000
Median $65,000 $64,000 $62,365
75th Percentile $73,434 $71,000 $70,000
Mean $63,082 $62,063 $60,751

Academia

Class of 2022 Class of 2021 Class of 2020
Salaries Reported 0
(n/a)
1
(100%)
0
(n/a)
25th Percentile n/a n/a n/a
Median n/a n/a n/a
75th Percentile n/a n/a n/a
Mean n/a $70,000 n/a

* Percentages were calculated using the number of graduates for the indicated year as the denominator and the number of employed graduates as the numerator.

** Percentages were calculated using the number of employed graduates as the denominator and the number of graduates in each subcategory as the numerator.