Employment Statistics

2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2006-2009

JD and JD-MBA Class of 2012

We report our employment results in a highly detailed and comprehensive way. The following tables outline the initial employment outcomes and detailed salary statistics of our graduates. We also provide six years of historical data (2011; 2010; 2006-2009) so that you may consider the relative impacts of significant economic changes.

Our Career Strategy Center staff analyzes and summarizes the substantial trends occurring within the legal services industry on an ongoing basis. This information is published on our “Market Trends” web page.

The range of opportunities available to Northwestern Law graduates enables a significant percentage of our students to accept non-legal jobs with prestigious employers in the business sector. For additional information, please read "Non-Legal Careers and the Northwestern Advantage."

The Princeton Review has consistently ranked Northwestern Law as one of the top four schools for best career prospects.

We hope you find this information helpful.

Employment Status | School Funded | Employment Type | Judicial Clerkships
Salary Information | Known Salaries of Employed | Salary by Selected Job Sectors | Bar Passage Rate
Source of Job by Employer Type | Timing of Job Offer | Reported Jobs by Region

Employment Report at 9 Months After Graduation

Employment Status
Number
Full-Time
Part-Time
Number
Reported
% of
Reported
Long-Term1
Short-Term
Long-Term
Short-Term
Employed (Total)
268
90.8%
255
0
10
3
     Bar Passage Reqd
236
80.0%
225
0
9
2
     JD Advantage
30
10.2%
28
0
1
1
     Professional
2
0.7%
2
0
0
0
     Non-Professional
0
0.0%
0
0
0
0
     Job Type Unknown
0
0.0%
0
0
0
0
Pursuing Grad. Deg. FT
9
3.1%
  
Unemployed (Total)
16
5.4%
     Start Date Deferred
2
0.7%
     Not Seeking Job
2
0.7%
     Seeking Job
12
4.1%
Status Unknown
2
0.7%
Total Graduates
295
100%
1 A "long-term" position is one that either has no definite term or a term of one year or more. A "short-term" position is one that has a definite term of less than one year.
Law School/University Funded Positions
Number
Full-Time
Part-Time
Number
Reported
% of
Reported
Long-Term
Short-Term
Long-Term
Short-Term
Of Employed - Law School/University
12
4.1%
1
0
10
1
Employment Type
Number
Reported
Full-Time
Part-Time
Long-Term
Short-Term
Long-Term
Short-Term
Law Firms
177
174
0
3
0
     Solo
1
1
0
0
0
     2 - 10
11
10
0
1
0
     11 - 25
6
5
0
1
0
     26 - 50
5
4
0
1
0
     51 - 100
9
9
0
0
0
     101 - 250
7
7
0
0
0
     251 - 500
11
11
0
0
0
     501+
127
127
0
0
0
     Size Unknown
0
0
0
0
0
Business & Industry
38
35
0
1
2
Government
13
12
0
1
0
Public Interest (incl. Public Defender)
13
9
0
4
0
Judicial Clerkships
25
24
0
1
0
     Federal
19
19
0
0
0
     State & Local
6
5
0
1
0
     Other
0
0
0
0
0
Education
2
1
0
0
1
Employer Type Unknown
0
0
0
0
0
Total Employed
268
255
0
10
3
Judicial Clerkships, 2011 - 2012 Hiring Season (25 Students, 20 Alumni)
Number
Circuit Court of Appeals
17
Federal District Court
20
State Trial Court and Appellate Court
4
State Supreme Court
1
Bankruptcy Court & Article 1 Federal Court
2
International
1
Salary Information
Number
Percent
Number and Percent of Employed Reporting Salaries
225/268
84%
Number and Percent of Total Class Reporting Salaries
225/295
76%
Known Salaries of Employed
Number
Percent of Reporting Salaries (225)
Percent of Employed (268)
Percent of Class (295)
Less than $40,000
13
6%
5%
4%
$40,000 - $59,999
15
7%
6%
5%
$60,000 - $79,999
25
11%
9%
8%
$80,000 - $99,999
6
3%
2%
2%
$100,000 - $119,999
13
6%
5%
4%
$120,000 - $139,999
10
4%
4%
3%
$140,000 - $159,999
5
2%
2%
2%
$160,000+
138
61%
51%
47%
Employed and Not Reporting
43
19%
16%
15%
Salary by Selected Job Sectors1
25th
Percentile
Median
Salary
75th
Percentile
# Reporting
Salary
# Employed in Category (Percent Reporting)
Law Firm
$160,000
$160,000
$160,000
162
174 (93%)
     Solo
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
0
1 (0%)
     2-10
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
4
10 (40%)
     11-25
$80,000
$87,500
$100,000
5
5 (100%)
     26-50
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
4
4 (100%)
     51-100
$127,500
$140,000
$160,000
7
9 (78%)
     101-250
$105,000
$110,000
$130,000
7
7 (100%)
     251-500
$137,500
$160,000
$160,000
11
11 (100%)
     501+
$160,000
$160,000
$160,000
127
127 (100%)
     Unknown size
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Judicial Clerkship
$63,000
$63,000
$63,000
22
24 (92%)
Business/Industry
$58,750
$100,000
$125,000
19
35 (54%)
Public Interest/Government
$43,750
$55,500
$60,250
12
21 (57%)
1 Based upon salaries of full-time, long-term employed graduates.
Bar Passage Rate
Percent
Bar passage
96%
Source of Job by Employer Type
Academic
Business
Judicial
Clerkship
Law Firms of
50 or Fewer
Number
Reported
% of
Reported
Number
Reported
% of
Reported
Number
Reported
% of
Reported
Number
Reported
% of
Reported
Fall OCI
0
0%
2
5%
1
4%
4
17%
Job Listing
0
0%
1
3%
0
0%
3
13%
Pre-Law School Employer
0
0%
2
5%
0
0%
0
0%
Letter/Self-Initiated
0
0%
5
13%
23
92%
7
30%
Temp Agency or Legal Search
0
0%
0
0%
0
0%
0
0%
All Other
2
100%
28
74%
1
4%
9
39%
Total
2
100%
38
100%
25
100%
23
100%
Source of Job by Employer Type
Law Firms of
51 or More
Government
Public
Interest
All Employer
Types1
Number
Reported
% of
Reported
Number
Reported
% of
Reported
Number
Reported
% of
Reported
Number
Reported
% of
Reported
Fall OCI
127
82%
1
8%
0
0%
135
50%
Job Listing
1
1%
0
0%
0
0%
5
2%
Pre-Law School Employer
0
0%
2
15%
1
8%
5
2%
Letter/Self-Initiated
17
11%
8
62%
2
15%
62
23%
Temp Agency or Legal Search
0
0%
0
0%
0
0%
0
0%
All Other
9
6%
2
15%
10
77%
61
23%
Total
154
100%
13
100%
13
100%
268
100%
1 Excludes jobs for which a source, employer type, or firm size was not reported.
Timing of Job Offer
Number
% of Reported
After Bar Results
14
5
Before Graduation
234
87
Before Bar Results
20
7
Total
268
100
Reported Jobs
Region

State

# of Jobs

% of Jobs
New England
Massachusetts
6
2.2
 
6
2.2
Mid Atlantic
New Jersey
2
0.7
 
New York
44
16.4
 
Pennsylvania
6
2.2
 
52
19.4
E. North Central
Illinois
115
42.9
 
Indiana
1
0.4
 
Michigan
7
2.6
 
Wisconsin
2
0.7
 
129
48.1
W. North Central
Minnesota
4
1.5
 
4
1.5
South Atlantic
Washington, DC
7
2.6
 
Florida
4
1.5
 
Georgia
1
0.4
 
Maryland
1
0.4
 
North Carolina
2
0.7
 
West Virginia
1
0.4
 
16
6
E. South Central
Tennessee
3
1.1
 
3
1.1
W. South Central
Louisiana
2
0.7
 
Oklahoma
1
0.4
 
Texas
7
2.6
 
10
3.7
Mountain
Colorado
3
1.1
 
3
1.1
Pacific
California
31
11.6
 
Hawaii
2
0.7
 
Oregon
1
0.4
 
Washington
3
1.1
 
37
13.8
Non US Locations
Non US Locations
5
1.9
 
3
1.1
Total
268
100

For updated information and analysis of the current legal marketplace, please visit our Market Trends page.