JD Stats
Class of 2025
The following charts include data inclusive of both JD and JD-MBA graduates. In reviewing the data, we encourage you look at not only the data on this page, but also the ABA and NALP reports on the main Employment Statistics page.
The data considers employment sector, job type, whether the work is full- or part-time, and the permanence of the position. The salary information is presented in several ways: by salary range, by employment sector, and by job type. Graduates employed in Law School/University Funded positions include individuals employed full-time in competitively funded, full-time post-graduate fellowships, and bridge-to-practice positions.
Employment Report at 10 Months After Graduation
|
Employment Status
|
Number
|
Full-Time
|
Part-Time
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Number
Reported |
% of
Reported |
Long-Term1
|
Short-Term
|
Long-Term
|
Short-Term
|
|
| Employed (Total) |
257
|
97.3%
|
257
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| Bar Passage Reqd2 |
243
|
92.0%
|
243
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| JD Advantage |
14
|
5.3%
|
14
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| Professional |
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| Other Position |
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| Job Type Unknown |
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| Pursuing Grad. Deg. FT |
1
|
0.4%
|
||||
| Employed - Start Date Deferred |
1
|
0.4%
|
||||
| Unemployed (Total) |
5
|
1.9%
|
||||
| Not Seeking Job |
1
|
0.4%
|
||||
| Seeking Job |
4
|
1.5%
|
||||
| Status Unknown |
0
|
0.0%
|
||||
| Total Graduates |
264
|
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 Funded |
9
|
0.0%
|
9
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
Employment Type
|
Number
Reported |
Full-Time
|
Part-Time
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Long-Term
|
Short-Term
|
Long-Term
|
Short-Term
|
||
| Law Firms |
201
|
201
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| Solo |
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| 2 - 10 |
5
|
5
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| 11 - 25 |
2
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| 26 - 50 |
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| 51 - 100 |
4
|
4
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| 101 - 250 |
5
|
5
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| 251 - 500 |
6
|
6
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| 501+ |
178
|
178
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| Size Unknown |
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| Business & Industry |
9
|
9
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| Government (incl. Public Defender) |
7
|
7
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| Public Interest |
15
|
15
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| Judicial Clerkships1 |
22
|
22
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| Federal1 |
15
|
15
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| State & Local |
7
|
7
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| Other |
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| Education |
3
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| Employer Type Unknown |
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| Total Employed |
257
|
257
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| Judicial Clerkships |
Number
|
|---|---|
| Circuit Court of Appeals |
2
|
| Federal District Court |
8
|
| Federal Magistrate |
0
|
| Federal Special Jurisdiction |
3
|
| Federal Staff Attorney |
2
|
| State Supreme Court |
4
|
| State/Local Trial & Appellate Court |
3
|
| International Court |
0
|
| Salary Information |
Number
|
Percent
|
|---|---|---|
| Number and Percent of Employed Reporting Salaries1 |
244/257
|
95%
|
| Number and Percent of Total Class Reporting Salaries |
244/264
|
92%
|
| 1 Based upon salaries of full-time, long-term employed graduates. | ||
| Known Salaries of All Employed1 |
Number
|
Percent of Reporting Salaries (244)
|
Percent of Employed (257)
|
Percent of Class (264)
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than $40,000 |
0
|
0%
|
0%
|
0%
|
| $40,000 - $59,999 |
10
|
4%
|
4%
|
4%
|
| $60,000 - $79,999 |
24
|
10%
|
9%
|
9%
|
| $80,000 - $99,999 |
17
|
7%
|
7%
|
6%
|
| $100,000 - $119,999 |
4
|
2%
|
2%
|
2%
|
| $120,000 - $139,999 |
1
|
0%
|
0%
|
0%
|
| $140,000 - $159,999 |
1
|
0%
|
0%
|
0%
|
| $160,000 - $179,999 |
5
|
2%
|
2%
|
2%
|
| $180,000 - $199,999 |
3
|
1%
|
1%
|
1%
|
| $200,000+ |
179
|
73%
|
70%
|
68%
|
| Employed and Not Reporting |
13
|
N/A
|
5%
|
3%
|
| 1 Based upon salaries of full-time, long-term employed graduates. | ||||
|
Salary by Selected Job Sectors1
|
Mean
|
25th
Pctl |
Median
Salary |
75th
Pctl |
# Reporting
Salary |
# Employed in Category (Percent Reporting)
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Law Firm
|
$217,439
|
$225,000
|
$225,000
|
$225,000
|
192
|
201 (96%)
|
|
Solo
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
0
|
0 0(0%)
|
|
2-10
|
<4 reported
|
<4 reported
|
<4 reported
|
<4 reported
|
3
|
5 (60%)
|
|
11-25
|
<4 reported
|
<4 reported
|
<4 reported
|
<4 reported
|
1
|
2 (50%)
|
|
26-50
|
<4 reported
|
<4 reported
|
<4 reported
|
<4 reported
|
0
|
1 (0%)
|
|
51-100
|
<4 reported
|
<4 reported
|
<4 reported
|
<4 reported
|
3
|
4 (75%)
|
|
101-250
|
$198,000
|
$171,500
|
$198,500
|
$225,000
|
4
|
5 (80%)
|
|
251-500
|
$195,000
|
$167,500
|
$207,500
|
$225,000
|
6
|
6 (100%)
|
|
501+
|
$223,369
|
$225,000
|
$225,000
|
$225,000
|
175
|
178 (98%)
|
|
Unknown size
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
0
|
0 (0%)
|
|
Judicial Clerkship2
|
$78,297
|
$74,545
|
$78,408
|
$82,655
|
22
|
22 (100%)
|
|
Business/Industry
|
$126,667
|
$72,500
|
$142,500
|
$182,500
|
6
|
9 (67%)
|
|
Public Interest/Government
|
$72,324
|
$66,250
|
$74,020
|
$80,750
|
22
|
22 (95%)
|
|
Education
|
<4 reported
|
<4 reported
|
<4 reported
|
<4 reported
|
2
|
3 (67%)
|
| 1 Based upon salaries of full-time, long-term employed graduates. 2 An outlier Business/Industry salary was excluded from calculations as it was extremely high in comparison to other salaries. |
||||||
|
Salary by Job Type1
|
Mean
|
25th
Percentile |
Median
Salary |
75th
Percentile |
# Reporting
Salary |
# Employed in Category (Percent Reporting)
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bar Passage Required
|
$191,661
|
$212,500
|
$225,000
|
$225,000
|
236
|
243 (97%)
|
| JD Advantage |
$103,025
|
$40,000
|
$77,100
|
$177,500
|
8
|
14 (57%)
|
| 1 Based upon salaries of full-time, long-term employed graduates. 2 An outlier Bar Passage Required salary was excluded from calculations as it was extremely high in comparison to other salaries. |
||||||
| July Bar Passage (Illinois) |
Percent
|
|---|---|
| Northwestern Law Class of 2021 Illinois Bar Passage Rate |
95% (146/153)
|
| State of Illinois Bar Passage Rate for All First-Time Takers |
84%
|
|
Top 5 Employment Markets1
|
|---|
 |
| 1 Based upon 267 employed graduates. |
American Bar Association Required Disclaimers: Per Interpretation 509-2 of Standard 509, law schools may choose to publicize additional employment outcome data beyond what the Employment Protocols require. This additional data, per Standard 509, must be “complete, accurate, and not misleading to a reasonable law school student or applicant.” Law schools are expected to use “due diligence in obtaining and verifying such information.” The following additional employment outcome data has not been, and will not be, audited by the ABA. It is meant to supplement the annual ABA Employment Summary Report, which reflects the employment status of members of each graduating class as of 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.