JD Stats
Class of 2020
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 part-time in 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) |
237
|
92.6%
|
234
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
| Bar Passage Reqd2 |
220
|
85.9%
|
217
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
| JD Advantage |
17
|
6.6%
|
17
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
| Professional |
0
|
0.0%
|
0
|
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 |
1
|
0.4%
|
||||
| Employed - Start Date Deferred |
2
|
0.8%
|
||||
| Unemployed (Total) |
16
|
6.3%
|
||||
| Not Seeking Job |
1
|
0.4%
|
||||
| Seeking Job |
15
|
5.9%
|
||||
| Status Unknown |
0
|
0%
|
||||
| Total Graduates |
256
|
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. 2 Includes students employed in Law School/University Funded positions, including 5 recipients of our highly selective one-year public interest Jay A. Pritzker Fellowships. |
||||||
|
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 |
6
|
2.3%
|
5
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
|
Employment Type
|
Number
Reported |
Full-Time
|
Part-Time
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Long-Term
|
Short-Term
|
Long-Term
|
Short-Term
|
|||
| Law Firms |
183
|
183
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
| Solo |
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
| 2 - 10 |
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
| 11 - 25 |
3
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
| 26 - 50 |
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
| 51 - 100 |
3
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
| 101 - 250 |
3
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
| 251 - 500 |
8
|
8
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
| 501+ |
164
|
164
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
| Size Unknown |
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
| Business & Industry |
13
|
12
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
|
| Government (incl. Public Defender) |
7
|
7
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
| Public Interest |
13
|
12
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
|
| Judicial Clerkships1 |
20
|
19
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
|
| Federal1 |
16
|
15
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
|
| State & Local |
4
|
4
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
| Other |
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
| Education |
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
| Employer Type Unknown |
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
| Total Employed |
237
|
234
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
|
| 1 Includes Circuit Court Staff Attorneys | ||||||
| Judicial Clerkships |
Number
|
|---|---|
| Circuit Court of Appeals |
8
|
| Federal District Court |
5
|
| Federal Magistrate |
0
|
| Federal Special Jurisdiction |
1
|
| Federal Staff Attorney |
2
|
| State Supreme Court |
3
|
| State Trial & Appellate Court |
1
|
| International Court |
0
|
| Salary Information |
Number
|
Percent
|
|---|---|---|
| Number and Percent of Employed Reporting Salaries |
225/234
|
96%
|
| Number and Percent of Total Class Reporting Salaries |
225/256
|
88%
|
| Known Salaries of Employed |
Number
|
Percent of Reporting Salaries (225)
|
Percent of Employed (237)
|
Percent of Class (256)
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than $40,000 |
1
|
<1%
|
<1%
|
<1%
|
| $40,000 - $59,999 |
16
|
7%
|
7%
|
6%
|
| $60,000 - $79,999 |
19
|
8%
|
8%
|
7%
|
| $80,000 - $99,999 |
2
|
1%
|
1%
|
1%
|
| $100,000 - $119,999 |
4
|
2%
|
2%
|
2%
|
| $120,000 - $139,999 |
2
|
1%
|
1%
|
1%
|
| $140,000 - $159,999 |
5
|
2%
|
2%
|
2%
|
| $160,000-$179,999 |
4
|
2%
|
2%
|
2%
|
| $180,000+ |
172
|
76%
|
73%
|
67%
|
| Employed and Not Reporting |
12
|
N/A
|
5%
|
5%
|
|
Salary by Selected Job Sectors1
|
Mean
|
25th
pctl |
Median
Salary |
75th
pctl |
# Reporting
Salary |
# Employed in Category (Percent Reporting)
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Law Firm
|
$186,575
|
$190,000
|
$190,000
|
$190,000
|
181
|
183 (99%)
|
|
Solo
|
<5 reported
|
<5 reported
|
<5 reported
|
<5 reported
|
0
|
0 (0%)
|
|
2-10
|
<5 reported
|
<5 reported
|
<5 reported
|
<5 reported
|
0
|
1 (0%)
|
|
11-25
|
<5 reported
|
<5 reported
|
<5 reported
|
<5 reported
|
2
|
3 (67%)
|
|
26-50
|
<5 reported
|
<5 reported
|
<5 reported
|
<5 reported
|
1
|
1 (100%)
|
|
51-100
|
<5 reported
|
<5 reported
|
<5 reported
|
<5 reported
|
3
|
3 (100%)
|
|
101-250
|
<5 reported
|
<5 reported
|
<5 reported
|
<5 reported
|
3
|
3 (100%)
|
|
251-500
|
$177,500
|
$162,500
|
$190,000
|
$190,000
|
8
|
8 (100%)
|
|
501+
|
$189,451
|
$190,000
|
$190,000
|
$190,000
|
164
|
164 (100%)
|
|
Unknown size
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
0
|
0 (0%)
|
|
Judicial Clerkship2
|
$67,216
|
$64,649
|
$66,311
|
$71,342
|
19
|
19 (100%)
|
|
Business/Industry
|
$136,722
|
$115,000
|
$140,000
|
$165,000
|
9
|
12 (75%)
|
|
Public Interest/Government
|
$52,229
|
$50,000
|
$50,000
|
$53,375
|
16
|
19 (84%)
|
|
Education
|
<5 reported
|
<5 reported
|
<5 reported
|
<5 reported
|
0
|
1 (0%)
|
| 1 Based upon salaries of full-time, long-term employed graduates. 2 Includes Circuit Court Staff Attorneys |
||||||
|
Salary by Job Type1
|
Mean
|
25th
pctl |
Median
Salary |
75th
pctl |
# Reporting
Salary |
# Employed in Category (Percent Reporting)
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bar Passage Required
|
$167,806
|
$190,000
|
$190,000
|
$190,000
|
213
|
217 (98%)
|
| JD Advantage |
$114,213
|
$51,168
|
$118,750
|
$153,750
|
12
|
17 (71%)
|
| 1 Based upon salaries of full-time, long-term employed graduates. | ||||||
| July Bar Passage (Illinois) |
Percent
|
|---|---|
| Northwestern Law Class of 2020 Bar Passage Rate |
98% (126/129)
|
| State of Illinois Bar Passage Rate for All First-Time Takers |
84%
|
|
Top 5 Employment Markets1
|
|---|
 |
| 1 Based upon 237 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.