NALP, Class of 2024 Law Graduates Exceed Employment Expectations, But Equity Gaps Persist:

NALP today released the 51st consecutive edition of its Jobs & JDs: Employment and Salaries of New Law Graduates – Class of 2024 report, available in NALP’s bookstore. This hallmark research report includes a comprehensive analysis that examines the employment types and salary outcomes of recent law graduates, drawing on data from nearly 97% of the Class of 2024 graduates from law schools accredited by the Council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar.

While the Class of 2024 entered a historically strong job market, NALP’s flagship report highlights persistent racial disparities in employment outcomes. For example, Asian, Black, Latinx, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander graduates experienced lower overall employment rates than their White peers, though the gap widened this year only for Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander graduates.

Disparities also remained for employment in bar admission required/anticipated positions (i.e., attorney positions). While the gap narrowed for most racial groups this year, it increased for Black graduates. Further, employment rates in these attorney positions continues to be lowest for Black, Native, and Indigenous graduates.

• ABA Journal, Racial Gaps in Hiring New Lawyers Persists Despite Strong Market, Study Shows
• American Lawyer, Opportunity Gaps Persist Amid Record Employment for Class of 2024
• Law360, Racial, Class Gaps Persist In Strong Year For Law Grad Hiring
• Reuters, Hot Market for Law Grads Did Not Erase Racial Gaps in Hiring, Data Shows