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Graduate Employment Data

Outstanding employment outcomes year after year!

Our most recent employment data is available here:

ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2023

How do we do it?

Every student is supported by a dedicated counselor from the Law School’s Career Development Office. Students get individualized attention from their first semester on, so they can identify a career pathway that interests them and pursue related coursework and activities. To complement this unique approach to career development, the upper-level curriculum has been designed around different career paths. Students build on their required foundation courses with advanced classes, drafting courses, clinic work, internships, externships, and co-curricular activities like trial and appellate advocacy—all focused on developing practical skills and targeted expertise so St. John’s Law students graduate profession-ready.

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This data was collected and reported in April 2024 and uses the ABA’s definitions for the various categories, except if noted otherwise. 

Overall, the employment status of 100% of the Class of 2023 (249) was ascertained by the Career Development Office. As of March 15, 2024, 238 of these graduates were employed, 1 was enrolled in graduate studies, 1 had employment that would begin after March 15, 2024, 1 was not seeking and 8 were still seeking employment. The placement rate as of March 15, 2024, for all graduates from the Class of 2023 (238/249) was 96%.

Types of Employment

For graduates known to be employed, both full-time and part-time, the breakdown of their areas of employment is as follows:

  • Law Firms: 149/238 (62.6%)
  • Government: 38/238 (16%)
  • Business and Industry: 20/238 (8.4%)
  • Judicial Clerkships: 12/238 (5%)
  • Public Interest: 19/238 (8%)

Employment Distribution by Size of Law Firms

For graduates working at law firms, the breakdown of firm size is as follows:

  • Solo 0/149 (0%)
  • 1 to 10 Attorneys: 24/149 (16.1%)
  • 11 to 25 Attorneys: 22/149 (14.8%)
  • 26 to 50 Attorneys: 13/149 (8.7%)
  • 51 to 100 Attorneys: 29/149 (19.5%)
  • 101 to 250 Attorneys: 11/149 (7.4%)
  • 251 to 500 Attorneys: 4/149 (2.7%)
  • 501+ Attorneys: 46/149 (30.9%)

Employment Breakdown

  • Employed Full-Time: 237/238 (99.6%)
  • Employed Part-Time: 1/238 (.4%)

Terms of Employment

  • Long-Term Basis: 238/238 (100%)
  • Short-Term Basis: 0/238 (0%)

Bar Admissions

  • Bar Passage Required: 225/238 (94.5%)
  • J.D. advantage: 12/238 (5%)
  • Professional Position: 1/238 (.4%)
  • Other Position: 0/238 (0%)
  • Law School/University Funded: 0/238 (0%)

This data was collected and reported in April 2023 and uses the ABA’s definitions for the various categories, except if noted otherwise.

Overall, the employment status of 100% of the Class of 2022 (236) was ascertained by the Career Development Office. As of March 15, 2023, 224 of these graduates were employed, 1 was enrolled in graduate studies, and 11 were still seeking employment. The placement rate as of March 15, 2022, for all graduates from the Class of 2022 (224/236) was 95%.

Types of Employment

For graduates known to be employed, both full-time and part-time, the breakdown of their areas of employment is as follows:

  • Law Firms: 137/224 (61.2%)
  • Government: 32/224 (14.3%)
  • Business and Industry: 30/224 (13.4%)
  • Judicial Clerkships: 13/224 (5.8%)
  • Public Interest: 12/224 (5.4%)

Employment Distribution by Size of Law Firms

For graduates working at law firms, the breakdown of firm size is as follows:

  • Solo 1/137 (.7%)
  • 1 to 10 Attorneys: 27/137 (19.7%)
  • 11 to 25 Attorneys: 19/137 (13.9%)
  • 26 to 50 Attorneys: 8/137 (5.8%)
  • 51 to 100 Attorneys: 22/137 (16.1%)
  • 101 to 250 Attorneys: 8/137 (5.8%)
  • 251 to 500 Attorneys: 6/137 (4.4%)
  • 501+ Attorneys: 46/137 (33.6%)

Employment Breakdown

  • Employed Full-Time: 219/224 (97.8%)
  • Employed Part-Time: 5/224 (2.2%)

Terms of Employment

  • Long-Term Basis: 224/224 (100%)
  • Short-Term Basis: 0/224 (0%)

Bar Admissions

  • Bar Passage Required: 208/224 (92.9%)
  • J.D. advantage: 12/224 (5.6%)
  • Professional Position: 2/224 (.9%)
  • Other Position: 2/224 (.9%)
  • Law School/University Funded: 0/224 (0%)

This data was collected and reported in April 2022 and uses the ABA’s definitions for the various categories, except if noted otherwise

Overall, the employment status of over 99% of the Class of 2021 (234/235) was ascertained by the Career Development Office. As of March 15, 2022, 219 of these graduates were employed, 3 had deferred start dates for employment, 1 was enrolled in graduate studies, 3 were not seeking employment and 8 were still seeking employment. The placement rate as of March 15, 2021, for all graduates from the Class of 2021 (219/235) was 93.19%.

Types of Employment

For graduates known to be employed, both full-time and part-time, the breakdown of their areas of employment is as follows:

  • Law Firms: 125/219 (57.1%)
  • Government: 39/219 (17.8%)
  • Business and Industry: 32/219 (14.6%)
  • Judicial Clerkships: 10/219 (4.6%)
  • Public Interest: 12/219 (5.5%)
  • Education: 1/219 (.4%)

Employment Distribution by Size of Law Firms

For graduates working at law firms, the breakdown of firm size is as follows:

  • Solo: 0/125 (0%)
  • 1 to 10 Attorneys: 24/125 (19.2%)
  • 11 to 25 Attorneys: 15/125 (12%)
  • 26 to 50 Attorneys: 5/125 (4%)
  • 51 to 100 Attorneys: 18/125 (14.4%)
  • 101 to 250 Attorneys: 7/125 (5.6%)
  • 251 to 500 Attorneys: 8/125 (6.4%)
  • 501+ Attorneys: 48/125 (38.4%)

Employment Breakdown

  • Employed Full-Time: 216/219 (98.6%)
  • Employed Part-Time: 3/219 (1.4%)

Terms of Employment

  • Long-Term Basis: 218/219 (99.5%)
  • Short-Term Basis: 1/219 (.5%)

 Bar Admission

  • Bar Passage Required: 202/219 (92.2%)
  • J.D. advantage: 15/219 (6.8%)
  • Professional Position: 2/219 (.9%)
  • Other Position: 0/219 (0%)
  • Law School/University Funded: 0/219 (0%)

 

This data was collected and reported in April 2021 and uses the ABA’s definitions for the various categories, except if noted otherwise.  Information on employment outcomes for the Class of 2020 may not reflect a particular law school’s typical results in this area. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, bar admission exams were canceled or delayed in many jurisdictions, thus making it more challenging for graduates to secure employment by 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.

Overall, the employment status of 100% of the Class of 2020 (250/250) was ascertained by the Career Development Office. As of March 15, 2021, 221 of these graduates were employed, 1 had a deferred start date for employment, and 25 were still seeking employment. The placement rate as of March 15, 2021, for all graduates from the Class of 2020 (221/250) was 88.4%.

Types of Employment

For graduates known to be employed, both full-time and part-time, the breakdown of their areas of employment is as follows:

  • Law Firms: 132/221 (59.7%)
  • Government: 36/221 (16.3%)
  • Business and Industry: 28/221 (12.7%)
  • Judicial Clerkships: 16/221 (7.2%)
  • Public Interest: 7/221 (3.2%)
  • Education: 2/221 (.9%)

Employment Distribution by Size of Law Firms

For graduates working at law firms, the breakdown of firm size is as follows:

  • Solo: 0/132 (0%)
  • 1 to 10 Attorneys: 35/132 (26.5%)
  • 11 to 25 Attorneys: 19/132 (14.4%)
  • 26 to 50 Attorneys: 9/132 (6.8%)
  • 51 to 100 Attorneys: 23/132 (17.4%)
  • 101 to 250 Attorneys: 7/132 (5.3%)
  • 251 to 500 Attorneys: 5/132 (3.8%)
  • 501+ Attorneys: 34/132 (25.8%)

Employment Breakdown

  • Employed Full-Time: 211/221 (95.5%)
  • Employed Part-Time: 10/221 (4.5%)

Terms of Employment

  • Long-Term Basis: 216/221 (97.7%)
  • Short-Term Basis: 5/221 (2.3%)

 Bar Admission

  • Bar Passage Required: 194/221 (87.8%)
  • J.D. advantage: 23/221 (10.4%)
  • Professional Position: 3/221 (1.4%)
  • Non-Professional Position: 1/221 (.5%)
  • Law School/University Funded: 0/221 (0%)

This data was collected and reported in April 2020 and uses the ABA’s definitions for the various categories, except if noted otherwise.

Overall, the employment status of 100% of the Class of 2019 (222/222) was ascertained by the Career Development Office. As of March 16, 2020, 208 of these graduates were employed, 1 had a deferred start date for employment, and 13 were still seeking employment. The placement rate as of March 16, 2020, for all graduates from the Class of 2019 (208/222) was 93.7%.

Types of Employment

For graduates known to be employed, both full-time and part-time, the breakdown of their areas of employment is as follows:

  • Law Firms: 125/208 (60.1%)
  • Government: 45/208 (21.6%)
  • Business and Industry: 22/208 (10.6%)
  • Judicial Clerkships: 8/208 (3.8%)
  • Public Interest: 7/208 (3.4%)
  • Education: 1/208 (.5%)

Employment Distribution by Size of Law Firms

For graduates working at law firms, the breakdown of firm size is as follows:

  • Solo: 0/125 (0%)
  • 1 to 10 Attorneys: 27/125 (21.6%)
  • 11 to 25 Attorneys: 18/125 (14.4%)
  • 26 to 50 Attorneys: 11/125 (8.8%)
  • 51 to 100 Attorneys: 29/125 (23.2%)
  • 101 to 250 Attorneys: 5/125 (4%)
  • 251 to 500 Attorneys: 6/125 (4.8%)
  • 501+ Attorneys: 29/125 (23.2)

Employment Breakdown

  • Employed Full-Time: 204/208 (98.1%)
  • Employed Part-Time: 4/208 (1.9%)

Terms of Employment

  • Long-Term Basis: 207/208 (99.5%)
  • Short-Term Basis: 1/208 (.5%)

Bar Admission

  • Bar Passage Required: 193/208 (92.8%)
  • J.D. advantage (“The possession of a JD by the graduate was sought by the employer, required by the employer, or provided a demonstrable advantage in either obtaining or performing the duties of the position from the perspective of the employer.”): 14/208 (6.7%)
  • Professional Position (“The position requires professional skills or training, managerial or supervisory responsibilities, or the regular use of professional judgment from the perspective of the employer.”): 1/208 (.5%)
  • Non-Professional Position (“The position does not require any special professional skills or training from the perspective of the employer.”): 0/208 (0%)
  • Law School/University Funded: 0/208 (0%)

This data was collected and reported in April 2019 and uses the ABA’s definitions for the various categories, except if noted otherwise.

Overall, the employment status of 100% of the Class of 2018 (226/226) was ascertained by the Career Development Office. As of March 15, 2019, 211 of these graduates were employed, 2 had a deferred start date for employment, 12 were still seeking employment, and 1 was pursuing a graduate degree. The placement rate as of March 15, 2019, for all graduates from the Class of 2018 (211/226) was 93.4%.

Types of Employment

For graduates known to be employed, both full-time and part-time, the breakdown of their areas of employment is as follows:

  • Law Firms: 128/211 (60.7%)

  • Government: 40/211 (19%)

  • Business and Industry: 23/211 (10.9%)

  • Judicial Clerkships: 9/211 (4.3%)

  • Public Interest: 9/211 (4.3%)

  • Education: 2/211 (.9%)

Employment Distribution by Size of Law Firms

For graduates working at law firms, the breakdown of firm size is as follows:

  • Solo: 0/128 (0%)

  • 2 to 10 Attorneys: 42/128 (32.8%)

  • 11 to 25 Attorneys: 20/128 (15.6%)

  • 26 to 50 Attorneys: 8/128 (6.3%)

  • 51 to 100 Attorneys: 23/128 (18%)

  • 101 to 250 Attorneys: 2/128 (1.6%)

  • 251 to 500 Attorneys: 4/128 (3.1%)

  • 501+ Attorneys: 29/128 (22.7%)

Employment Breakdown

  • Employed Full-Time: 208/211 (98.6%)

  • Employed Part-Time: 3/211 (1.4%)

Terms of Employment

  • Long-Term Basis: 210/211 (99.5%)

  • Short-Term Basis: 1/211 (.5%)

Bar Admission

  • Bar Passage Required: 186/211 (88.2%)

  • J.D. advantage (“The possession of a JD by the graduate was sought by the employer, required by the employer, or provided a demonstrable advantage in either obtaining or performing the duties of the position from the perspective of the employer.”): 22/211 (10.4%)

  • Professional Position (“The position requires professional skills or training, management or supervisory responsibilities, or the regular use of professional judgment.  The possession of a JD was neither required nor a demonstrable advantage in obtaining or performing the role from the perspective of the employer.”): 2/211 (.9%)

  • Non-Professional Position (“The position does not require any special professional skills or training from the perspective of the employer.”): 1/211 (.5%)

  • Law School/University Funded: 0/211 (0%)