NALP 2019 report shows that entry-level law firm recruiting remains steady

The National Association for Law Placement, Inc. (NALP) has released its 2019 Perspectives on Law Student Recruiting Report at www.nalp.org/perspectivesonrecruiting. The report shows robust recruiting activity in 2019, with offer rates coming out of summer programs reaching historic highs. However, the data also suggests that the regrowth in summer program and entry-level recruiting since the Great Recession may be tapering off. The annual report details recruitment activity on campus and at job fairs in 2019; provides information on summer program characteristics; and provides information on the outcomes of 2019 summer programs and of fall 2019 recruiting for both second-year summer associates and entry-level associates not previously employed by that employer.

Significant findings:

The aggregate offer rate coming out of summer programs increased to nearly 98%, a historic high for a second year in a row.

The acceptance rate on these offers remained at 88%, a historical high in both 2018 and 2019, and significantly higher than the pre-recession norm of overall acceptance rates of about 73 to 77 percent.

The average summer program class size fell to 13 after having been flat at 14 for the previous three years, driven in large part by the falling average program class size in the largest firms.

Almost 35% of responding firms engaged in early offer activity for their summer 2020 programs, up eight percentage points from last year. Top candidates and diverse candidates were the most frequently targeted for early offers.

Read the full 2019 Perspectives on Law Student Recruiting Report at www.nalp.org/perspectivesonrecruiting.