Despite record job market for class of 2022, outcomes remain unequal

New employment findings from the National Association for Law Placement (NALP) reveal that despite a record shattering employment market for Class of 2022 law graduates — including the highest employment rate in 35 years — disparities in employment outcomes by race/ethnicity and level of parental education persist, with graduates of color and first-generation college students experiencing lower levels of employment in bar admission required/anticipated positions.

Graduates of color were also less likely to be employed in judicial clerkships as compared to white graduates, and employment rates within private practice continued to be lower for Black, Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander graduates. Likewise, first-generation college students were employed in judicial clerkships and private practice at lower rates than their continuing-generation college and JD student peers.

NALP recently released the 49th consecutive edition of its Jobs & JDs, Employment and Salaries of New Law Graduates, Class of 2022, available from NALP’s bookstore at www.nalp.org/bookstore. Jobs & JDs is NALP’s hallmark annual research report that presents a comprehensive analysis of the types of employment and salaries obtained by recent graduates, with data on more than 97% of Class of 2022 graduates from ABA-accredited law schools.

“The persistent disparities we see in the employment outcomes for graduates of color underscores the need for all legal employers to stand firm on their DEI commitments,” said Nikia Gray, NALP’s executive director. “Despite the recent backlash against such initiatives, the fact that year after year Black, Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander graduates fare significantly worse in the job market compared to their peers demonstrates the need to continue working towards a more equitable and inclusive legal industry.”