Legal Career Paths – Employment Statistics
Every year, the Career Services Office surveys each member of the previous year's graduating class. The information from these surveys is compiled and, along with similar data from other law schools, forms the basis for the national statistics compiled by NALP, the National Association for Law Placement. The ABA and U.S. News and World Report use similar information, although U.S. News and World Report uses a different formula in presenting the information.
For the classes of 2011, 2010 and 2009, the statistics presented are the official NALP reports, which NALP provides to the school in June of each reporting year. The NALP information for the class of 2012 will be posted when it is available. We have also provided a link to the employment summary prepared by the ABA for the classes of 2012, 2011, and 2010.
We hope this detailed employment information is useful. Please contact careerservices@law.unh.edu if you have any questions about our employment statistics or our career services.
To download the class of 2012 Employment Summary submitted to the ABA on March 4, 2013, please click here.
Class of 2011 (below) | Class of 2010 | Class of 2009
Statistical summary for the Class of 2011
(as prepared by NALP in June 2012)
To download the PDF of the NALP employment report, please click here.
To download the PDF of the employment summary prepared by the ABA's Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, please click here.
| Number Reported | % of Reported | # with Salary | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile | Mean | |
| Total Reported: 147 | |||||||
| Gender Reported | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woman | 68 | 46.3 | 21 | 50,000 | 55,000 | 79,000 | 65,838 |
| Men | 79 | 53,7 | 33 | 55,000 | 67,587 | 100,000 | 82,866 |
| Subtotal | 147 | 100.0 | |||||
| Race Reported | |||||||
| Minority | 35 | 23.8 | 10 | 75,000 | 95,000 | 135,000 | 96,700 |
| Non-minority | 112 | 76.2 | 44 | 50,000 | 61,200 | 79,500 | 71,595 |
| Subtotal | 147 | 100.0 | |||||
| Gender & Race Reported | |||||||
| Minority Women | 17 | 11.6 | 5 | 70,000 | 79,000 | 100,000 | 86,400 |
| Minority Men | 18 | 12.2 | 5 | 90,000 | 100,000 | 135,000 | 107,000 |
| Non-minority Women | 51 | 34.7 | 16 | 49,000 | 55,000 | 63,700 | 59,413 |
| Non-minority Men | 61 | 41.5 | 28 | 52,000 | 66,250 | 96,250 | 78,556 |
| Subtotal | 147 | 100.0 | |||||
| Employment Status Known | |||||||
| Bar Passage Req'd | 93 | 63.3 | 48 | 50,000 | 63,700 | 96,250 | 76,659 |
| JD Preferred | 31 | 21.1 | 6 | 65,000 | 67,584 | 75,000 | 72,928 |
| Other Professional | 2 | 1.4 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Non-professional | 2 | 1.4 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Pursuing Degree FT | 4 | 2.7 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Unemployed-Seeking | 9 | 6.1 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Unemployed-Not Seeking | 6 | 4.1 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Subtotal | 147 | 100.0 | |||||
| Total Employed or Degree Seeking | |||||||
| Pursuing Degree FT | 4 | 2.7 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Employed | 128 | 87.1 | 54 | 52,000 | 65,000 | 92,500 | 76,244 |
| Subtotal | 132 | 89.8 | |||||
| Employed by Sector | |||||||
| Private Sector | 79 | 61.7 | 34 | 60,000 | 74,500 | 130,000 | 87,605 |
| Public Sector | 49 | 38.3 | 20 | 46,900 | 54,000 | 66,290 | 56,930 |
| Subtotal | 128 | 100.0 | |||||
| Note: Figures for job duration are based on jobs for which the item was reported, and thus may not add to the total number of jobs. The count of jobs funded by the law school is a total, regardless of duration. | |||||||
| Number Reported | % of Reported | # with Salary | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile | Mean | |
| FT/PT Jobs | |||||||
| Bar Passage Req'd-FT | 84 | 65.6 | 48 | 50,000 | 63,700 | 96,250 | 76,659 |
| Bar Passage Req'd-PT | 9 | 7.0 | * | * | * | * | * |
| JD Preferred-FT | 14 | 10.9 | 6 | 65,000 | 67,584 | 75,000 | 72,928 |
| JD Preferred-PT | 17 | 13.3 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Other Professional-FT | 2 | 1.6 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Non-professional-FT | 1 | 0.8 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Non-professional-PT | 1 | 0.8 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Subtotal | 128 | 100.0 | |||||
| Employment Categories | |||||||
| Academic | 25 | 19.5 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Business | 26 | 20.3 | 9 | 55,000 | 62,400 | 67,500 | 66,922 |
| Judicial Clerk | 5 | 3.9 | 5 | 48,000 | 49,429 | 52,000 | 49,967 |
| Private Practice | 53 | 41.4 | 25 | 60,000 | 92,500 | 135,000 | 95.051 |
| Government | 13 | 10.2 | 10 | 54,000 | 65,000 | 67,587 | 62,117 |
| Public Interest | 6 | 4.7 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Subtotal | 128 | 100.0 | |||||
| Academic Jobs | |||||||
| Bar Passage Req'd | 11 | 44.0 | * | * | * | * | * |
| JD Preferred | 13 | 52.0 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Other Professional | 1 | 4.0 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Subtotal | 25 | 100.0 | |||||
| Business Jobs | |||||||
| Bar Passage Req'd | 16 | 61.5 | 6 | 55,000 | 58,700 | 67,500 | 62,483 |
| JD Preferred | 8 | 30.8 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Other Professional | 1 | 3.8 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Non-professional | 1 | 3.8 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Subtotal | 26 | 100.0 | |||||
| Note: Categories with no graduates reported are not shown. A minimum of five salaries is required for each salary analysis. | |||||||
| Private Practice Jobs | |||||||
| Bar Passage Req'd | 47 | 88.7 | 25 | 60,000 | 92,500 | 135,000 | 95,051 |
| JD Preferred | 6 | 11.3 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Subtotal | 53 | 100.0 | |||||
| Government Jobs | |||||||
| Bar Passage Req'd | 9 | 69.2 | 7 | 54,000 | 55,000 | 65,000 | 58,714 |
| JD Preferred | 4 | 30.8 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Subtotal | 13 | 100.0 | |||||
| Public Interest Jobs | |||||||
| Bar Passage Req'd | 5 | 83.3 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Non-professional | 1 | 16.7 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Subtotal | 6 | 100.0 | |||||
| Size of Firm | |||||||
| 2-10 | 23 | 43.4 | 6 | 50,000 | 52,500 | 60,000 | 58,500 |
| 11-25 | 4 | 7.5 | * | * | * | * | * |
| 26-50 | 4 | 7.5 | * | * | * | * | * |
| 51-100 | 4 | 7.5 | * | * | * | * | * |
| 101-250 | 7 | 13.2 | 6 | 100,000 | 115,000 | 140,000 | 115,000 |
| 251-500 | 2 | 3.8 | * | * | * | * | * |
| 501+ | 2 | 3.8 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Unknown Size | 1 | 1.9 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Solo | 6 | 11.3 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Subtotal | 53 | 100.0 | |||||
| Number Reported | % of Reported | # with Salary | 25th Percentile | Median | 75th Percentile | Mean | |
| Type of Law Firm Job | |||||||
| Attorney | 43 | 81.1 | 24 | 60,000 | 86,250 | 135,000 | 94,845 |
| Law Clerk | 10 | 18.9 | |||||
| Subtotal | 53 | 100.0 | |||||
| Note: categories with no graduates reported are not shown. A minimum of five salaries is required for each salary analysis. | |||||||
| Jobs Taken by Region | |||||||
| New England | 71 | 55.5 | 28 | 49,715 | 57,500 | 73,250 | 65,190 |
| Mid-Atlantic | 14 | 10.9 | 6 | 57,408 | 81,250 | 100,000 | 83,818 |
| E North Central | 5 | 3.9 | * | * | * | * | * |
| W North Central | 2 | 1.6 | * | * | * | * | * |
| South Atlantic | 22 | 17.2 | 13 | 67,580 | 100,000 | 135,000 | 100,303 |
| E South Central | 3 | 2.3 | * | * | * | * | * |
| W South Central | 3 | 2.3 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Mountain | 5 | 3.9 | |||||
| Pacific | 1 | 0.8 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Foreign | 2 | 1.6 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Subtotal | 128 | 100.0 | |||||
| Location of Jobs | |||||||
| In-State | 50 | 39.1 | 16 | 46,900 | 54,000 | 62,500 | 55,663 |
| Out of State | 78 | 60.9 | 38 | 55,000 | 70,000 | 100,000 | 84,910 |
| Subtotal | 128 | 100.0 | |||||
| # States and Territories w/Employed Grads | |||||||
| 25 | * | * | * | * | * | * | |
| Subtotal | 25 | ||||||
| Note: Categories with no graduates reported are not shown. A minimum of five salaries is required for each salary analysis. | |||||||
| Source of Job | |||||||
| Fall OCI | 6 | 4.7 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Job fair/consortia | 6 | 4.7 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Job Posting | 32 | 25.0 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Commercial Internet Site | 3 | 2.3 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Return to Prior Job | 6 | 4.7 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Referral | 27 | 21.1 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Start Own Practice | 7 | 5.5 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Self-initiated/letter | 31 | 24.2 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Temp Agency | 5 | 3.9 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Other | 5 | 3.9 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Subtotal | 128 | 100.0 | |||||
| Timing of Job Offer | |||||||
| After Bar Results | 60 | 46.9 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Before Graduation | 48 | 37.5 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Before Bar Results | 20 | 15.6 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Subtotal | 128 | 100.0 | |||||
| Search Status of Employed Grads | |||||||
| Seeking a Different Job | 33 | 25.8 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Not Seeking a Different Job | 95 | 74.2 | * | * | * | * | * |
| Subtotal | 128 | 100.0 | |||||
| Note: Figures are based on jobs for which the item was reported, and thus may not add to the total number of jobs. | |||||||
| Jobs Lasting A Year Or More | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Number | Number of Indefinite Duration | Number of Fixed Duration | Number of Short-term Jobs | ||||
| Duration of Jobs | |||||||
| Academic | 3 | 2 | 1 | 22 | |||
| Business | 21 | 20 | 1 | 5 | |||
| Judicial Clerk | 5 | * | 5 | * | |||
| Private Practice | 47 | 47 | * | 6 | |||
| Government | 12 | 12 | * | 1 | |||
| Public Interest | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Total Reported | 93 | 85 | 8 | 35 | |||
| Number of Jobs Reported as Funded by Law School | |||||||
| Total Number | Number of Indefinite Duration | Number of Fixed Duration | Number of Short-term Jobs | ||||
| 20 | * | * | * | ||||
| Total Reported | 20 | * | * | * | |||
| Note: Figures for job duration are based on jobs for which the item was reported, and thus may not add to the total number of jobs. The count of jobs funded by the law school is a total, regardless of duration. | |||||||