According to data released by the American Bar Association’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar on Tuesday, there has been an increase in jobs for new lawyers for the second year in a row. The employment rate for 2022 law school graduates is 84.6%, compared to 83% for 2021 graduates. The jobs are full-time, long-term, and either require bar passage or are positions in which having a JD is seen as an advantage.
The class of 2022 had 36,078 members, while 35,712 graduates were recorded in 2021, according to an employment outcomes table linked in the news release. The growth in the number of jobs in law firms, rather than other aspects of law, shows the largest gain in percentage points, said Bill Adams, managing director of ABA accreditation and legal education, in the news release. For the class of 2022, 52% had positions in law firms, compared to 50.6% for 2021 graduates.
Public-interest work also saw an increase. For the class of 2022, 8.4% had those jobs, compared to 7.7% for 2021 graduates. Education positions slightly increased, from 1.2% for the class of 2021 to 1.3% for 2022 graduates. Government jobs remained stable, with 10.4% for 2022 graduates and the same percentage for 2021 graduates.
There was a slight decrease in business and industry jobs. For the class of 2022, 9% of the jobs were in that category, compared to 10% for 2021 graduates. Clerkships also slightly decreased, from 9.6% for 2021 graduates to 9.1% for 2022 graduates.
However, there was a decrease in JD-advantage jobs. For the class of 2022, 7.8% had full-time, long-term jobs in that category, compared to 8.8% for 2021 graduates. For bar-passage-required positions, 76.8% of 2022 graduates had those jobs, compared to 74.2% of 2021 graduates.
These statistics suggest that the job market for newly minted attorneys has clearly recovered, although modestly in the number of new jobs nationwide this year. As mentioned earlier, the growth in the number of jobs in law firms shows the largest gain in percentage points, which could mean more opportunities for new law graduates in this field.
Public-interest work and education positions also increased, which could indicate more awareness and investment in these areas. Government jobs remained stable, while business and industry jobs saw a slight decrease. Clerkships also slightly decreased, which could mean more graduates are looking for permanent positions rather than temporary ones.
However, the decrease in JD-advantage jobs could mean that having a JD is not as valuable in some positions as it used to be, and employers may not see the advantage of hiring someone with a law degree for non-legal positions. On the other hand, the increase in bar-passage-required positions could mean that employers are placing more emphasis on hiring candidates who have passed the bar exam and are licensed to practice law.
Overall, the increase in employment rate for 2022 law school graduates is a positive sign for those entering the job market. However, as the job market evolves, it is important for law graduates to be aware of the latest trends and adjust their job search accordingly.