Stanford Law School has emerged as the leader among U.S. law schools in terms of federal clerkship placements, according to recent data released by the American Bar Association (ABA). The figures reveal that a remarkable 25% of Stanford Law’s 2022 graduates secured federal clerkships, surpassing all other institutions in the country. This achievement propelled Stanford to claim the top spot, displacing the University of Chicago Law School, which had held the position for the past two years.
Yale Law School also made significant strides in this year’s rankings, moving up to the second spot. Almost 23% of Yale’s juris doctor (JD) graduates in 2022 secured federal clerkships, an impressive increase from their previous position at number three. Meanwhile, the University of Chicago Law School slipped to third place, with just over 20% of recent graduates landing federal clerkships. Rounding out the top five were the University of Notre Dame Law School and the University of Virginia School of Law, with 15% and nearly 13% of their 2022 graduates respectively securing federal clerkships.
While Stanford and Yale celebrated their success, they faced scrutiny in the past year due to controversies surrounding campus free speech. U.S. Circuit Judges James Ho and Elizabeth Branch publicly announced they would not hire future Stanford and Yale law students as clerks following protests against conservative speakers at both institutions. However, it is important to note that these boycotts did not extend to law students who graduated in 2022.
The ABA data highlights the dominance of a relatively small number of law schools in the federal clerk hiring market. According to the ABA figures, the top 10 law schools with the highest percentage of federal clerks accounted for one-third of all clerks nationwide in the current year. Federal clerkships hold substantial prestige, as they are year-long positions that serve as valuable credentials for sought-after career paths such as large firm associate positions and law professorships.
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Despite the desirability of federal clerkships, law graduates’ opportunities remain limited. The latest ABA data indicates that only 3% of the 36,078 law graduates in 2022 secured federal clerkships. While the ABA figures do not provide a breakdown of clerks by race, data from the National Association for Law Placement reveals that in 2021, 80% of federal clerks were white, with Asian and Hispanic graduates each accounting for nearly 6% and Black graduates comprising 5%.
According to an analysis conducted by Reuters based on the ABA data, federal judges hired 1,150 of last year’s graduates for clerkships this year, slightly lower than the 1,207 clerks hired in 2021. It is worth noting that not all clerks begin their positions immediately after law school. Some federal judges prefer to hire law students for clerkships that are slated to commence a year or two later, enabling them to gain valuable experience before assuming their roles.
Overall, the class of 2022 experienced a robust entry-level hiring market in the legal field. The ABA data reveals that nearly 78% of JDs from the same year secured jobs that require bar passage within 10 months of graduation, representing an increase from the 76% reported in the previous year.