The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School experience enables our graduates to pursue successful and fulfilling careers. The data below attests to our continued success in the market.
This information is based on student survey responses, ABA and NALP data, and reflects employment as of the March 15 following graduation for the classes listed below. Please note that the judicial clerkship chart reflects a different time period and includes alumni.
General Employment Information
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
Graduating Class Size
248
262
257
258
250
Employment Status Known
248
261
257
258
250
Employed
245
257
255
257
248
Start Date Deferred
0
1
0
0
0
Seeking Employment
1
1
0
0
1
Not Seeking Employment
0
0
1
1
0
Enrolled in Full-Time Degree
2
2
1
0
1
Unknown
0
1
0
0
0
The Law School’s cross-disciplinary JD program prepares students for a range of careers in the law and related fields, complemented by professional development programs that build skills necessary to pursue the best jobs and careers. At the Law School, students are exposed to the widest variety of legal employers, nationally and internationally, as well as to Penn alumni worldwide who have used their law degrees to push the boundaries in their fields.
Job Type
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
Law Firm
179
187
185
189
188
2-10
1
0
0
2
5
11-25
1
0
1
4
1
26-50
1
1
1
2
3
51-100
4
4
5
4
3
101-250
0
8
4
8
8
251-500
12
15
9
20
17
501+
160
157
165
149
151
Unknown size
0
0
0
0
0
Solo Practice
0
0
0
0
0
Judicial Clerk
27
32
29
26
29
Business or Industry
10
11
10
15
8
Government/Military
5
9
8
6
9
Public Interest
23
17
20
20
14
Academic
1
1
3
1
0
Law School Funded (Short-Term)
0
0
0
0
2
Law School Funded (Long-Term)
12
10
15
11
7
Other Short Term
0
0
0
0
1
Salary Information
Salary
2022
Value
25th Percentile
Median
75th Percentile
Mean
Salaries Reported
Salary - All Job Types
175,000
215,000
215,000
179,741
247/257
Law Firm
215,000
215,000
215,000
210,816
187/187
2-10
-
-
-
-
-
11-25
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
26-50
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
51-100
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
101-250
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
251-500
215,000
215,000
218,750
215,500
10/10
501+
215,000
215,000
215,000
213,178
166/166
Unknown size
-
-
-
-
-
Solo Practice
-
-
-
-
-
Judicial Clerk
65,750
70,500
73,750
70,978
26/32
Business or Industry
145,000
175,000
175,000
158,500
10/11
Government/ Military
70,000
74,950
89,730
78,121
9/9
Public Interest
50,000
55,000
61,375
57,506
14/17
Academic
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
Salary
2021
Value
25th Percentile
Median
75th Percentile
Mean
Salaries Reported
Salary - All Job Types
140,000
215,000
215,000
171,352
251/255
Law Firm
215,000
215,000
215,000
205,514
185/185
2-10
-
-
-
-
-
11-25
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
26-50
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
51-100
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
101-250
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
251-500
185,000
195,000
215,000
195,556
9/9
501+
215,000
215,000
215,000
208,273
165/165
Unknown size
-
-
-
-
-
Solo Practice
-
-
-
-
-
Judicial Clerk
58,000
68,864
72,000
69,290
29/29
Business or Industry
125,000
150,000
164,000
143,322
9/10
Government/ Military
58,875
66,500
70,650
64,213
8/8
Public Interest
50,000
52,500
59,000
54,243
18/20
Academic
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
Note: Starting salaries for first-year associates who commenced employment in the fall of 2021 were adjusted upward in early 2022 for many of the largest firms and in the largest legal markets. This report reflects that adjustment for all firms that made this change before March 15, 2022.
Salary
2020
Value
25th Percentile
Median
75th Percentile
Mean
Salaries Reported
Salary - All Job Types
165,000
190,000
190,000
161,596
224/257
Law Firm
190,000
190,000
190,000
187,322
171/189
2-10
-
-
-
-
-
11-25
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
26-50
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
51-100
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
101-250
131,250
182,500
190,000
166,667
6/8
251-500
190,000
190,000
190,000
190,294
17/20
501+
190,000
190,000
190,000
188,615
143/149
Unknown size
-
-
-
-
-
Solo Practice
-
-
-
-
-
Judicial Clerk
61,122
69,579
70,632
66,713
25/26
Business or Industry
150,000
15,000
165,000
175,820
8/15
Government/ Military
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
Public Interest
50,000
50,000
55,000
52,800
15/20
Academic
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
<5 reported
Salary
2019
Value
25th Percentile
Median
75th Percentile
Mean
Salaries Reported
Salary - All Job Types
$150,000
$190,000
$190,000
$158,794
237/248 (96%)
Law Firm
$190,000
$190,000
$190,000
$183,992
184/188 (98%)
2-10
< 5 reported
< 5 reported
< 5 reported
< 5 reported
< 5 reported
11-25
< 5 reported
< 5 reported
< 5 reported
< 5 reported
< 5 reported
26-50
< 5 reported
< 5 reported
< 5 reported
< 5 reported
< 5 reported
51-100
< 5 reported
< 5 reported
< 5 reported
< 5 reported
< 5 reported
101-250
$102,500
$147,500
$175,000
$129,038
8/8 (100%)
251-500
$190,000
$190,000
$190,000
$190,882
17/17 (100%)
501+
$190,000
$190,000
$190,000
$188,742
151/151 (100%)
Unknown size
-
-
-
-
-
Solo Practice
-
-
-
-
-
Judicial Clerk
$61,218
$65,580
$68,036
$63,989
29/29 (100%)
Business or Industry
< 5 reported
< 5 reported
< 5 reported
< 5 reported
< 5 reported
Government/ Military
$60,000
$60,000
$67,500
$64,186
7/9 (78%)
Public Interest
$45,000
$53,000
$56,000
$52,270
13/14 (93%)
Academic
-
-
-
-
-
Salary
2018
Value
25th Percentile
Median
75th Percentile
Mean
Salaries Reported
Salary - All Job Types
$160,000
$190,000
$190,000
$157,627
233/241 (97%)
Law Firm
$190,000
$190,000
$190,000
$183,311
181/182 (99%)
2-10
< 5 reported
< 5 reported
< 5 reported
< 5 reported
< 5 reported
11-25
-
-
-
-
-
26-50
< 5 reported
< 5 reported
< 5 reported
< 5 reported
< 5 reported
51-100
< 5 reported
< 5 reported
< 5 reported
< 5 reported
< 5 reported
101-250
$160,000
$175,000
$190,000
$173,125
8/8 (100%)
251-500
$190,000
$190,000
$190,000
$185,938
16/17 (94%)
501+
$190,000
$190,000
$190,000
$186,818
152/152 (100%)
Unknown size
-
-
-
-
-
Solo Practice
-
-
-
-
-
Judicial Clerk
$55,925
$65,732
$66,110
$61,439
22/26 (85%)
Business or Industry
$115,000
$137,500
$157,500
$141,875
8/11 (73%)
Government/ Military
$40,250
$51,412
$58,000
$58,215
10/10 (100%)
Public Interest
$40,000
$45,000
$50,000
$45,583
12/12 (100%)
Academic
-
-
-
-
-
Judicial Clerkships
Law School students receive unparalleled support from staff and faculty in their pursuit of judicial clerkships. And today, recent clerkship placements are at the highest levels in our history. For the years 2015-20, our students and alumni secured 386 clerkships at all levels.
Judicial Clerkships
Five yrs: May 1, 2018 - April 30, 2023
May 1, 2022 - April 30, 2023
May 1, 2021 - April 30, 2022
May 1, 2020 - April 30, 2021
May 1, 2019 - April 30, 2020
May 1, 2018 - April 30, 2019
US Supreme Court
3
2
-
1
-
Circuit
127
29
34
26
23
15
District
198
30
48
43
47
30
Federal Staff Attorneys
-
-
-
-
-
-
Magistrate
19
5
4
4
2
4
Bankruptcy
6
-
2
1
1
2
Tax
1
-
-
-
-
1
U.S. Court of International Trade
2
-
-
1
-
1
U.S. Court of Federal Claims
4
1
-
1
-
2
Federal Administrative Law Judge
1
-
-
-
-
1
Delaware Chancery
8
2
2
2
-
2
State Supreme
22
3
6
3
3
7
State Intermediate
6
2
-
4
-
-
State Trial
14
3
2
3
-
6
Territory Trial
1
-
-
-
-
1
International
4
-
1
1
1
1
Total
417
75
102
89
78
73
Additional Employment and Bar Passage Statistics
Employment Requirements
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
Bar Passage Required - Full-time*
222
235
240
241
237
Bar Passage Required - Part-time
0
0
0
0
0
J.D. Advantage*
11
11
14
16
10
Professional
0
1
0
0
1
Non-Professional
0
0
0
0
0
* Includes graduates in positions funded by the Law School.
Per Interpretation 509-2 of Standard 509, law schools may choose to publicize additional employment outcome data beyond what the Employment Protocols require. This additional data, per Standard 509, must be “complete, accurate, and not misleading to a reasonable law school student or applicant.” Law schools are expected to use “due diligence in obtaining and verifying such information.” The following additional employment outcome data has not been, and will not be, audited by the ABA. It is meant to supplement the annual ABA Employment Summary Report, which reflects the employment status of members of each graduating class as of the annual Graduate Employment Status Date of March 15. Please reference the 3 years of employment outcome data posted on the ABA Required Disclosures webpage of each ABA-Approved Law School or at www.abarequireddisclosures.org.
