NALP Bulletin+
February 2024

Since the Class of 2020, NALP has been collecting parental education data within our annual Employment Report and Salary Survey, and for the Class of 2022 this information was reported for approximately 54% of graduates. Overall, 93% of law schools reported parental education data for at least some of their graduates. As a whole, Class of 2022 graduates who reported parental education had a somewhat higher employment rate (93.5%) compared to graduates overall (92.1%), an important caveat to keep in mind when making comparisons to the total law graduate population.

Consistent with the prior two graduating classes, Class of 2022 continuing-generation JD students (graduates who have at least one parent or guardian with a JD degree) and continuing-generation college students (graduates who have at least one parent or guardian with a bachelor's degree or higher, but not a JD degree) had a higher employment rate and were more likely to be employed in a bar admission required job than their first-generation college student peers. For purposes of this analysis, first-generation college students are defined as graduates who do not have at least one parent or guardian with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Chart 1 shows the percentage of Class of 2022 graduates by level of parental education and by race and ethnicity. Overall, 22.9% of Class of 2022 graduates were first-generation college students, but this figure was much higher for Latinx (41.9%), Native American and Alaska Native (40.4%), and Black (34.4%) graduates. In contrast, 62.5% of Class of 2022 graduates were continuing-generation college students and 14.4% were continuing-generation JD students. Asian (2.8%), Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander (6.3%), and Black (7.7%) graduates were the least likely to have a lawyer parent, while white graduates (17.5%) were the most likely to have one. White (18.1%) and Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander (14.3%) graduates were the least likely to be first-generation college students, although the latter group is the smallest law graduate group by race and ethnicity, and thus, their figures are much more subject to fluctuation from year to year.

Differences in employment outcomes among the three groups for the Class of 2022 are reported in Table 1. The employment rate was more than three percentage points higher (95.5% vs. 92.1%) and the rate of employment in bar admission required jobs was more than nine points greater (87.6% vs. 78.5%) for continuing-generation JD students in comparison to first-generation college students. Outcomes on these same measures were also higher for continuing-generation college students as compared to first-generation college students, but the gaps between the two groups were smaller. For employed graduates, continuing-generation college and JD students were more likely to take jobs in private practice and judicial clerkships, while first-generation college students were more likely to be employed in government and business positions.

For Class of 2022 graduates employed in private practice, Chart 2 depicts how employment varies by firm size and level of parental education, keeping in mind that first-gen college students go into private practice at lower rates than their peers. First-generation college students were much more likely to be employed in small firms of 1-10 lawyers, while continuing-generation college and JD students were much more likely to be employed in firms of more than 500 lawyers.

Chart 3 displays differences in judicial clerkship employment by level of clerkship for graduates, again recognizing that first-gen college students are less likely to obtain a judicial clerkship to begin with. First-generation college students with clerkships were employed in state clerkships at a higher rate, while continuing-generation JD students were more likely to hold federal clerkships.

Finally, Table 2 presents differences in median salaries by parental education level for the Class of 2022. Overall, the median salaries for continuing-generation JD students and continuing-generation college students were $20,000 and $10,000 higher, respectively, in comparison to the median salary for first-generation college students, primarily due to the greater share of continuing-generation college and JD students employed in private practice, and in larger law firms in particular. By employment sector, median salaries did not differ much among the three groups, with private practice as a notable exception due to the differences in employment by firm size noted above. Continuing-generation college and JD students also had higher judicial clerkship salaries in comparison to first-generation college students, likely due to their higher level of employment in federal clerkships, which tend to pay more.

First-generation college students face distinct challenges in law school and within the legal profession. They not only have to navigate their undergraduate and law school education without the experience and professional network of college-educated parents to support them, but according to the Law School Survey of Student Engagement (LSSSE) 2023 Annual Report, they are also more likely to have caretaking and work responsibilities outside of law school and to come from families with fewer financial resources. Although they face these challenges, first-gen college students also bring a unique blend of grit, resilience, determination, and experience that can be of benefit to the legal profession.

Additional information on employment outcomes by level of parental education is included in Jobs & JDs: Employment and Salaries of New Law Graduates, Class of 2022 — available for purchase in the NALP Bookstore.

Table 1. Class of 2022 Employment Outcomes by Level of Parental/Guardian Education

* Figures are based on graduates for whom employment status was known.
** Figures are based on employed graduates.

Note: First-generation college students are defined as graduates who do not have at least one parent or guardian with a bachelor's degree or higher degree. Continuing-generation college students are graduates who have at least one parent or guardian with a bachelor's degree or higher, but whose parents/guardians all lack a JD degree. Continuing-generation JD graduates have at least one parent or guardian with a JD degree.

Source: NALP's Class of 2022 Employment Report and Salary Survey

Table 2. Class of 2022 Median Starting Salaries by Level of Parental/Guardian Education

Note: All salary figures are based on salaries reported for full-time jobs lasting at least one year.
Source: NALP's Class of 2022 Employment Report and Salary Survey