NALP Bulletin, November 2002

NALP's annual Jobs & J.D.'s report provides many analyses that demonstrate the diversity of the law firm employment market for new law graduates. The analyses here offer additional insights into the geographic "reach" of law firm hiring in 12 large cities.

• Although very small firms typically have a smaller geographic reach than do larger firms, the 12 cities vary on the extent to which these firms hire in-state graduates. For example, small firms in Columbus and Pittsburgh hire very high percentages of graduates from in-state schools, while Atlanta and Washington, D.C., hire roughly half from in-state. In some cities, such as Boston, Denver, Indianapolis, and San Diego, no state other than the home state supplied more than two graduates. Typically, nearby states account for most of the graduates coming from out of state. There are exceptions though. Behind California schools, small firms in Los Angeles draw second from New York state schools, while small firms in New York City draw second from California schools.
• The extent to which large firms draw from in-state graduates ranges from 37% in New York to 87% in Indianapolis. In some cities the difference between large and small firms is greater than in others. Boston, Columbus, and Los Angeles are examples of relatively large differences. By way of contrast, in Atlanta and Washington, D.C., differences between large and small firms with respect to geographic reach are considerably smaller.
• Among smaller cities on this list, Columbus, Indianapolis, and Pittsburgh are worth noting. Small firms in Columbus and Pittsburgh draw all, or most, of their new law school hires from in-state. The larger firms, on the other hand, not only draw much less from in-state schools, but they also reach beyond neighboring states for their new hires. Indianapolis firms, regardless of size, tend to hire from Indiana schools.

These findings should provide some insight both to employers in these cities and also to career services offices as they assist individuals in their job searches. Further, the findings illustrate the extent to which small firm hiring is a local affair and suggest that, for a student wishing to work for a small firm in another state, the challenges will be even greater as compared to local opportunities.

Top Law School Locations for Law Firm Jobs Taken in Selected Cities
by the Class of 2001

* Indicates no other state provided more than two graduates.