NALP Bulletin, August 2002
ABA data on law school graduates show that, over the past 11 years, women have accounted for between 43% and 47% of law school graduates, and minority representation has increased from about 12% in 1991 to about 20%.
NALP's employment data for the Classes of 1991-2001 show that the proportion of women and minorities among employed graduates as a whole reflect these changes. However, as the table below shows, proportionate representation does not necessarily occur for specific job/ employer categories.
Demographic Profile of Selected Job Types — 1991-2001
(percent of jobs obtained by each demographic group)
GRADUATING CLASS | |||||||||||
1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | |
All Jobs: | |||||||||||
White men | 52.4 | 52.8 | 52.1 | 50.6 | 49.9 | 48.6 | 47.8 | 47.2 | 47.0 | 45.3 | 44.5 |
White women | 36.6 | 36.2 | 35.3 | 35.1 | 34.1 | 35.0 | 34.5 | 35.0 | 35.2 | 35.6 | 36.2 |
Minority men* | 5.6 | 5.3 | 5.9 | 6.8 | 7.7 | 7.8 | 8.5 | 8.4 | 8.3 | 8.8 | 8.3 |
Minority women* | 5.4 | 5.7 | 6.6 | 7.5 | 8.3 | 8.6 | 9.2 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 10.3 | 11.0 |
# of Jobs Taken** | 24,583 | 23,815 | 23,869 | 25,006 | 26,455 | 27,887 | 28,657 | 30,194 | 30,261 | 29,691 | 29,298 |
Law Firms of 2 - 10 Attorneys: | |||||||||||
White men | 58.2 | 57.5 | 56.7 | 55.3 | 55.3 | 53.8 | 53.0 | 51.7 | 51.5 | 51.1 | 48.4 |
White women | 34.9 | 35.5 | 35.5 | 35.2 | 33.8 | 34.8 | 34.0 | 34.8 | 35.7 | 35.0 | 36.1 |
Minority men* | 4.0 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 5.0 | 5.6 | 5.8 | 6.5 | 6.9 | 6.4 | 6.6 | 6.8 |
Minority women* | 2.9 | 3.3 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 5.3 | 5.5 | 6.5 | 6.6 | 6.4 | 7.3 | 8.7 |
# of Jobs Taken** | 4,593 | 4,717 | 5,000 | 5,222 | 5,394 | 5,405 | 5,204 | 5,132 | 4,790 | 4,581 | 4,644 |
Law Firms of More Than 100 Attorneys: | |||||||||||
White men | 49.8 | 52.2 | 50.6 | 49.3 | 49.5 | 46.3 | 45.6 | 46.9 | 46.2 | 44.5 | 44.4 |
White women | 38.3 | 37.4 | 34.4 | 33.9 | 32.2 | 34.7 | 35.0 | 34.9 | 34.8 | 35.4 | 35.4 |
Minority men* | 6.3 | 5.1 | 7.5 | 8.6 | 9.2 | 9.3 | 9.6 | 9.4 | 8.5 | 9.6 | 9.1 |
Minority women* | 5.6 | 5.3 | 7.5 | 8.2 | 9.1 | 9.7 | 9.8 | 8.9 | 10.5 | 10.5 | 11.1 |
# of Jobs Taken** | 4,048 | 2,905 | 2,659 | 3,105 | 3,300 | 3,731 | 4,243 | 5,352 | 5,968 | 6,084 | 6,604 |
Prosecutors: | |||||||||||
White men | 45.2 | 44.4 | 47.1 | 42.4 | 42.7 | 44.7 | 43.7 | 43.4 | 42.7 | 40.4 | 39.7 |
White women | 39.8 | 37.8 | 33.6 | 36.2 | 35.0 | 35.6 | 36.4 | 36.7 | 37.7 | 38.0 | 38.3 |
Minority men* | 6.8 | 8.4 | 9.5 | 10.1 | 11.6 | 8.6 | 8.3 | 9.1 | 8.5 | 9.7 | 9.5 |
Minority women* | 8.2 | 9.3 | 9.9 | 11.4 | 10.8 | 11.1 | 11.6 | 10.9 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 12.5 |
# of Jobs Taken** | 1,087 | 1,094 | 1,055 | 1,100 | 1,244 | 1,284 | 1,488 | 1,467 | 1,485 | 1,485 | 1,478 |
Jobs in Military: | |||||||||||
White men | 73.6 | 70.1 | 66.4 | 66.0 | 60.2 | 61.1 | 57.3 | 57.9 | 65.1 | 61.6 | 63.7 |
White women | 16.4 | 18.9 | 21.6 | 20.6 | 23.1 | 23.9 | 21.0 | 23.7 | 19.4 | 19.3 | 21.7 |
Minority men* | 6.7 | 6.8 | 7.9 | 9.8 | 9.4 | 10.3 | 14.2 | 11.0 | 10.1 | 12.9 | 9.9 |
Minority women* | 3.3 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 7.3 | 4.7 | 7.5 | 7.4 | 5.5 | 6.2 | 4.7 |
# of Jobs Taken** | 360 | 355 | 292 | 315 | 329 | 339 | 358 | 337 | 418 | 372 | 383 |
Federal Judicial Clerks: | |||||||||||
White men | 50.5 | 52.8 | 50.0 | 48.6 | 49.1 | 47.6 | 47.8 | 45.1 | 46.5 | 43.1 | 43.9 |
White women | 38.7 | 37.2 | 38.9 | 38.6 | 35.2 | 38.5 | 37.6 | 40.3 | 37.2 | 41.0 | 41.5 |
Minority men* | 4.8 | 5.1 | 4.9 | 5.3 | 7.1 | 5.5 | 6.7 | 6.6 | 7.2 | 6.9 | 6.0 |
Minority women* | 6.0 | 4.9 | 6.2 | 7.5 | 8.6 | 8.4 | 7.9 | 8.0 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 8.6 |
# of Jobs Taken** | 1,332 | 1,280 | 1,229 | 1,248 | 1,261 | 1,246 | 1,250 | 1,293 | 1,337 | 1,335 | 1,331 |
State Judicial Clerks: | |||||||||||
White men | 45.1 | 44.1 | 42.6 | 44.6 | 43.9 | 41.8 | 39.6 | 40.2 | 42.2 | 39.0 | 39.7 |
White women | 45.4 | 44.6 | 46.1 | 43.0 | 43.6 | 44.7 | 47.0 | 44.8 | 43.8 | 44.7 | 42.7 |
Minority men* | 4.2 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 5.9 | 5.3 | 5.7 | 5.8 |
Minority women* | 5.3 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 7.6 | 8.0 | 8.5 | 8.9 | 9.1 | 8.7 | 10.6 | 11.7 |
# of Jobs Taken** | 1,383 | 1,472 | 1,461 | 1,543 | 1,653 | 1,709 | 1,699 | 1,858 | 1,772 | 1,727 | 1,767 |
Source: NALP employment data for the classes of 1991-2001.
*Includes Native Americans, Blacks, Asian/Pacific Islanders, and Hispanics of any race.
**Jobs with complete demographic information only.