This article examines five years of trend data to understand how employment outcomes vary by both level of parental education and race/ethnicity. First-generation college students consistently find employment at lower rates compared to their continuing-generation college and JD peers.
Based on findings from NALP’s annual Employment Report and Salary Survey, Danielle Taylor examines challenges first-gen college students encounter and also their unique blend of grit, resilience and determination that can be of benefit to the legal profession.
More than half of the 19 million college undergraduates in the U.S. are first-generation college students, meaning they are the first in their families to earn a four-year degree. After graduating, they become first-generation professionals (FGPs): the first in their families to navigate white-collar careers. The question is whether legal institutions are prepared to recruit, develop, and retain them.
