By the numbers

The Center for Professional Development & Career Strategy serves as the professional link among students, alumni, and employers, coordinating a full range of services for the employment search process. The team at Career Services shares some information about their outcomes and how students are placed during various points in their legal education and careers.

Summer Jobs (2021) 

The majority of 1Ls worked in the public sector (60%) 

• Law firm 30% 
• Business/industry 10% 
• Government (excluding judicial interns and PDs) 19% 
• Judicial internships 18% 
• Public interest (includes public defenders) 17% 
• Academic (research assistants) 6% 

The majority of 2Ls worked in the private sector (66%) 

• Law firm 60% 
• Business/industry 6% 
• Government (excluding judicial interns and PDs) 13% 
• Judicial internships 6% 
• Public interest (includes public defenders) 12% 
• Academic (research assistants) 3% 

Not counting Emory, the U.S. Equal Employer Opportunity Commission hired the most 1L and 2L students (24) for Summer 2021. 

Employment ten months after graduation (2016 –2020) 

The majority of new grads worked in the private sector (73%) 

• Law firm 61% 
• Business/industry 12% 
• Government (excluding clerks and PDs) 10% 
• Judicial clerkship 9% 
• Public interest (includes public defenders) 7% 
• Academic (e.g., compliance for university) 1% 

Top ten post-grad job markets 

1. Georgia
2. New York 
3. Florida 
4. California 
5. District of Columbia 
6. Texas (tie) 
7. Non-U.S. (tie) 
8. North Carolina 
9. Tennessee 
10. Illinois