For Prospective Students
Employment Statistics
Employment Report for the Class of 2008
Each year, the CDO conducts a survey of the previous year's J.D. graduates. Completed survey responses collected from members of the 2008 graduating class revealed the following:
Employment Sectors
|
Law Firm Practice (all sizes)
|
65%
|
|
Judicial Clerkships
|
9%
|
|
Government
|
11%
|
|
Business and Industry
|
6%
|
|
Public Interest
|
4%
|
|
Military
|
1%
|
|
Academic
|
2%
|
|
Not Identified
|
2%
|
Geographic Distribution
|
South Atlantic
(DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)
|
64%
|
|
Middle Atlantic
(NJ, NY, PA)
|
17%
|
|
Pacific
(AK, CA, HI, OR, WA)
|
6%
|
|
New England
(CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
|
3%
|
|
East North Central
(IL, IN, MI, OH, WI)
|
3%
|
|
Mountain
(AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY)
|
2%
|
|
West South Central
(AR, LA, OK, TX)
|
1%
|
|
West North Central
(IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD)
|
0%
|
|
East South Central
(AL, KY, MS, TN)
|
1%
|
|
Foreign
|
0%
|
|
Location Unknown
|
3%
|
Salary Distribution
Salaries vary by virtue of several factors including: the type of employer (whether government, public interest, private practice, or other); the geographic location of the employer; the size of the employer; and the specific background of the candidate. Out of 529 graduates in 2008, 359 submitted salary data. The salary range breakdown for the Class of 2008 is as follows:
|
Private Practice
(501+ attorneys)
|
$125,000 - $160,000
Mean: $148,149
|
|
Private Practice
(251-500 attorneys)
|
$100,000 - $160,000
Mean: $141,667
|
|
Private Practice
(101-250 attorneys)
|
$90,000 - $160,000
Mean: $133,438
|
|
Private Practice
(51-100 attorneys)
|
$100,000 - $145,000
Mean: $132,308
|
|
Private Practice
(26-50 attorneys)
|
$24,960 - $175,000
Mean: $77,438
|
|
Private Practice
(11-25 attorneys)
|
$45,000 - $125,000
Mean: $88,986
|
|
Private Practice
(2-10 attorneys)
|
$42,000 - $110,000
Mean: $68,625
|
|
Government
|
$36,000 - $110,000
Mean: $68,890
|
|
Judicial Clerkships
Federal
|
$45,000 - $63,000
Mean: $51,271
|
|
Judicial Clerkships
State
|
$30,000 - $47,000
Mean: $40,372
|
|
Business and Industry
|
$35,000 - $100,000
Mean: $82,200
|
|
Public Interest
|
$27,000 - $50,000
Mean: $39,000
|
The average reported salary for the class of 2008 is $136,643. Information for the class
of 2009 has not yet been finalized.
Bar Passage Rates
Bar passage rates are provided below for the three bar exams most frequently taken by GW Law graduates:
| State |
GW Passage Rates First-Time Takers
|
GW Passage Rates All Takers
|
| Maryland |
81 |
83 |
| Virginia |
105 |
112 |
| New York |
134 |
138 |