These law schools dominated the Big Law hiring market in 2024
By Karen Sloan
April 28 (Reuters) - Cornell Law School sent a higher percentage of its 2024 law graduates into large law firm jobs than any other U.S. law school, American Bar Association data shows.
More than three quarters of Cornell’s 2024 juris doctors — 78.06% — landed jobs at law firms of 251 or more lawyers within 10 months of leaving campus, ABA numbers released on Wednesday show.
Duke Law School was next with a large firm placement rate of 74.76%, followed by Columbia Law School at 71.89% and Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law at 70.37%. The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School rounded out the top five with 68.42% of its most recent graduating class securing jobs at large firms.
The law class of 2024 enjoyed record-high employment 10 months after leaving campus. More than 82% of last year’s juris doctor class landed jobs that require bar admission. That percentage, representing the highest rate ever recorded by the ABA for bar admission jobs, was up from 80% in 2023.
That gain is especially notable because last year’s class had nearly 11% more graduates than its predecessor, meaning there were 3,722 more new lawyers competing for jobs.
Reuters analyzed the data to determine which law schools had the highest percentage of 2024 graduates who landed jobs at firms of 251 or more lawyers. Most of these large firms focus on representing companies in transactions and litigation, and competition for associate talent has been fierce among them. Starting associate pay at many of these firms has climbed to $225,000 a year.
The data shows that large firm hiring is concentrated among elite law schools, with much higher percentages of graduates at top-ranked schools landing those positions.
Among all 2024 juris doctors, slightly less than 22% found jobs at firms of 251 or more lawyers, the ABA data shows. Just 17 law schools sent more than half of their 2024 JDs into large firm jobs, while 95 law schools saw less than 10% of their recent grads land those jobs.
Read more:
These law schools posted highest employment rates of 2024
These law schools were tops for federal clerkships in 2024
2024 JDs in large firm jobs
Related Articles
Coca Cola (KO) Q4 Earnings Preview: Look for the Upside in the AI Initiatives, not in the Revenue and the EPS
Coca-Cola (KO) enters its fourth-quarter 2025 earnings call tomorrow with significant momentum. However, a fundamental shift is occurring.
Warsh’s Fed Era Signals a Death Knell for QE, Jolting the $30 Trillion Treasury Market
With Warsh’s nomination, his past proposals for governing the Federal Reserve are being brought to the forefront. A central issue is the formulation of a new "1951 Accord" to restructure the relationship between the Fed and the Treasury. Analysts suggest such a move could impact the $30 trillion Tre
Amazon Stock Predictions for 2026 to 2030: Will They Exceed Expectations and Achieve Major Long-Term Goals?
TradingKey - As we head into 2026, many investors are questioning where Amazon (AMZN) fits into the technology world.
A Crash After a Surge: Why Silver Lost 40% in a Week?
TradingKey - Spot silver (XAGUSD) prices continue to decline. Silver plunged 20% on Thursday, breaking below $71 per ounce, with the sell-off intensifying on Friday as prices fell further below $64. Compared to the all-time high set on January 29, silver prices have retraced more than 40%, wiping out nearly all gains accumulated over the previous month.
