US BigLaw Hiring Rates for Class of 2025 Slightly Decline

• The law school class of 2025 achieved near-record job placement rates, with 92.8% of graduates securing jobs by mid-March.
• Large law firms with 500 or more lawyers drove new grad hiring, accounting for 33.2% of all firm jobs for the graduates.
• Private practice hiring increased to 60.9%, up from 58.7% a year earlier.
• Federal government hiring declined by 37% compared to the previous year's class.
• The national median salary for employed law graduates was reported at $100,000.

According to the NALP study, 92.8% of 2025 graduates had landed jobs by mid-March, a slight decline from a year earlier when a record 93.4% graduates had jobs in the same time frame.

The law school class of 2025 achieved near-record job placement rates, with a slight decline from the previous year's record high. According to the National Association for Law Placement (NALP), 92.8% of graduates had secured jobs by mid-March, down from 93.4% in the same period last year. This trend is particularly notable given the significant decline in federal government hiring, which dropped by 37% compared to the previous year's class. In contrast, large law firms with 500 or more lawyers continued to drive new grad hiring, accounting for 33.2% of all firm jobs for the graduates. Private practice hiring also saw an increase, rising to 60.9% from 58.7% a year earlier.

The NALP study provides valuable insights into the current state of law school graduate employment rates and large law firm hiring trends in the US legal market. The data highlights the ongoing shift towards private practice, with 60.9% of graduates securing jobs in this sector. This trend is consistent with broader industry trends, which have seen a decline in federal government hiring and an increase in demand for lawyers in private practice. The study also notes that public service employers hired 31% of 2025 grads, down from 32.7% a year earlier.

The implications of these trends are significant for law students and graduates, as well as their clients. The decline in federal government hiring may impact the career prospects of lawyers who had previously looked to this sector for employment. As a result, lawyers should be advising their clients accordingly, taking into account the changing landscape of job opportunities in the US legal market. Furthermore, the data highlights the importance of private practice and large law firms in driving new grad hiring, emphasizing the need for law schools to adapt their curricula and career services to meet the evolving needs of the industry.

Lawyers should note that the decline in federal government hiring may impact their clients' career prospects and advise them accordingly.

Source: Original reporting via National Association for Law Placement