Employment Data
Employment opportunities available to graduates of Duke Law School consistently rank among the nation’s best and most prestigious.
Graduating students go on to positions with a wide range of organizations around the United States and abroad, including law firms, businesses, government agencies, and nonprofits, as well as judicial clerkships and academic employment.
As of March 15, 2024, 97% (232/238) of the Class of 2023 was employed in long-term, full-time positions that required bar passage or were "J.D. Advantage." Four of these were school funded.
If you are considering law school, we encourage you to use the data available to compare institutions and ask detailed and probing questions that will help you make the most informed decision based on your career goals and aspirations.
Employment Ten Months after Graduation
The chart below shows the numbers of Duke Law students in various types of employment ten months after graduation. This information is reported annually to the American Bar Association (ABA) and the National Association for Law Placement (NALP). Data reported to the ABA may be downloaded in full for the Class of 2021, Class of 2022, and Class of 2023.
| Class of 2023 |
Class of 2022 |
Class of 2021 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Graduates | 238 | 214 | 251 |
| Employed | 233 | 212 | 247 |
| Bar Passage Required | 226 | 204 | 235 |
| JD Advantage | 3 | 6 | 8 |
| Professional Position | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Position | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Law School/University Funded | 4 | 2 | 4 |
| Undeterminable | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Enrolled in Graduate Studies | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Employed - Start Date Deferred | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Unemployed - Not Seeking | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Unemployed - Seeking | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Employment Status Unknown | 0 | 0 | 1 |
See further detail on employment data.
Visit the ABA website for term definitions.
Short-Term and Law School/University-Funded Positions
| Class of 2023 |
Class of 2022 |
Class of 2021 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Not School Funded Short-Term | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Law School/University-Funded | |||
| - Short-Term | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| - Long-Term | 4 | 2 | 4 |
Employment Type
Duke Law graduates find employment in all sectors of the legal profession and beyond.
| Class of 2023 |
Class of 2022 |
Class of 2021 |
|
| Law Firms | 173 | 156 | 179 |
| Solo | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1-10 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| 11-25 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 26-50 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 51-100 | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| 101-250 | 6 | 7 | 7 |
| 251-500 | 13 | 11 | 19 |
| 500+ | 140 | 132 | 146 |
| unknown | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Business and Industry | 4 | 3 | 8 |
| Government (includes Military) | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Public Interest | 14 | 8 | 14 |
| Clerkship | 35 | 36 | 33 |
| Education | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Other/unknown | 0 | 0 | 0 |
*This table includes short-term and Law School/University-funded positions to align with the ABA Employment Summary reporting. Below is the breakout of the employment type for the law school/university-funded positions.
Law School/University Funded Positions
| Class of 2023 |
Class of 2022 |
Class of 2021 |
|
| Education | 2 Long-term | ||
| Public Interest | 4 Long-term | 2 Long-term | 2 Long-term |
Clerkships
Many Duke Law students secure clerkships each year. Below are the numbers of alumni that were in clerkships ten months after their graduation.
| Graduates Clerking 10 Months After Graduation (% of Total Class) |
Class of 2023 |
Class of 2022 |
Class of 2021 |
| Federal Courts | 26/238 10.9% |
25/214 11.7% |
28/251 11.2% |
| State Courts | 9/238 3.8% |
11/214 5.1% |
5/251 2.0% |
| Other Courts | 0/238 0% |
0/214 0% |
0/251 0% |
| Total by Class | 35/238 14.7% |
36/214 16.8% |
33/251 13.1% |
| Total Clerkships by Term | Term 2023-24 |
Term 2022-23 |
Term 2021-22 |
| Federal Courts | 57 | 62 | 62 |
| U.S. Supreme Court | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| U.S. Circuit Courts | 18 | 20 | 27 |
| U.S. District Courts | 38 | 40 | 32 |
| Other Federal Courts | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| State Courts | 14 | 14 | 7 |
| International Courts | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total by Term | 71 | 76 | 70 |
Geographic Destinations
Duke Law School has more than 11,000 alumni presently in all 50 states and in more than 70 countries around the globe. (Please note that percentages may not add up to 100 because numbers are rounded to the nearest tenth.)
| % of Total Employed | Class of 2023 |
Class of 2022 |
Class of 2021 |
| Northeast ME, NH, VT, MA, CT, RI, NY, NJ, PA, DE |
98/233 42.1% |
84/212 39.6% |
84/247 34.0% |
| Mid-Atlantic DC, VA, MD, WV |
36/233 15.5% |
41/212 19.3% |
35/247 14.2% |
| South Atlantic NC, SC, GA |
22/233 9.4% |
21/212 9.9% |
38/247 15.4% |
| Midwest OH, IN, IL, MO, KS, NE, IA, ND, SD, MI, MN, WI, KY |
11/233 4.7% |
9/212 4.2% |
19/247 |
| South TX, LA, MS, OK, TN, AR, AL, FL |
29/233 12.4% |
26/212 12.3% |
36/247 14.6% |
| West AK, HI, CA, NV, WA, OR, AZ, NM, UT, CO, WY, ID, MT |
34/233 14.6% |
28/212 13.2% |
33/247 13.4% |
| International | 3/233 1.3% |
3/212 1.4% |
2/247 0.8% |
Most Popular Employment Locations
Duke Law graduates are employed throughout the United States and the world. The locations with the consistently highest concentrations of Duke graduates are listed below; other popular locations include Massachusetts, Illinois, and Tennessee.
| Class of 2023 | % of Total Employed |
| New York | 34.8% (81/233) |
| Washington, D.C. | 14.2% (33/233) |
| California | 10.7% (25/233) |
| North Carolina | 8.2% (19/233) |
| Texas | 5.6% (13/233) |
| Florida | 4.3% (10/233) |
| Class of 2022 | % of Total Employed |
| New York | 31.1% (66/212) |
| Washington, D.C. | 18.4% (39/212) |
| California | 12.3% (26/212) |
| North Carolina | 8.0% (17/212) |
| Texas | 7.1% (15/212) |
| Massachusetts | 3.3% (7/212) |
| Class of 2021 | % of Total Employed |
| New York | 27.1% (67/247) |
| Washington, D.C. | 11.3% (28/247) |
| California | 10.9% (27/247) |
| North Carolina | 10.9% (27/247) |
| Texas | 9.7% (24/247) |
| Massachusetts | 4.9% (12/247) |
Salaries by Sector (Long-Term, Full-Time Employed Graduates Only)
| Private Practice |
Judicial Clerk |
Govt., Public Interest, Military | |
| Class of 2023 | |||
| (number reporting/total number in long-term, full-time category) | 97% 168/173 |
94% 33/35 |
85% 17/20 |
| 75th Percentile | $225,000 | $76,671 | $74,553 |
| 50th Percentile | $225,000 | $73,572 | $65,000 |
| 25th Percentile | $225,000 | $72,553 | $55,000 |
| Class of 2022 | |||
| (number reporting/total number in long-term, full-time category) | 99% 154/156 |
100% 36/36 |
94% 15/16 |
| 75th Percentile | $215,000 | $75,833 | $69,011 |
| 50th Percentile | $215,000 | $69,107 | $60,000 |
| 25th Percentile | $215,000 | $66,000 | $48,078 |
| Class of 2021 | |||
| (number reporting/total number in long-term, full-time category) | 99% 177/179 |
97% 32/33 |
92% 22/24 |
| 75th Percentile | $215,000 | $70,000 | $67,500 |
| 50th Percentile | $215,000 | $66,676 | $61,742 |
| 25th Percentile | $215,000 | $65,000 | $50,000 |
*
Per Interpretation 509-2 of Standard 509, law schools may choose to publicize additional employment outcome data beyond what the Employment Protocols require. This additional data, per Standard 509, must be “complete, accurate, and not misleading to a reasonable law school student or applicant.” Law schools are expected to use “due diligence in obtaining and verifying such information.” The following additional employment outcome data has not been, and will not be, audited by the ABA. It is meant to supplement the annual ABA Employment Summary Report, which reflects the employment status of members of each graduating class as of the annual Graduate Employment Status Date of March 15. Please reference the 3 years of employment outcome data posted on the ABA Required Disclosures webpage of each ABA-Approved Law School or at www.abarequireddisclosures.org.
*
Duke University School of Law is approved by the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar of the American Bar Association, 321 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654, 312-988-6738.