The Legal Beat

The Law Schools Where The Most Graduates Got State Clerkships (2020)
Posted on Wednesday May 05, 2021

If you’re a law student who’s interested in a clerkship, but you’ve missed the boat on landing a coveted position with a federal judge, worry not — there are still plenty of options for you at the state level. It’s not only the strength of your application that matters for securing a state clerkship. Attending a law school with high placement rates for state and local clerkships can be very helpful too, as it reflects past graduates’ reputation with judges, and the law school’s pull within the local community. But which law schools have the greatest influence when it comes to state clerkships?

Law.com produced several helpful charts based on law school employment data for the class of 2020. Today, we will take a look at one of the most valuable charts for those who are interested in staying local, the law schools that sent the highest percentage of their most recent graduating class into state clerkships.

Here are the top 10 law schools that appear on the list:

1. Seton Hall: 51.50%
2. Rutgers: 41.26%
3. Baltimore: 35.98%
4. Nevada: 33.06%
5. Drexel: 29.77%
6. Widener-Delaware: 29.22%
7. Montana: 23.19%
7. St. Thomas (Minnesota): 23.19%
9. Maryland: 22.99%
10. Kentucky: 20.72%

Click here to see the rest of the law schools with the highest percentage of graduates employed in state clerkships, plus other informative charts detailing the law schools with the highest percentage of graduates working in Biglaw, federal clerkships, and government and public interest, as well as the law schools with the most unemployed and most underemployed graduates.

Are you a recent law school graduate who landed a state clerkship? What did your law school do to help you? We’re interested in learning about your experiences — good or bad — and may anonymously feature some of your stories on Above the Law. You can email us, text us at (646) 820-8477, or tweet us @atlblog. Best of luck in your clerkship, and enjoy your time with your judge!

Law Grads Hiring Report: Job Stats for the Class of 2020 [Law.com]

Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

ADDITIONAL STORIES: