Excel professionally.

Vanderbilt Law graduates consistently secure top-tier legal employment with private and public employers across the nation and around the world.

Calculations based on the ABA compilation of employment outcomes data indicate that Vanderbilt stands among the nation’s leading law schools on key employment outcomes such as the percentage of total 2018 graduates employed in full-time, long-term federal judicial clerkships (17 of 179 graduates | 9.5% | 10th) and the percentage of total 2018 graduates employed in full-time, long-term bar passage required positions in law firms with more than 100 attorneys (96 of 179 graduates | 53.6% | 12th). Please note that the ABA does not rank law schools based on employment outcomes.

With about 80% taking employment outside Tennessee, Vanderbilt graduates enjoy national geographic mobility supported by the school's longstanding relationships with legal employers coast to coast and its global alumni network. Scroll down for more information about the geographic spread of our graduates’ employment destinations.

Resources:

J.D. Class of 2018

179

Vanderbilt J.D. Class of 2018 total graduates

94%

Ninety-four percent of 2018 graduates were employed 10 months after graduation.

83%

Eighty-three percent of employed 2018 graduates started their careers outside Tennessee across 27 states, Washington, D.C., and abroad.

160 | 60.5

Private sector median salary $160,000 (mean $147,645) based on 110 of 117 graduates reporting salaries. Public sector median salary $60,500 (mean $60,755) based on 40 of 52 graduates reporting salaries. Additional information on salaries, employment type and locations is available in the NALP Summary Report: Vanderbilt Law School Class of 2018.

7th

Vanderbilt ranked 7th, “Best Schools for Public Service,” PreLaw Magazine, Winter 2016.

13th

Vanderbilt ranked 13th nationally on the percentage of 2018 graduates employed in “elite” full-time, long-term bar passage required positions, either federal judicial clerkships or at firms with 100 or more attorneys.

13th

Above the Law Top 50 Law Schools 2019, limited to "national" schools "with quality employment prospects both outside of their particular region and/or for graduates who don't graduate at the top of the class"

I love that there are lots of career paths you can take with a law degree, and Vanderbilt’s Career Services departments is one of its greatest assets. They were incredibly helpful. Anywhere I wanted to go, they were ready and willing to help.

STEVE BERNEMAN | Class of 2010

Choose your path.

For the Classes of 2014 through 2018, the top eight employment destinations among VLS graduates have been:

19%

Tennessee

14%

New York

9%

Texas

9%

Washington, D.C.

7%

Georgia

4%

Florida

4%

Illinois

3%

California

The remaining 31% took employment across another 35 states and internationally.

Wherever we travel, employers tell us how highly they regard Vanderbilt graduates. They're well-trained lawyers who are also good people.

ELIZABETH WORKMAN | Assistant Dean for Career Services

Expert advice. Excellent outcomes.

The 2020 Career Services Guide offers extensive information about VLS career planning resources and employment outcomes for the J.D. Class of 2018, including graduates' employers and locations, as well as summary statistics and national benchmarks for employment status, employment type, geographic location, and salaries.

I wanted to make sure I would have the opportunity to go back to the Northeast, and I found plenty of opportunities in Boston. I would encourage anyone not to worry about going back home to work with a Vanderbilt Law degree.

AMIT TANTRI | Class of 2013