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
(
Standard 509 Disclosure
) indicate that Vanderbilt stands among the nation’s leading law schools on key employment outcomes such as the percentage of total 2021 graduates employed in:
With more than 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:
Vanderbilt J.D. Class of 2021 total graduates
Ninety-six percent of 2021 graduates were employed 10 months after graduation.
Ninety-one percent of 2021 graduates were employed in full-time, long-term positions as lawyers.
Eighty-five percent of employed 2021 graduates took positions outside Tennessee across 23 states, Washington, D.C., and abroad (84% of 2017-2021 graduates took positions outside Tennessee across 41 states, Washington, D.C., and abroad).
LAW.com 2022 Top 50 Go-To Law Schools that sent the highest percentage of 2021 graduates to associate jobs at the largest 100 firms (39% | 13th).
Above the Law Top 50 Law Schools 2022, based on employment outcomes, cost, and student debt.
Vanderbilt ranked 7th, “Best Schools for Public Service,” PreLaw Magazine, Winter 2016.
Private sector median salary $190,000 (mean $172,492) based on 130 of 142 graduates. Public sector median salary $65,056 (mean $65,154) based on 31 of 42 graduates. National private sector median $115,000. National public sector median $61,143. (Sources: NALP employment summary for the Vanderbilt JD Class of 2021 and NALP Class of 2021 National Summary Report).
New York
Tennessee
Texas
Washington, D.C.
Georgia
California
Florida
Illinois
The remaining 26.1% took employment across another 34 states and internationally.
The
Career Services Guide
(
Vanderbilt Law School Career Services
) offers extensive information about VLS career planning resources and VLS employment outcomes, including graduates' employers and locations, as well as summary statistics and national benchmarks for employment status, employment type, geographic location, and salaries.