Aspiring for a prestigious career path? The opportunity to compete for a federal clerkship might be an appealing goal. Notable data regarding law school alumni venturing into this esteemed avenue have been recently disclosed, shedding light on which institutions send the highest percentage of graduates into these coveted roles.
Following data released by the American Bar Association for the Class of 2023, an analysis by Reuters reveals the top-performing law schools in the federal clerkship landscape. The Class of 2023 saw a mere 3.4% of graduates finding work as federal clerks. Interestingly, a third of all federal clerkships across the country originated from the top 10 law schools that had the highest percentage of graduates moving into these roles.
Now, let’s take a look at the top 10 schools for federal clerkships:
- Chicago: 25.35%
- Yale: 24.11%
- Stanford: 20.77%
- Notre Dame: 18.18%
- Michigan: 14.01%
- UVA: 13.73%
- Texas: 13.00%
- Harvard: 11.58%
- Duke: 10.92%
- BYU: 9.91%
The full list can be referred to here.
Chicago returns to the top spot for clerkships after a brief slide to No.3 for the Class of 2022, which saw Stanford and Yale taking the lead. For the Class of 2023, despite experiencing boycotts from some conservative judges, Yale and Stanford still earned high rankings.
Although the rankings reflect the percentage of graduates securing federal clerkships, they do not differentiate based on prestige of clerkship. There is no distinction between feeder and non-feeder judges or the various types of courts. This would be useful data, considering the significance these factors play in the legal industry and the high level of competition for these positions.
Congratulations are in order for these law schools that have been instrumental in helping graduates secure federal clerkships. As the landscape evolves, it remains to be seen if Chicago will retain its top spot in the future.