New data from the National Association of Law Placement, in the US, suggests first generation lawyers have a harder time securing a job than their peers. First generation US lawyers, who don’t have at least one parent with a bachelors degree find securing a job after graduation much harder than their peers a study has found. NALPs data also suggests this cohort is likely to earn less than their peers and less likely to secure high flying private practice jobs.
Moreover, first-generation students are often racial minorities, pointing to a diversity issue in the legal pipeline as these are less likely to get jobs at the top firms. “A higher percentage of graduates of color were reported as first-generation college students, and distressingly we continue to see that the lowest overall employment rates were measured for Black and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander law school graduates,” James Leipold, NALP’s Executive Director, said in a press release.