The NALP Foundation and NALP Announce AccessLex Institute Grant for Joint U.S. Law School Alumni Employment and Satisfaction Study

The NALP Foundation and NALP announce a generous grant from AccessLex Institute ®, supporting the participation of HBCU law schools and law schools with significant levels of students and alumni from groups underrepresented in the legal profession, in their joint annual Law School Alumni Employment & Satisfaction Study.

“As law schools and the legal profession as a whole assess legal education’s efficacy and the experience of law students and early career lawyers, it is critical that the voices and experiences of the breadth of law students and alumni be reflected,” noted NALP Foundation President & CEO, Fiona Trevelyan Hornblower. “AccessLex Institute’s funding enables us to expand the alumni respondents in the study, providing important additional insights for the profession as well as actionable data and benchmarking for the new participating schools.”

The annual study, now in its 10th year, provides unique data and insights from alumni about employment, compensation, and career satisfaction three years after law school graduation.

“The NALP Foundation and NALP data play an indispensable role in our understanding of the career pathways taken by new law grads and early career lawyers. At AccessLex, we seek to empower the next generation of lawyers through better understanding of the impacts of legal education on law students," said Aaron N. Taylor, Executive Director of the AccessLex Center for Legal Education Excellence ® . “Therefore, we are pleased to support efforts to expand institutional access to the alumni study because the data will aid important self-reflection and assessment among legal educators.”

“Because we continue to see disparities in employment and salary outcomes based on race, ethnicity, and first-generation college status, it is essential that the graduates of HBCU law schools and other institutions enrolling large numbers of people of color be included in our annual Law School Alumni
Employment & Satisfaction Study,” said NALP’s Executive Director James Leipold. “We are grateful for the grant support from AccessLex Institute that will allow us to expand the reach of this study,” he concluded.

The survey gathers information on key topics, including:

Employment Status
Compensation
Career Trajectory
Efficacy of Law School Preparation
Experiential Education
Key Skills for Practice
Professional Identity Formation
Mobility
Educational Debt
Work Location
Law School Engagement
Mental Health and Well-Being

The robust report also contains detailed information, segmented by gender identity, race/ethnicity, first generation, disability, and law school rank.

All ABA-accredited law schools are invited to participate in the study each year; the new AccessLex funding will support the participation fees for HBCU law schools and other schools which have not previously participated and which have significant alumni and student populations of underrepresented
groups. Participation invitations to all law schools will launch the week of October 11, 2022.

About The NALP Foundation
The NALP Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization; our mission is to improve the quality and delivery of legal services by advancing excellence in strategic and practical organizational leadership, effective management of legal personnel, professional development of lawyers, access to and diversity within the profession and ethical practices and professionalism. For over 25 years, the Foundation has conducted unique benchmark research, and delivered exceptional educational programming and publications based on this research. To learn more about The NALP Foundation, visit www.nalpfoundation.org.

About NALP
NALP is an association of over 2,500 legal career professionals who advise law students, lawyers, law offices, and law schools in North America and beyond. What brings NALP members together is a common belief in three fundamental things. First, all law students and lawyers should benefit from a fair and ethical hiring process. Second, law students and lawyers are more successful when supported by professional development and legal career professionals. Third, a diverse and inclusive legal profession best serves clients and our communities. That’s why NALP members work together every day to collect and publish accurate legal employment data and information, and champion education and standards for recruiting, professional and career development, and diversity and inclusion. For more than 50 years, NALP has played an essential role in the success of our members and the lawyers and law students they serve. To learn more about NALP, visit www.nalp.org.

About AccessLex Institute ®
Nonprofit AccessLex Institute ® is committed to helping talented, purpose-driven students find their path from aspiring lawyer to fulfilled professional. In partnership with its nearly 200 nonprofit and state-affiliated, ABA-approved member law schools, improving access and positively influencing legal education have been at the heart of the organization’s mission since 1983. Learn more at www.accesslex.org.

Media Contacts
Fiona Trevelyan Hornblower
President & CEO
The NALP Foundation
fhornblower@nalpfoundation.org

Jim Leipold
Executive Director
NALP
jleipold@nalp.org