A Focus on Outcomes
Why Seton Hall Law?
Seton Hall Law is distinguished in the New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania metropolitan areas by the excellent outcomes for our students, reflected in both employment and bar passage rates.
The Class of 2017 results are strong: a 97% total employment rate, with 92.8% in positions in which passage of the bar exam is required, or a J.D. is an advantage. As the chart below reflects, based on data submitted to the ABA, the two most common employment destinations for Class of 2017 graduates are judicial clerkships (60.45%) and private practice (22.75%).

Employment Status for Class of 2017 Graduates: Total employment rate for the class of 2017 was 97% with a Bar Pass required or J.D. Advantage of 92.8%. Employed students hold positions in Judicial Clerkships (60.48%), Private Practice (22.75%), Corporate or Business (8.98%), Government or Public Interest (4.79%), and 1.8% unemployed graduates are seeking employment with 1.2% graduates not seeking employment.
Employment Status for Class of 2016 Graduates: Total employment rate for the class of 2016 was 98.75% with a Bar Pass required or J.D. Advantage of 95.03%. Employed students held positions in Judicial Clerkships (55.90%), Private Practice (27.95%), Corporate or Business (9.94%), Government or Public Interest (4.97%), and 1.24% unemployed graduates were seeking employment.
The Case for Clerkships
Employers place great value on clerkship experience, which refines a legal practitioner's mastery of the law. Seton Hall Law has an outstanding record of placing its students in federal, state and local judicial clerkships at both the trial and appellate levels. Seton Hall Law School ranked #1 according to the percentage of 2017 graduates in State & Local Clerkships (The National Law Journal, April 2018).
Post-Clerkship Employment of Graduates, Class of 2016 (first position following clerkship, within nine months after end of clerkship). What do Judicial Clerks do after their Clerkships? 95.56% of total employed graduates moved onto positions in Law Firms (60%), Government or Public Interest (25.56%), Business (4.44%), Clerkship (3.33%), Contract Employee (2.22%) and 4.44% were unemployed.
Your Professional Success: Career Services
The Office of Career Services (OCS) counselors provide an array of tools and services, including individual counseling, resume review, interview skills training, workshops and numerous networking opportunities. OCS acts as a partner, helping students define and chart their paths as they seek guidance along the way to make the choices that will help them meet their professional goals. Their advice and access to employment networks reflect decades of experience in the nation's legal employment field.
Alumni considering a job change at any time in their careers are welcome to return and utilize the support of the Office of Career Services.
Bar Pass Rate: July 2018 First Time Test Takers
Seton Hall Law class of 2018’s overall bar passage rate for first-time applicants in July 2018 was 88.9%. The graduates again exceeded state averages in NY and NJ.
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