Employment Opportunities
Harvard Law graduates have a world of career opportunities from which to choose. They are highly sought after by employers in law firms, government, businesses and nonprofit organizations. Some graduates even launch their own businesses.
Employment Data for the Class of 2021
Detailed below is the employment data for the Class of 2021. In addition, view a comparison of the Classes of 2019, 2020, and 2021 further down on this page.
The judicial clerkship numbers reflect only 2021 clerkships held by graduates who began a clerkship within 10 months of graduation. An approximately equal number of 2021 clerkships were held by HLS graduates from prior classes, reflecting some judges’ preference for clerks to have post-law school work experience. For a fuller picture of clerkships, see Judicial Clerkships from HLS.
Download the Class of 2021 Employment Data (pdf)
Resources for Students
Harvard Law School is in the fortunate position of being able to award several Public Service Fellowships each year to graduating students. These law school funded positions typically fund employment for a period of a year or more and routinely serve as a gateway to public service employment. The awards are made during a highly competitive process to students whose abilities, backgrounds, and proposals show demonstrated promise for undertaking such work upon graduation. Students also have access to international fellowship opportunities through funding from the University.
In addition, since 2013, Harvard Law School’s Public Service Venture Fund has awarded approximately $1 million in grants each year to help graduating law students pursue careers in public service. It is the first program of its kind at a law school. The fund offers “seed money” for startup nonprofit ventures and salary support to graduating J.D. students who hope to pursue post-graduate work at nonprofits or government agencies in the United States and abroad.
Additional Employment Data
A comparison of the employment data for the Classes of 2021, 2020, and 2019.
Download the Comparison of Classes of 2019 to 2021 Employment Stats (pdf)