On April 5, 2023Colorado Law reported post-graduation employment data for its class of 2022 to the American Bar Association (ABA). Below is a summary of the employment information for the class of 2022as of ten months after graduation, March 15, 2023.

You may view the class of 2022ABA Employment Summaryhere. The NALP Employment Report for the class of 2022 can be found here.

How Many Graduates from the Class of 2022Are Employed?

  • 95% (157/166) of 2022 graduates reported employment ten months after graduation (March 15, 2023)
  • 93% (155/166) of graduates reported a full-time, long-term (does not have a definite term of less than one year)job for which bar passage was required or a JD degree was an advantage (#26 nationally).
  • 82% (136/166) of graduates reported a full-time, long-termjob for which bar passage was required.
  • 94% (156/166) reported full time jobs. This represents 99% of employed graduates.
  • 94% (156/166) reported long-term jobs.This represents 99% of employed graduates.

Class of 2022graduates ten months after graduation

  • Employed = 157*
  • Employed, start date deferred = 1
  • Pursuing additional degree = 1
  • Unemployed and seeking employment = 3
  • Unemployed and not seeking employment = 2
  • Unknown = 2

* One of the 157 employed graduates received funding from Colorado Law's post-graduate fellowship program for work with a judge.

U.S. News Employment Statistics

On April 18, 2023U.S. News & World Report released its current law school rankings, which include employment statistics from the class of 2021.U.S. News gives maximum weight to those employed graduates with full-time jobs that last at least one year for which bar passage was required, or a JD degree was an advantage.

U.S. News Employment statisticsat graduation (no longer assigned a rankings weight by U.S. News):

  • 70.0% (116/166) for the class of 2022
    • 57.3% for the class of 2021
    • 46.3% for the class of 2020
    • 62.8% for the class of 2019
    • 58.5% for the class of 2018

U.S. News employment statisticsten months after graduation:

  • 93.4% (155/166) for the class of 2022
    • 83.0% for the class of 2021
    • 78.5% for the class of 2020
    • 84.6% for the class of 2019
    • 85.0% for the class of 2018

Employment Categories

  • 54%(85/157) of employed 2022 graduates are working inlaw firms:
    • All of these graduates are in full-time, long-term positions for which bar passage is required.
    • 30 of the 85 grads reported employment at a National Law Journal 500 law firm ten months after graduation, while 4additional grads will join an NLJ 500 firm after a judicial clerkship. Together, these 34 graduates account for 22% of all employed 2022 graduates, compared to 21%of all employed 2021graduates,14% of class of 2020 graduates, 22% of class of 2019 graduates, 14% of class of 2018 graduates, 16% of class of 2017 graduates, and 17% of class of 2016 graduates.
  • 15%(24/157) of employed graduates are working injudicial clerkships:
    • Three of these graduates are in federal court clerkships. Seven are in state appellate court clerkships in Colorado and Alaska, and 14 are in state trial court clerkships.
  • 13%(21/157) of employed graduates are working ingovernment:
    • All of these graduates are working in full-time positions that last at least one year for which bar passage was required, or a JD degree was an advantage.
  • 8%(13/157) of employed graduates are working inbusiness:
      • 100% of these graduates are working in full-time jobs that last at least one year for which bar passage was required, or a JD degree was an advantage.
      • These businesses include DaVita, DISH Network, Ernst & Young, Woodward, and Xcel Energy.
    • 6%(10/157) of employed graduates are working inpublic interest:
      • Six of these graduates are working for public defender offices in Colorado.
      • 2%(3/157) of employed graduates are working ineducation.

      • 1%(1/157) of employed graduates are working in Law School-fundedfellowships.

      Salaries

      • 94% (147/157) of all employed graduates reported a salary to the CDO:
        • These salaries represent 146long-term jobs and 1short-term job.
      • The median salary was $80,000and the mean was $97,291.
      • Twenty-five percent of the graduates reporting salaries earn $122,000 or more per year.
      • Twenty-five percent of the graduates reporting salaries earn $60,000or less per year.

      Colorado Law is dedicated to makingpublic interest legal careersa real option for our graduates, despite the reality of educational debt.OurLoan Repayment Assistance Program(LRAP) is available to graduates working in qualifying public interest jobsand providedpartial loan repayment awards in the amount of $6,500 to 52 qualified applicants in the 2022award year.

      Salary Summary by Employment Sector

      Sector # of grads FT/LT FT/ST PT/LT PT/ST % FT/LT w/ Salary Median Mean 25th Percentile 75th Percentile
      Private Sector 98 98 0 0 0 90% $105,000 $122,028 $80,000 $180,000
      ʳܲ𳦳ٴǰ 59 58 0 0 1 100% $59,208 $61,436 $52,830 $68,487

      Salary Summary by Employment Category

      Category # of grads FT/LT FT/ST PT/LT PT/ST % FT/LT w/ Salary Median Mean 25th Percentile 75th Percentile
      Law Firms 85 85 0 0 0 92% $110,000 $125,487 $80,000 $180,000
      Judicial Clerk 25 24 0 0 1 100% $54,288 $55,916 $49,896 $59,406
      Government 21 21 0 0 0 100% $61,947 $67,853 $56,430 $75,000
      Business 13 13 0 0 0 77% $93,500 $95,050 $78,875 $113,750
      Public Interest 10 10 0 0 0 100% $64,260 $64,178 $64,000 $68,565
      Education 3 3 0 0 0 100% $50,000 $51,533 $50,000 $52,300

      Salary Summary by Employment Type

      Type # of grads FT/LT FT/ST PT/LT PT/ST % FT/LT w/ Salary Median Mean 25th Percentile 75th Percentile
      Bar Required 137 136 0 0 1 95% $80,000 $101,514 $60,000 $140,000
      JD Advantage 19 19 0 0 0 84% $63,474 $71,989 $51,830 $79,250
      Professional 1 1 0 0 0 - - - - -
      Non-Professional 0 - - - - - - - -

      Bar Admission Required/Anticipated: This job requires the graduate to pass the bar, before or after being hired, and be licensed to practice law. These jobs may be in a law firm, business, government, non-profit setting, or judicial clerk.
      JD Advantage: This job does not require bar passage, an active law license, or involve practicing law, but your JD provides a demonstrable advantage in obtaining or performing the job. Examples of this job type are varied and numerous.
      Professional: This job requires professional skills or training but a JD is neither required nor particularly applicable. Examples include teachers of non-law topics, real estate agents, performing arts specialists, doctors, nurses, engineers, or architects.
      Non-Professional: This job does not require any professional skills or training such as a barista, server, or hairstylist.

      Employment Summary by Location

      Of the 140graduates reporting employment in the Mountain region, 137are employed in Colorado. This represents 87% of employed graduates.

      Region # Student Reported % of Reported
      New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) 0 0.0%
      Mid-Atlantic (NJ, NY, PA) 3 1.9%
      North East Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) 1 0.6%
      North West Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) 1 0.6%
      South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) 7 4.5%
      South East Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) 0 0.0%
      South West Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) 3 1.9%
      Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY) 140 89.2%
      Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) 2 1.3%
      Foreign 0 0.0%
      Unknown 0 0.0%

      Timing of Post-grad Jobs

      The timing of Colorado Law students accepting post-graduate employment follows a similar pattern each year. By the end of the 3L fall semester, usuallyone-third or more of students report a post-graduate position. By graduation, typically two-thirdsgraduates are employed. While some graduates accept positions over the summer, it is more common for graduates to report accepting jobs in August and September, after the bar exam but before the bar results have been released. Then, by mid-January, we typically hit our high and expectsome fluctuation before March 15.

      Class of 2022 Offer Timing % Reported
      Permanent offer received before graduation 67%
      Offer received after graduation but before bar results 27%
      Offer received after bar results 6%

      Post-graduate employers

      Click here for a list of employers.