How much does a Yale law Grad make?
Asked by: Brandy Williamson DVM | Last update: February 11, 2026Score: 4.2/5 (46 votes)
Yale Law graduates earn significantly, with median earnings around $139k-$165k within a few years of graduation, jumping to over $200k by year four, depending on the data source, but salaries vary widely, with many choosing high-paying Big Law jobs while others pursue lower-paying public interest roles or fellowships, with some earning substantially more or less.
How much do Yale Law graduates make?
77% of students who join firms after graduation work for firms of 500+ lawyers. The average starting salary of graduates working for firms in the Class of 2024 was $210,068. Yale Law School alumni work in law firms around the world.
Do lawyers make $500,000 a year?
Yes, many lawyers earn $500,000 or more annually, especially Big Law partners, senior corporate counsel, specialized litigators, and successful solo practitioners in high-value fields like IP or medical malpractice, though this is not the norm for all attorneys, with median salaries being much lower. Reaching this income level requires specialization, strategic business growth, marketing, and often working in major markets, with top-tier law firms (Big Law) offering high starting salaries and significant bonuses that can push senior associates past the $500K mark.
How much do Ivy League law graduates make?
The median annual earnings among graduates who were working and not enrolled four years after completion is over $200,000 at each of the five Ivy League schools offering advanced law degrees, according to data compiled by the Higher Education Advisory group.
What is the average salary after graduation at Yale?
The four-year graduation rate is 58%. Six years after graduation, the median salary for graduates is $81,765. Yale University is a private institution that was founded in 1701.
My Journey to Yale Law School - by a Yale Law School graduate and an incoming Federal Clerk
Do Ivy League grads make more money?
Early-career (which PayScale defines as three years of work experience) median pay in 2022 was $86,025 for Ivy League graduates, compared to $58,643 for those who graduated from other universities. That gap grows wider when looking at mid-career (20 years experience) median pay.
Did JD Vance graduate from Yale Law School?
Vance obtained his Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in May 2013 and was admitted to the bar in Kentucky later that year.
Is a 3.7 GPA good for Harvard law?
A 3.7 GPA is generally considered low for Harvard Law School (HLS), as admitted students usually have medians around 3.9+, but it's not an automatic rejection, especially with an exceptional LSAT score (e.g., 175+) and strong "softs" like compelling essays or unique experiences; it places you in the lower end of the applicant pool, so a very high LSAT is crucial to balance it out.
Is Yale good for big law?
For instance, Yale Law is often named the best law school in the country, but its graduates notoriously do not pursue big law careers. Instead, many end up in academia or in high-profile clerkships. Another example is Fordham University.
How much do Harvard lawyers earn?
Employees who graduate from Harvard Law School earn an average of ₹50.0lakhs, mostly ranging from ₹50.0lakhs per year to ₹50.0lakhs per year based on 1 profiles. The top 10% of employees earn more than ₹50.0lakhs per year.
How much do the top 1% lawyers make?
The top 1% of lawyers earn well into the high six figures to millions annually, with top "Big Law" associates hitting $400k+ quickly, and partners/specialists (like patent attorneys) exceeding $500k-$1M+, depending heavily on location, firm size (Big Law pays most), and specialization (corporate, IP, tax). Entry-level salaries at top firms can start around $215k+, while partners in successful firms can earn $500k to over $1M.
Is law going to be replaced by AI?
No, AI won't fully take over law but will fundamentally transform it by automating routine tasks, increasing efficiency, and augmenting lawyers, making tech-savvy lawyers more valuable, while lawyers who don't adapt risk being left behind; AI handles data analysis, contract review, and research, but human judgment, contextual understanding, and complex argumentation remain essential for client counsel and strategic decision-making, shifting the focus to higher-value work and potentially changing billing models.
How old is the youngest lawyer?
The youngest lawyer is generally considered to be Sophia Park, who passed the California bar exam at 17 years and 8 months old in late 2024, breaking her brother Peter's previous record, though she'll be sworn in and licensed in March 2025 after turning 18, as most jurisdictions require lawyers to be 18. She accelerated her education, starting law school at 13 while in junior high and graduating early.
Is Harvard or Yale law harder to get into?
While both are extremely difficult, Yale Law School is generally considered harder to get into than Harvard Law School, primarily due to its much smaller class size and lower acceptance rate (around 7% for Yale vs. 11-16% for Harvard in recent years), making it more selective despite Harvard receiving more applications. Yale admits a smaller percentage of highly qualified applicants, often having slightly higher median LSAT/GPA for enrolled students, emphasizing a deeply selective process.
How much do Oxford law graduates earn?
Oxford graduates earn on average £46,000 five years after graduating, data from the 2021 to 2022 tax year reveals – significantly higher than the South-East average of £29,600 a year. Oxford Law graduates had the highest pay of any course, earning on average £64,600 five years after graduating.
Who is the famous Yale Law Professor?
Famous Yale Law professors include constitutional scholars Akhil Reed Amar and Bruce Ackerman, international law expert Amy Chua, former Second Circuit Judge and Dean Guido Calabresi, and First Amendment scholar Jack Balkin, all known for their influential writings, public commentary, and teaching, with many cited by courts and influencing policy.
How rare is a 177 LSAT?
A 177 LSAT score is extremely rare and exceptional, placing you in the top 0.5% to 1% of test-takers (above the 99th percentile) and making you a highly competitive applicant for virtually any law school, including the most elite programs like Yale, Harvard, and Stanford, often placing you at or above their median scores.
What is the #1 law school in the world?
While rankings vary by source, Harvard Law School consistently ranks as the #1 law school globally in major rankings like QS and Research.com, often followed closely by universities such as Yale, Oxford, Stanford, and Cambridge, with US schools dominating the top spots. Harvard is known for its prestige, extensive resources like the world's largest academic law library, and influential alumni network.
What GPA for Yale Law?
Applicants must have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.3 at the time they apply and must be 18 years old by the time the program begins. Please note that if you are pursuing or have completed a graduate degree, you must still meet the undergraduate GPA requirement (regardless of your graduate GPA).
What was Obama's LSAT score?
Barack Obama's specific LSAT score has never been officially released, but it's widely believed he scored very highly (likely above 170, potentially near perfect) to gain admission to Harvard Law School despite a lower undergraduate GPA, suggesting he was in the top few percentile of test-takers for his application year. While no official number exists, analyses point to a score in the top tier (e.g., 94th-98th percentile) to overcome his GPA for admission to a top-ranked program like Harvard.
What GPA is top 1%?
A GPA in the top 1% generally means a near-perfect or perfect GPA, typically around 3.9 to 4.0 (or higher with weighted courses), often qualifying for the highest academic honor, summa cum laude, at many universities, though the exact number can vary by institution and class size. In high school, a 4.0 often places you in the top 2-5%, but achieving the very top percentile (1%) usually requires perfect scores or extremely high weighted scores from AP/IB classes.
Is a 168 LSAT good?
From your raw scores, the test is graded on an LSAT score scale from 120-180. The average LSAT score is about 150. To get into a top 14 law school, you need to score above 166, and to get into a top 50 law school, you need 153 or above.
Did Barack Obama finish law school?
Obama graduated from Harvard Law in 1991 with a Juris Doctor magna cum laude. In 1991, Obama accepted a two-year position as Visiting Law and Government Fellow at the University of Chicago Law School to work on his first book.
What are the big 3 law schools?
The "Big Three" law schools in the U.S. are consistently considered to be Yale, Stanford, and Harvard, renowned for their prestige, selectivity, and top placement in Big Law and federal clerkships, often leading the highly ranked T14 schools alongside others like UChicago, Columbia, and NYU. While specific rankings fluctuate, these three are the perennial leaders in overall reputation and career outcomes for aspiring BigLaw attorneys, though other elite schools like UChicago, Columbia, NYU, and Penn are right behind them.
What is the president's salary?
The U.S. President receives a $400,000 annual salary, a rate set in 2001, plus a $50,000 expense account for official duties, a $100,000 non-taxable travel account, and $19,000 for entertainment, along with perks like housing, healthcare, and security, though some presidents donate their salary.