By Jan Rotich
Last summer, 2,000 law students from 142 law schools registered for NPLA’s Summer 2026 Job Fair, connecting with 60 plaintiff-side firms recruiting nationwide. Student participation increased 132.7% in a single year and nearly 900% since NPLA held its first Job Fair in 2023.
This winter, NPLA is bringing the Job Fair back. Employer registration opens November 9 for firms recruiting 1Ls and 2Ls for Summer 2027 positions, as well as graduating students for post-graduate opportunities.
For firms considering whether to participate, last year’s results tell the story.
A Candidate Pool Built for the Plaintiffs’ Bar
Throughout the year, NPLA and its nationwide network of law-school Plaintiffs’ Law Associations give students opportunities to learn about plaintiff-side practice, meet practicing attorneys, discover firms and practice areas, attend plaintiffs’ bar conferences, and become part of a national professional community.
By the time recruiting begins, many NPLA students have already made an affirmative decision that they want to represent plaintiffs.
Participating employers noticed.
“Fantastic candidates who all had a proven record of interest in plaintiffs’ side work. A dream for any plaintiffs’ firm looking for summer associates.”
— Dudensing Law
Cleveland-based trial firm Spangenberg Shibley & Liber put the value proposition even more directly: the Job Fair gives employers access to candidates from around the country who “already know they want to represent injured people, not corporations.” The firm called the Fair “an absolutely amazing resource for hiring law clerks and new lawyers.”
That distinction matters. Firms participating in NPLA’s Job Fair are meeting students who have already been exposed to the plaintiffs’ bar and have had opportunities to develop a genuine interest in this work before submitting an application. These students start on day one with far more knowledge of and passion for plaintiffs’ practice, making them top performing summer associates and law clerks.
An Opportunity for Firms of Every Size and Market
The 2026 Job Fair included major national and multi-office firms alongside boutiques and regional practices hiring only one or two students.
And smaller firms demonstrated that a national recruiting platform can be especially valuable to them.
Dudensing Law, a Sacramento-based elder-abuse boutique with a small trial team, interviewed approximately twelve candidates, extended offers, and rated its likelihood of participating again a five out of five.
Brent & Fiol, a small California litigation firm with offices in San Rafael and Pasadena, also gave the Fair a five-star rating and wrote, “I’m very proud to have participated in the NPLA job fair and appreciate efforts to bring plaintiff-side practice to law students.” Its partner added that NPLA was the type of resource he wished had existed when he was in law school.
For smaller firms and firms outside the largest legal markets, the Fair offers access to a national candidate pool that would be difficult and expensive to assemble independently. Students who registered in 2026 represented 142 law schools, with applicants ultimately coming from 110 schools.
The Talent Is Already Looking for the Plaintiffs’ Bar
The growth in student demand should also be a call to action for the plaintiffs’ bar.
In 2023, NPLA’s Job Fair had roughly five students for every participating firm. By 2026, that figure had risen to almost 32 students per firm. Student participation has grown approximately 16.8 times faster than firm participation since the Fair began.
Participating firms advertised approximately 170 positions, producing nearly 12 registered candidates for every available role.
The plaintiffs’ bar should not sit by while its adversaries build ever-earlier recruiting pipelines and secure talented students before those students have had a meaningful opportunity to explore plaintiff-side careers. BigLaw firms devote enormous resources to identifying, recruiting, and developing law students. Plaintiffs’ firms that want the next generation of exceptional trial lawyers must compete for that talent too.
NPLA has already built a national community of students eager to do this work. The Job Fair gives firms a direct way to meet them.
Employers Saw Results
The 2026 Fair generated tangible hiring outcomes. Participating employers extended offers, advanced students through callback processes, and repeatedly praised the caliber of the candidates they met.
Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer described the Fair as a “well-organized event” that provided access to talented law students and said it looked forward to participating again. The firm interviewed eight candidates and extended multiple offers.
Hagens Berman gave the Fair a five-star rating and extended an offer after interviewing ten candidates. Wigdor interviewed ten candidates and reported that it made offers following second-round interviews.
Employer feedback across the Fair repeatedly emphasized that candidates were prepared, qualified, and genuinely interested in plaintiff-side work. The Fair’s internal review concluded that employer feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
Looking Ahead to Winter 2027
NPLA has incorporated lessons from last year into an expanded timeline that gives firms more time to review candidates and greater flexibility to schedule interviews.
Employer Registration Opens: November 9
Employer Registration Deadline: December 11 at 11:59 p.m. PST
Student Applications Open: December 14
Student Application Deadline: January 4
Employer Review Period: January 7–23
Interview Selection & Scheduling: January 23–30
Virtual Interviews: February 2–13
The Winter 2027 Job Fair will connect firms with students seeking Summer 2027 1L and 2L positions and post-graduate opportunities.
Last year showed both the extraordinary demand for plaintiff-side careers and the opportunity before our profession. 2,000 students showed up looking for a pathway into this work.
We hope even more firms will be there to meet them in 2027.
Questions? Please reach out to jobfair@nationalplaintiffslawassociation.org.
