how much can law students expect to make after graduating?

skim milk

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Apr 8, 2003
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I have zero interest in law but I know someone who goes to a pretty well respected law school (rank around #20-25) and he got an internship that pays him $2400 a week. Assuming that he gets a full time offer after this summer, can he expect to make $125k per year? I did some research on the firm and that seems to be the starting salary for Associates. That's really good.. now I know why people go to law school

And here I was satisfied that I got offers that pay me 60k out of undergrad :(
 

RagingBITCH

Lifer
Sep 27, 2003
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Depends on the type of law you do, if you get in with a big name firm, what area you're in, etc. From talking to previous people I know - having an internship or a courtship (?) with a judge is crucial to nailing a good job out of law school.
 

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
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My mom is a senior/master/uber paralegal in DC and she says First Years make well over a hundred.
 

skim milk

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Apr 8, 2003
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this is going to be his second internship so I think he's in a good position to land a good job
 

Taughnter

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Jun 12, 2005
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Originally posted by: fritolays
I have zero interest in law but I know someone who goes to a pretty well respected law school (rank around #20-25) and he got an internship that pays him $2400 a week. Assuming that he gets a full time offer after this summer, can he expect to make $125k per year? I did some research on the firm and that seems to be the starting salary for Associates. That's really good.. now I know why people go to law school

And here I was satisfied that I got offers that pay me 60k out of undergrad :(


Generally speaking, if you make that sort of money at an internship you're working for one of the large firms. Most law students who are lucky enough to get these positions will either try to get a full time position at the firm after graduating or go on to clerk for a year or two before going back to the firm. (Clerks generally can defer for a year or so, as clerkships are desireable to pretty much all employers.) Most of these firms in the NYC area will start you around 150k/year plus a bonus. These bonuses can be quite sizable.

Where I went to law school, probably a mid tier 2 school ranked somewhere between 50-100, 10% of the graduates at best can hope to get jobs like this. Keep in mind that most smaller firms will pay you anywhere from 40-100k a year, clerks make around 35 for state level and most state agencies don't pay more than 50k to start. Even federal government jobs generally start around the 50s only going up to 100 after 4 or 5 years.

Really, the majority of graduates don't make over 100k per year and that's why a lot of young attorneys (as well as some older ones) end up taking on temporary/hourly positions that pay upwards of $40 an hour. While such positions are less prestigious, they pay well.

Bottom line, and this is not something I made up but rather something that is repeated time and again by law professors and lawyers alike: You don't go to law school to make money. If you want to make a lot of money there are easier ways. (If you work at a large firm you can expect to be at the office for 12+ hours a day, possibly including weekends.)
 

Koing

Elite Member <br> Super Moderator<br> Health and F
Oct 11, 2000
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Originally posted by: Taughnter
Originally posted by: fritolays
I have zero interest in law but I know someone who goes to a pretty well respected law school (rank around #20-25) and he got an internship that pays him $2400 a week. Assuming that he gets a full time offer after this summer, can he expect to make $125k per year? I did some research on the firm and that seems to be the starting salary for Associates. That's really good.. now I know why people go to law school

And here I was satisfied that I got offers that pay me 60k out of undergrad :(


Generally speaking, if you make that sort of money at an internship you're working for one of the large firms. Most law students who are lucky enough to get these positions will either try to get a full time position at the firm after graduating or go on to clerk for a year or two before going back to the firm. (Clerks generally can defer for a year or so, as clerkships are desireable to pretty much all employers.) Most of these firms in the NYC area will start you around 150k/year plus a bonus. These bonuses can be quite sizable.

Where I went to law school, probably a mid tier 2 school ranked somewhere between 50-100, 10% of the graduates at best can hope to get jobs like this. Keep in mind that most smaller firms will pay you anywhere from 40-100k a year, clerks make around 35 for state level and most state agencies don't pay more than 50k to start. Even federal government jobs generally start around the 50s only going up to 100 after 4 or 5 years.

Really, the majority of graduates don't make over 100k per year and that's why a lot of young attorneys (as well as some older ones) end up taking on temporary/hourly positions that pay upwards of $40 an hour. While such positions are less prestigious, they pay well.

Bottom line, and this is not something I made up but rather something that is repeated time and again by law professors and lawyers alike: You don't go to law school to make money. If you want to make a lot of money there are easier ways. (If you work at a large firm you can expect to be at the office for 12+ hours a day, possibly including weekends.)

Indeed.

Most jobs making $100k+ you will be working some considerable hrs a week.

Koing
 

91TTZ

Lifer
Jan 31, 2005
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My view on this is that you should never get into a field that you're not interested in just because of the money. If you lack interest in it, you'll lack drive, and if you lack drive, you're never going to be any good at what you do (and therefore won't make much money)
 

Farang

Lifer
Jul 7, 2003
10,914
3
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Unless you attend a top tier school, law school isn't worth the money unless you're really into law. Look at the BLS statistics on how much attorneys make and ask yourself if that salary is worth $80,000 in loans, three years of lost wages, and a ton of stressful work during both school and your career.
 

homercles337

Diamond Member
Dec 29, 2004
6,345
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Originally posted by: Taughnter
Originally posted by: fritolays
I have zero interest in law but I know someone who goes to a pretty well respected law school (rank around #20-25) and he got an internship that pays him $2400 a week. Assuming that he gets a full time offer after this summer, can he expect to make $125k per year? I did some research on the firm and that seems to be the starting salary for Associates. That's really good.. now I know why people go to law school

And here I was satisfied that I got offers that pay me 60k out of undergrad :(


Generally speaking, if you make that sort of money at an internship you're working for one of the large firms. Most law students who are lucky enough to get these positions will either try to get a full time position at the firm after graduating or go on to clerk for a year or two before going back to the firm. (Clerks generally can defer for a year or so, as clerkships are desireable to pretty much all employers.) Most of these firms in the NYC area will start you around 150k/year plus a bonus. These bonuses can be quite sizable.

Where I went to law school, probably a mid tier 2 school ranked somewhere between 50-100, 10% of the graduates at best can hope to get jobs like this. Keep in mind that most smaller firms will pay you anywhere from 40-100k a year, clerks make around 35 for state level and most state agencies don't pay more than 50k to start. Even federal government jobs generally start around the 50s only going up to 100 after 4 or 5 years.

Really, the majority of graduates don't make over 100k per year and that's why a lot of young attorneys (as well as some older ones) end up taking on temporary/hourly positions that pay upwards of $40 an hour. While such positions are less prestigious, they pay well.

Bottom line, and this is not something I made up but rather something that is repeated time and again by law professors and lawyers alike: You don't go to law school to make money. If you want to make a lot of money there are easier ways. (If you work at a large firm you can expect to be at the office for 12+ hours a day, possibly including weekends.)

I genuinely laughed out loud at this. Seriously this is bullshit, some PR crap or something.
 

Slew Foot

Lifer
Sep 22, 2005
12,381
96
86
Not na expert but my bro-in-law is a big time lawyer and he says that unless you go to a big name school or are tops in your class, you wont make >100K off thebat. Even if you do, expect to work 80-100hr wk.

 

Onita

Golden Member
Feb 24, 2004
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71
Originally posted by: homercles337
Originally posted by: Taughnter
Originally posted by: fritolays
I have zero interest in law but I know someone who goes to a pretty well respected law school (rank around #20-25) and he got an internship that pays him $2400 a week. Assuming that he gets a full time offer after this summer, can he expect to make $125k per year? I did some research on the firm and that seems to be the starting salary for Associates. That's really good.. now I know why people go to law school

And here I was satisfied that I got offers that pay me 60k out of undergrad :(


Generally speaking, if you make that sort of money at an internship you're working for one of the large firms. Most law students who are lucky enough to get these positions will either try to get a full time position at the firm after graduating or go on to clerk for a year or two before going back to the firm. (Clerks generally can defer for a year or so, as clerkships are desireable to pretty much all employers.) Most of these firms in the NYC area will start you around 150k/year plus a bonus. These bonuses can be quite sizable.

Where I went to law school, probably a mid tier 2 school ranked somewhere between 50-100, 10% of the graduates at best can hope to get jobs like this. Keep in mind that most smaller firms will pay you anywhere from 40-100k a year, clerks make around 35 for state level and most state agencies don't pay more than 50k to start. Even federal government jobs generally start around the 50s only going up to 100 after 4 or 5 years.

Really, the majority of graduates don't make over 100k per year and that's why a lot of young attorneys (as well as some older ones) end up taking on temporary/hourly positions that pay upwards of $40 an hour. While such positions are less prestigious, they pay well.

Bottom line, and this is not something I made up but rather something that is repeated time and again by law professors and lawyers alike: You don't go to law school to make money. If you want to make a lot of money there are easier ways. (If you work at a large firm you can expect to be at the office for 12+ hours a day, possibly including weekends.)

I genuinely laughed out loud at this. Seriously this is bullshit, some PR crap or something.

You're an idiot.
 

Dr. Detroit

Diamond Member
Sep 25, 2004
8,143
608
126
Alot depends on what type of law you specialize in. Corporate SEC law pays very well. Expect $125K+ your first year.

Competition is pretty high for these well paying jobs. Also, you will be working 70+hr weeks every week.

I was amazed when I was working on an SEC filing and the first year lawyer came by and asked me for my coffee order as she was heading to Starbucks for everyone. At that time I was making about half her salary as a senior auditor.








 

sjwaste

Diamond Member
Aug 2, 2000
8,760
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Originally posted by: fritolays
I have zero interest in law but I know someone who goes to a pretty well respected law school (rank around #20-25) and he got an internship that pays him $2400 a week. Assuming that he gets a full time offer after this summer, can he expect to make $125k per year? I did some research on the firm and that seems to be the starting salary for Associates. That's really good.. now I know why people go to law school

And here I was satisfied that I got offers that pay me 60k out of undergrad :(

Yes, starting in a major city at a big firm is 125-160k, depending on city and firm. (No, DC is not 160k across the board, only a few are paying that, with the rest between 125 and 155). As long as your friend isn't a mutant during the internship, he will get a full time offer. You can look up what his firm pays on the NALP website, its all out there for first year associates.

Here's the catch, no matter where you go to school, those jobs are always competitive, and you really need to be in the top 5 or 10% of the class, depending on school, to even be in the running (I'm sure there are some exceptions, but that's generally how it goes). If you're at a top 5 or 10 school, they might dip further into the class, but its never a guarantee. There have been many articles expressing concern over the law firm hiring process, because attrition is high, and grades aren't a guarantee of fit or performance, but it's a conservative profession and the top firms have stuck with their hiring model so no one else has made a change either.

Everyone else is looking at govt, mid size firms, small firms, and even hanging their own shingle. All of these pay considerably less, and many who take these jobs feel misled after paying 25k a year for tuition and coming out making 60-80k.

The bottom line is that one should NOT choose law school if the only motivator is the starting salary, because for 75-90% of students, it's just not going to happen. There are a lot of "lost souls" in law school, many who have undergrad liberal arts degrees and little marketability, who get pulled in for the career aspiration. Nothing wrong with that, but beware that the loan payments can eat you alive, esp if you're carrying undergrad debt into law school.

Anyhow, I'm a third year law student and have seen and heard a lot of the above from my classmates. A few have jobs already, but the majority do not. I've been able to stay out of that stress because I already have a full time job w/ a career path (I go to school at night) and really never wanted to work at a big firm and the 70-80 hour weeks, but I can definitely identify with those that are leaving with a far different perspective than which they entered school. For me, it was a degree to couple with other skills, and I think I will graduate educationally much better off than I started, but I sort of found that path after I started. That wasn't the plan all along, but it has definitely worked out and I am happy in terms of where my career is going. I probably won't be in a law firm, but it still helps quite a bit with client work in terms of intangibles (trust, perception of intelligence) and tangibles (presentation, writing ability, critical thinking), and can definitely recommend it to anyone looking to further those areas as long as its affordable to you (think in-state public school!)

This isn't meant as a rant or anything, but if anyone's curious about law school, hopefully it gets you thinking about things other than the top grad salaries. It's a great profession for those that really aspire to be lawyers or incorporate some lawyering to their full time gigs, but a JD is not a license to print money.
 

sjwaste

Diamond Member
Aug 2, 2000
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Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
Depends on the type of law you do, if you get in with a big name firm, what area you're in, etc. From talking to previous people I know - having an internship or a courtship (?) with a judge is crucial to nailing a good job out of law school.

Clerkship. Although courtship might help too, but that just sounds unprofessional :)
 

sjwaste

Diamond Member
Aug 2, 2000
8,760
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Originally posted by: Fmr12B
Alot depends on what type of law you specialize in. Corporate SEC law pays very well. Expect $125K+ your first year.

Competition is pretty high for these well paying jobs. Also, you will be working 70+hr weeks every week.

I was amazed when I was working on an SEC filing and the first year lawyer came by and asked me for my coffee order as she was heading to Starbucks for everyone. At that time I was making about half her salary as a senior auditor.

Securities law is a great field. I've met a lot of securities lawyers, public and private, and most are really happy with their lives but acknowledge it was a hard road getting started. I'm concentrating in that area in law school, but I don't think I'm going for the typical model. I want to blend that with technology, where most lawyers are weak comparatively, and see the action from the consulting side.