Lawyers provide legal counsel and representation within all societal systems, ensuring that individuals, businesses and governments remain accountable to each other. They work in the public and private sectors, as well as in arbitration and mediation.
A career as a lawyer is an excellent option for individuals who want to make a significant impact on society. The job is challenging and requires extensive research, preparing for court cases and representing clients in court, administrative hearings or in other venues.
Depending on the field of law you choose, your salary can vary significantly. Some lawyers are self-employed while others work for a law firm or as public defenders. In addition to these major options, there are also many smaller paths that can lead to higher salaries.
Large Law Firms Can Be Glamorous?
Some people dream of working for the biggest, most prominent firms in the world. If you’re considering a career as a corporate lawyer at one of these companies, you might imagine yourself wearing suits and enjoying the luxury of spending your days on the beach and the mountains.
However, unless you’re an entertainment attorney, being a corporate lawyer in New York is more about grind than glamour. These types of lawyers can make pay ranging from low hundreds to mid-hundreds for a first-year associate, to high thousands or even millions for a senior associate and partner positions, and more if they’re particularly successful.
In general, the salaries offered by Biglaw firms are among the highest in the country. Recruiting the top students from the best schools is a competitive business, and firms often base pay on the Cravath scale, which sets a starting salary for every year of experience. Recommended this site car accident lawyer .
Salaries for First-Year Associates Have Stayed Flat
Overall, first-year law associates are earning a median salary of $135,000, according to the American Bar Association’s annual Law Associates Salary
Surveyopen_in_new. It’s the same level that was in place in 2014, but fewer small- and medium-sized law firms responded to this year’s survey than last year.
While this may not sound like a lot, it’s actually a respectable amount of money to live on and is enough to pay off student debt. This is an excellent starting point for young attorneys who are trying to figure out how they can start a career in the legal profession and still be able to pay off student loans, and to cover some of their living expenses while they’re studying for exams and working on case files.