| The legal profession has been around for a good | | | | higher salaries to their lawyers than smaller or |
| many years and there has been a common | | | | medium-sized ones. While entry into a large law |
| notion that lawyering is a stable, lucrative | | | | firm is not always easy, the salaries they get are |
| profession. There may have been a time when | | | | worth the effort. The candidate for membership |
| that was the case, but is it still so now? | | | | needs to be a graduate of a reputable, prestigious |
| The United States has more lawyers than any | | | | law school and higher than average grades. Still, |
| other country in the world, turning out about | | | | graduates of law schools of less distinction can still |
| 38,000 law graduates a year from the more than | | | | make it into these big law firms, provided they |
| 200 law schools across the country. This has led a | | | | are on top of their class, have articles published in |
| ranking member of the judiciary to comment that | | | | law journals, and have participated in law |
| there are too many lawyers in the United States, | | | | evaluations and/or debates. Back door entry into |
| that the number of legal professionals far | | | | a big law firm can be done if a lawyer can |
| outnumbers the jobs and clients available out | | | | present a record of demonstrated success over |
| there. | | | | years of legal practice. |
| What are the determinants of lawyers' salaries? | | | | Experience in litigation is also a determining |
| Several factors that determine the amount of | | | | factor in the amount of salary to which a lawyer |
| professional fees that lawyers can demand, or | | | | is entitled. A senior partner of a firm gets a higher |
| the salaries they are entitled to as members or | | | | salary than a junior partner, by virtue of his or |
| partners in law firms or as part of the public legal | | | | her years of practice in the profession. |
| system. | | | | Because a law degree is a graduate degree, |
| The kind of law being practiced influences | | | | lawyers normally start with fairly high salaries. The |
| lawyers' salaries. For example, corporate lawyers, | | | | average starting salary for a lawyer, based on |
| lawyers who handle mergers and acquisitions and | | | | the Lawyer Starting Salary register, is around |
| have the opportunity to deal with clients who | | | | $56,000. This average starting salary is just a |
| have more money will definitely receive more | | | | jumping-off point. It is projected that in 20 years |
| than public prosecutors or lawyers for nonprofit | | | | of practice, this amount should more than double. |
| organizations. | | | | The National Association for Legal Career |
| Geographical area of operation also has a | | | | Professionals (NALP), however, states that in |
| bearing on lawyer salaries. The average salary for | | | | 2008, the salary for entry level lawyers in public |
| a lawyer is highest in Washington, San Francisco | | | | or civil jobs ranged from $40,000 to $47,435. |
| and New York. Incidentally, the most popular cities | | | | Attorneys wages in private practice for 2007 |
| for lawyers, based on median salary charts, are | | | | ranged from $68,000 to $130,000, on the |
| New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, Houston, | | | | average. |
| Chicago, Washington and San Francisco. This data | | | | Despite these high figures, there are those who |
| can be accessed at | | | | contend that Law is an overrated career that is |
| Government as employer vs. private practice. | | | | glamorized by television. It does not take into |
| Private practice, with profits in mind, often gives | | | | account such realities as debts accrued while |
| salaries that are higher that what the | | | | attending law school, time and effort needed by |
| government, as an employer, gives. | | | | lawyers to establish a client base, and the fact |
| Stringent requirements for entry into big law | | | | that lawyers put long working hours into honing |
| forms. Large, firmly established law firms give | | | | their skills in their profession. |