This is what law students have worked to achieve – to finally get a job. The job market for lawyers is a competitive one. According to the American Bar Association there were 1,143,358 licensed lawyers in the United States at the end of 2007. This means that you are competing for a legal job with over 1 million other lawyers. However, not all licensed lawyers use their law degrees to practice law. Some use their J.D.s to become more marketable in the business world or other professional areas.
As we stated earlier, all law is local. This means that each legal market has different levels of competition. For example, New York City has a highly competitive legal market, while Boise, Idaho may not. However, New York City lawyers tend to make more money on average than other U.S. legal markets. But the cost of living in New York City is also much higher than most other markets. In other words, there are pros and cons to any legal market you choose to enter.
The types of jobs in which you can use your law license are vast. The legal job you select, combined with the market you enter, and coupled with your experiences and background will dictate the type of income you can expect to receive. Here is a brief sampling of legal job opportunities and salaries:
1. Private practice.
In private practice, you can be self-employed or work for a law firm. Being self-employed means that you are your own boss, and you make the decisions. However, this is often a tough way to go because you will have to teach yourself everything and pay for everything. You will be inefficient when you first begin practicing law, because it takes time to become good at anything. If you are self-employed, you will also have to find your own clients. If you find no clients, then you will make no money. Because most young lawyers want to get proper training, they elect to work for law firms in private practice as "associates."
An associate is a lawyer who is an employee of the law firm. An employee earns a salary, but does not have any equity in the law firm. In other words, an associate is not an owner of the law firm. A goal of many associates is to one day make partner in the firm. A partner generally does have equity in the law firm. This means that partners are part owners of the company. Partners can make substantially more money than associates, but partners also have liability issues if the firm is sued.
Law firms come in many sizes, both big and small, and most firms specialize in certain areas of the law. Law firms are generally categorized based on how many practicing lawyers are in the firm. For example, if the firm has 2-25 lawyers it is considered a small law firm. On the other hand, a law firm with 500 or more attorneys is a very large law firm. As mentioned earlier in this article, large law firms tend to pay higher salaries. As of 2009, big law firms in New York City pay new associates around $160,000/year. This is a great paycheck, but most associates are required to work very long hours, including nights and weekends.
The following chart gives you a brief overview of what associates make in law firms, based on the size of the firm and number of years they have been working. It also shows what first, second, and third year summer law clerks make:
Median Base Salaries by Associate Year and Firm Size (as of April 1, 2009)
| Associate Year |
FIRM SIZE — Number of Lawyers |
2-25 |
26-50 |
51-100 |
101-250 |
251-500 |
501-1,000 |
1,001+ |
All Sizes |
| Median Salary |
First |
$70,000 |
$92,500 |
$104,000 |
$110,000 |
$125,000 |
$135,000 |
$160,000 |
$130,000 |
Second |
71,000 |
92,000 |
101,500 |
112,000 |
128,950 |
140,000 |
160,000 |
130,000 |
Third |
70,000 |
98,000 |
102,000 |
115,000 |
135,000 |
143,500 |
170,000 |
135,000 |
Fourth |
77,175 |
101,750 |
105,500 |
116,250 |
140,000 |
148,000 |
185,000 |
141,000 |
Fifth |
94,950 |
104,000 |
110,750 |
120,000 |
147,325 |
160,000 |
210,000 |
150,000 |
Sixth |
99,600 |
109,250 |
120,500 |
125,000 |
150,000 |
162,075 |
230,000 |
155,000 |
Seventh |
116,000 |
110,700 |
121,500 |
127,775 |
165,000 |
170,000 |
237,250 |
165,000 |
Eighth |
111,625 |
126,500 |
123,950 |
133,000 |
165,000 |
180,000 |
258,050 |
171,275 |
| Summer Associates ($/week) |
First |
800 |
1,325 |
1,575 |
1,800 |
2,350 |
2,600 |
3,075 |
2,500 |
Second |
1,000 |
1,550 |
1,800 |
1,900 |
2,400 |
2,700 |
3,075 |
2,400 |
Third |
950 |
1,700 |
1,400 |
1,800 |
3,075 |
3,075 |
3,075 |
3,075 |
2. Government (Non-Military)
The government offers may legal opportunities for lawyers including working for a prosecutor’s office, public defender’s office, state agencies (like the attorney general’s office) or federal agencies (like the Securities and Exchange Commission).
Many new lawyers choose to work for the government because of the great legal experiences that that can provide. For example, county and district prosecutors will invariable get much more trial experience than their 1st through 5th year private law associate colleagues. Why? Because most government agencies have many cases and need new and young lawyers to handle them. In contrast, private law firms tend to rely upon experienced trial attorneys for their trials. This is due in part because private law firm have clients they must make happy, and most clients would not want a new and inexperienced lawyer handling their case in trial.
Many government agencies also generally offer fairly good benefits, such as pension plans, health and life insurance, etc. However, government agencies differ in what benefits and salaries they offer. So, shop around to find the best deals that suite your career goals.
NOTE: Many new lawyers choose to work for a government agency to gain legal experience, then transition into the private sector for higher pay.
3. Military
The military is also another great option for many new lawyers. Just like other government legal positions, the military offers many of the similar pros and cons.
As a military lawyer, you’ll be called a Judge Advocate General (JAG). You’ll be required to earn your commission as an officer, travel, and learn the Uniform Code of Military Justice (USMJ).
We know of multiple individuals who’ve chosen this career path and really enjoy it. There are also opportunities as part-time JAGS with certain military branches like the Air Force and Coast Guard. Contact your local officer recruiter to learn more of the details.
4. Clerkship with a Judge
Another great way to gain legal experience is to clerk for a judge. You can clerk for state or federal judges. Generally, a federal clerkship holds the most prestige and will open the door to job offers upon completion. Many judges require new lawyers to act as their clerk for 2 or more years.
As a clerk, you’ll be expected to do a bulk of the writing and legal research for the judge’s opinion. You’ll also have the opportunity to see the law through the judge’s eyes from the bench – often an invaluable tool when/if you actually practice law. After you finish your clerkship, you should be able to use your experience to find a job in the private or public sector.
5. Jobs Outside the Legal Market
The great part about earning a Juris Doctor degree is that it can open many job possibilities. You don’t have to confine yourself to only legal jobs. In fact, many law students use their law degree to enter and/or advance in other sectors such as business, education, management, science, etc.
The salary, benefits, and perks associated with non-legal jobs are as vast and different as the jobs available. In other words, your experience, background, grade, etc.