Summary: Are you looking for the biggest paycheck possible as an attorney? Take a look at these practice areas that offer the highest pay today.
If you are one of many law students or recent law graduates who went to law school with the goal of earning a generous salary, there are certain practice areas you want to consider above others:
Complex Litigation
Corporate Law
Intellectual Property
Healthcare Law
There are, of course, many variables you should consider as you shape your legal career, including intellectual interests, job availability, lifestyle issues, and more. But if receiving a big paycheck is important to you, these four practice areas deserve a hard look.
Attorney Salary Variations
At the outset, it is important to recognize that many factors come into play when it comes to attorney salaries. Among the myriad of factors that go into attorney salary calculation are the kind of firm for which the attorney works (major international law firm versus a smaller or regional firm) and the status of the attorney (equity partner, non-equity partner, head general counsel, regular in-house counsel, associate, etc.).
Another consideration is the geographic area in which the attorney is located. First year associates in top firms in major markets like New York City can earn $180,000 per year, for example, while the 2015 median salary of attorneys nationwide was only $115,820, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”).
Moreover, attorney salaries and the availability of jobs are always influenced by the overall economy—in general and as it relates to certain practice areas.
This article first appeared "4 Most Lucrative Legal Practice Areas Today" on LawCrossing. also on Wordpress.
LawCrossing is the world leader in "pure" monitoring and reporting of legal jobs, through its active and growing research into all legal employers throughout the world.
Complex Litigation
Corporate Law
Intellectual Property
Healthcare Law
There are, of course, many variables you should consider as you shape your legal career, including intellectual interests, job availability, lifestyle issues, and more. But if receiving a big paycheck is important to you, these four practice areas deserve a hard look.
Attorney Salary Variations
At the outset, it is important to recognize that many factors come into play when it comes to attorney salaries. Among the myriad of factors that go into attorney salary calculation are the kind of firm for which the attorney works (major international law firm versus a smaller or regional firm) and the status of the attorney (equity partner, non-equity partner, head general counsel, regular in-house counsel, associate, etc.).
Another consideration is the geographic area in which the attorney is located. First year associates in top firms in major markets like New York City can earn $180,000 per year, for example, while the 2015 median salary of attorneys nationwide was only $115,820, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”).
Moreover, attorney salaries and the availability of jobs are always influenced by the overall economy—in general and as it relates to certain practice areas.
This article first appeared "4 Most Lucrative Legal Practice Areas Today" on LawCrossing. also on Wordpress.
LawCrossing is the world leader in "pure" monitoring and reporting of legal jobs, through its active and growing research into all legal employers throughout the world.