The practice of law may entail some gut-wrenching activities that some law degree holders may find daunting, tiring, or even boring. Fortunately there are a host of other occupations that are available for those who don’t have the desire for litigation and its processes.
In-house counsel
Large companies and industries have their own legal departments to take care of everyday tasks that involve varying degrees of legal work. The duties of in-house counsel do not necessarily involve frequent high-profile litigations. However, administrative matters and duties may be assigned from time to time as in-house counsels also work closely with other departments such as Human Resources and even Finance.
Courts
The courtroom can still be the arena of a law degree holder even without having to do litigation. Attorneys in judicial clerkship jobs research and make recommendations on how to handle current cases.
Public Service
Politics can be the next step for lawyers who’ve had enough of traditional lawyering. One can start in the district attorney’s office by being elected into the post, after which a state attorney general post becomes the next big step. Lawyers can also opt to join the US Department of Justice or can hope to be appointed by the President of the United States to the US Attorney’s Offices. Other posts in the arena of politics are also available for the law degreeholder. However, experience, whether in court or in other areas of public service, coupled with a level of popularity is needed.
Legislation
Attorneys in the legislative sectors work closely with senators and other members of the legislature in the formulation of laws. Legislative attorney do research and even drafts of bills that may be enacted. Law degreeholders in this arena are exposed to the political factors as well and may eventually become part of significant events in history.
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Entering into law school but unsure of the the different jobs and salaries common to the legal field? This article will cover some of the common career paths in law and the salaries that come along with them. Regardless of the type of job or salary you receive, you can be assured that you can earn a hefty paycheck, as long as you are ready to deal with hardship of pursuing a legal career. Here are is some helpful information on what you can expect, professionally, after law school:
Common careers for law school graduates
The education, training, and experience that students get through law school is respected in many different industries. Education, litigation, and insurance are just some of the industries that lawyers commonly go in to. Basically, your achievements, legal specialization, pre-law education, and professional experience will determine which fields you can go into. Remember, that you can always have your own practice as well.
Salary information on lawyers
Like any other career path, there are different factors that affect the salaries that lawyers earn. PayScale reports that, as of September 2008, law school graduates who have just graduated can earn roughly $50,000 annually. With time, your salary is likely to increase steadily. After 10 years, you can be earning around $80,000 per year and upwards of $100,000, 20 years after graduating from law school.
There are more specific factors that directly affect your salary, though. Specialization is one of these factors. The three specializations that earn the most on average are corporate law, litigation and appeals, and real estate. Law school graduates in these fields can earn yearly salaries of around $85,000, $75,000, and $74,000, respectively.
Another factor that will have an effect on your salary as a law school graduate is the place in which you work. For example, those who work for non-government organizations can expect around $54,000 per year, while those who work for the government earn about $91,000 per year. If you handle the legal concerns of a hospital, you can earn around $83,000 per year. Just be sure that the place you decide to work for can offer you the working environment and perks that you are interested in.
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