Litigation, corporate & public interest
Lawyer
The salary distribution is two humps, and most graduates land on the lower one.
Typical pay
$60k-$250k+, sharply bimodal
How you get in
JD, 3 years, plus the bar exam
Outlook
Flat overall; specialization and school ranking dominate outcomes
Lawyers advise clients and represent them in transactions and disputes. Starting salaries are famously bimodal — a minority start near $225k at large firms, most start between $55k and $90k, and law school debt does not care which group you are in.
A day in the life
- 8:00aReview overnight filings and client emails
- 9:00aDraft a motion or negotiate contract terms
- 11:30aClient call about a decision they will not like
- 1:00pLunch at the desk while tracking billable time
- 2:00pDeposition, hearing or document review
- 7:00pLog your hours — the metric everything is judged on
How to get in
Law school to bar admission
Duration
7 years total
Cost
$100,000-$250,000
Credential
JD plus state bar admission
- Complete a bachelor's in any field and score well on the LSAT
- School ranking substantially determines your salary outcome — research this honestly first
- Complete three years of law school; summer associate positions are the pipeline to big firms
- Pass the bar exam and the character and fitness review
Public interest with loan forgiveness
Duration
7 years plus 10 years of service
Cost
$100,000-$200,000, potentially forgiven
Credential
JD plus bar admission
- Attend law school with public interest work as the actual plan
- Work for government, legal aid or a qualifying nonprofit
- Make 120 qualifying payments under Public Service Loan Forgiveness
- Lower salary, but the debt math can work out better than a mid-size firm
Paralegal first, then decide
Duration
1-3 years before committing
Cost
$3,000-$15,000
Credential
Paralegal certificate, then optionally the JD
- Work as a paralegal and see the daily reality of legal practice
- Learn which practice areas you would actually want
- Decide whether the debt is justified for the outcome you want
- Many stop here; those who continue enter with far clearer eyes
What people love
- · High ceiling, especially in corporate and specialty practice
- · Genuine intellectual work and advocacy
- · Enormous range — from public defense to M&A
- · The license is a durable, protected credential
What wears people down
- · $100k-$250k of debt against a bimodal salary outcome
- · Billable hour targets drive 60-80 hour weeks at large firms
- · High rates of burnout, anxiety and substance abuse
- · Adversarial work is corrosive over time