Is 30k a good salary for a law grad? Forum

[memo2partner]

What about a temp agency? Doesn't doc review pay $20+ an hour?

[09042014]

This is only temporary til you do jag? I'd take it, have fun slumming it in New Jersey, and stop worrying.

[Bronx Bum]

What about a temp agency? Doesn't doc review pay $20+ an hour?

Very hard to get doc review I think if you're not licensed.

[Moves like JAGger]

This is only temporary til you do jag? I'd take it, have fun slumming it in New Jersey, and stop worrying.

Correct. I'm actually moving in w/ my fiance's parents to save money for our wedding. About 2hrs north of NYC by train. It would cost me like 450 bucks/month to commute every day. They've given me the possibility of working from home, which is cool... but they'd want me to split my time between home and office.

I have an interview with a local U-haul store for a "management trainee" position which pays 16/hr -- with the possibility of overtime.

I'm extremely fortunate that this firm is not my only option.

[09042014]

This is only temporary til you do jag? I'd take it, have fun slumming it in New Jersey, and stop worrying.

Correct. I'm actually moving in w/ my fiance's parents to save money for our wedding. About 2hrs north of NYC by train. It would cost me like 450 bucks/month to commute every day. They've given me the possibility of working from home, which is cool... but they'd want me to split my time between home and office.

I have an interview with a local U-haul store for a "management trainee" position which pays 16/hr -- with the possibility of overtime.

I'm extremely fortunate that this firm is not my only option.

That's pretty expensive for train rides.

[Bronx Bum]

This is only temporary til you do jag? I'd take it, have fun slumming it in New Jersey, and stop worrying.

Correct. I'm actually moving in w/ my fiance's parents to save money for our wedding. About 2hrs north of NYC by train. It would cost me like 450 bucks/month to commute every day. They've given me the possibility of working from home, which is cool... but they'd want me to split my time between home and office.

I have an interview with a local U-haul store for a "management trainee" position which pays 16/hr -- with the possibility of overtime.

I'm extremely fortunate that this firm is not my only option.

That's pretty expensive for train rides.

If he's commuting from Port Jervis or Putham/westchester, that's about right.

[Moves like JAGger]

This is only temporary til you do jag? I'd take it, have fun slumming it in New Jersey, and stop worrying.

Correct. I'm actually moving in w/ my fiance's parents to save money for our wedding. About 2hrs north of NYC by train. It would cost me like 450 bucks/month to commute every day. They've given me the possibility of working from home, which is cool... but they'd want me to split my time between home and office.

I have an interview with a local U-haul store for a "management trainee" position which pays 16/hr -- with the possibility of overtime.

I'm extremely fortunate that this firm is not my only option.

That's pretty expensive for train rides.

400 if I purchase a monthly pass. I think I'd rather park box trucks.

[09042014]

This is only temporary til you do jag? I'd take it, have fun slumming it in New Jersey, and stop worrying.

Correct. I'm actually moving in w/ my fiance's parents to save money for our wedding. About 2hrs north of NYC by train. It would cost me like 450 bucks/month to commute every day. They've given me the possibility of working from home, which is cool... but they'd want me to split my time between home and office.

I have an interview with a local U-haul store for a "management trainee" position which pays 16/hr -- with the possibility of overtime.

I'm extremely fortunate that this firm is not my only option.

That's pretty expensive for train rides.

400 if I purchase a monthly pass. I think I'd rather park box trucks.

I would too.

[BarbellDreams]

The firm I used to work at started a new associate at 25K and no benefits last year. He left about 2 weeks later. Granted this was nowhere close to NYC COL but still, I can make slightly more than 25K/year working at wholefoods with a high school degree full time...AND I'd have benefits.

Simple supply demand though. When you can post an ad for 35K and get 100 resumes whats to stop you from posting an ad for 30K and get 50 resumes or an ad for 25K and get 20 resumes. I'm sure one of those 20 will work out and I'd save 10K as an employer.

[Bikeflip]

The firm I used to work at started a new associate at 25K and no benefits last year. He left about 2 weeks later. Granted this was nowhere close to NYC COL but still, I can make slightly more than 25K/year working at wholefoods with a high school degree full time...AND I'd have benefits.

Simple supply demand though. When you can post an ad for 35K and get 100 resumes whats to stop you from posting an ad for 30K and get 50 resumes or an ad for 25K and get 20 resumes. I'm sure one of those 20 will work out and I'd save 10K as an employer.

And all the while the partner scolds the associate for looking a gift horse in the mouth.

[LAWYER2]

This is insane. I made more than that as a law clerk. I haven't read the whole thread but the only way I'd take that job is if:

I needed the practicing experience before hanging my own shingle
I was being WELL trained (I'm talking baby steps and training wheels)
MY monthly expenses were virtually non-existent
The job afforded AWESOME networking opportunities
You get to eat what you kill w/r to new clients, (I'd be hungry, and hit the streets rolling)

Other than that, I would send my resume out nationwide and not focus on one geographical area unless you need to. Attorney's can be greedy @ssholes who tend to forget they were in a similar situation at one point.

I seen a post from a practicing attorney in a Facebook group for our school alum basically wanting to know how to find more "interns" to not pay and do tons of work for her. What a fricken douche!

Know your worth!

[Void]

My school symplicity recently posted an entry level associate position at a small midtown manhattan firm for "$30-39k". I wondered how common this was, because it struck me as insane- how do you survive on that income in a neighborhood where a sandwich costs $15?

I don't at all subscribe to the idea that you should only accept salaries that make law school a "sound investment." Yeah, I could make more money doing X, but I don't want to do X- I want to be a lawyer. I like to think that if I can at least sustain myself while working as a lawyer, I'll be alright. But I don't think I could sustain myself in Manhattan for that kind of salary. I'd definitely go with U-Haul and wait for JAG

Edit: hell, I may as well out the firm from symplicity- they obviously have no problem posting a $30k midtown manhattan attorney position on my school's employment board, so I assume they won't mind if I post it here for the whole world to see:

Position:
Associate Attorney

Employer:
Winston & Winston, P.C.
295 Madison Avenue
Suite 930
New York, NY
10017 United States

Description:
Five attorney Madison Avenue/ Grand Central Law firm seeking to hire a recent law graduate for a full time position. Motion practice, commercial litigation, and replevin experience preferred. Learn to become practice ready. Computer aptitude and familiarity with Word press or equivalent is a strong plus. Marketing skills, ability to develop business and perform marketing a strong plus.

[irish017]

This is one of the millions of threads on here where you just wonder why on earth anyone would want to live in Manhattan/NYC area.

[rad lulz]

This is one of the millions of threads on here where you just wonder why on earth anyone would want to live in Manhattan/NYC area.

Because there are jobs there

[irish017]

This is one of the millions of threads on here where you just wonder why on earth anyone would want to live in Manhattan/NYC area.

Because there are jobs there

There are jobs in other places too...I'm talking about the NYC tunnel vision.

[haus]

This is one of the millions of threads on here where you just wonder why on earth anyone would want to live in Manhattan/NYC area.

Because there are jobs there

Many of which barely qualify as jobs.

[NYC2012]

.

[haus]

This is one of the millions of threads on here where you just wonder why on earth anyone would want to live in Manhattan/NYC area.

THANK YOU. New York is a shithole, and I'm so glad I have had the chance to experience life here so I know to never come back after law school!

I was originally holding out hope that the OP was refering to Manhattan, Kansas.

[timbs4339]

It seems low. My friends working in shitlaw are usually getting about 50K. But I have no doubt they can find someone to work for 35K right now- there are like 10 shitty schools in the area churning out graduates.

If you don't have to live in the city (you might find a decent roommate situation for $1000-1250 a month), have nothing else on the table, and have a guaranteed position starting in the future, then take the job. While I was studying for the bar and before I started my "real job" I did contract work for a small firm at $40 an hour, a great rate, but the hours themselves came in spurts. Some months it was 70 or 80, other times it was 20. The unpredictability was annoying, I would have rather drawn a salary.

[Gorki]

It seems low. My friends working in shitlaw are usually getting about 50K. But I have no doubt they can find someone to work for 35K right now- there are like 10 shitty schools in the area churning out graduates.

If you don't have to live in the city (you might find a decent roommate situation for $1000-1250 a month), have nothing else on the table, and have a guaranteed position starting in the future, then take the job. While I was studying for the bar and before I started my "real job" I did contract work for a small firm at $40 an hour, a great rate, but the hours themselves came in spurts. Some months it was 70 or 80, other times it was 20. The unpredictability was annoying, I would have rather drawn a salary.

This so much. In many ways working for those smaller firms is like selling homes or cars in Smalltown, USA... You can be super busy one week and knock down bank, and then sit around 2 weeks nervously wondering if any revenue will come about.

There is a reason why so many solos wash out. It is totally all about your biz management abilities. If you cannot fathom the reality you could potentially go 6 months w/o positive cash flow, seriously consider mass mailing ALL corporate drone jobs in the city you are in. fuck the legal profession if all u can get is this risky crap.

[Korematsu]

You could practice law out of a Dunkin Donuts or Panera Bread in West Virginia and make more than that.

Maybe the OP could apply for government assistance. Check the income thresholds for the cornucopia of goodies out there.

And/Or tell this potential employer to go &$#@ him/herself. If people stop taking jobs at these paltry wages they will have to increase them.

[hephaestus]

You could practice law out of a Dunkin Donuts or Panera Bread in West Virginia and make more than that.

True story. WV is always highly ranked on the "Judicial Hellholes" profiles, and have a reputation for an extremely plaintiff friendly judiciary.

[newyorker88]

This is only temporary til you do jag? I'd take it, have fun slumming it in New Jersey, and stop worrying.

Correct. I'm actually moving in w/ my fiance's parents to save money for our wedding. About 2hrs north of NYC by train. It would cost me like 450 bucks/month to commute every day. They've given me the possibility of working from home, which is cool... but they'd want me to split my time between home and office.

I have an interview with a local U-haul store for a "management trainee" position which pays 16/hr -- with the possibility of overtime.

I'm extremely fortunate that this firm is not my only option.

I don't know where you live but you might want to look in to the metro north.

[Void]

.

[KCMax]

No, it is not good. I finished in the bottom third of my class at a third tier school and made $38k out of school - ten years ago.

OTOH, my salary only inched along over time. If you think you can make more pretty quickly, or slumming it for a year or two will land you a much better paying job, than I suppose its worth it.