Data for middle-of-the-road income after 5 years? Forum

rawlsohard · Post by **rawlsohard** » Sat Mar 23, 2013 5:41 pm

I can find a lot of information detailing how much a given law class will be expected to make after 5 years ($40-65k), such as the class of 2011.

However, it's more difficult to find income data for 5 years experience on, say, the class of 2006, or just in general what that 40-65k range will be making after five years. Does anyone know where I could do this?

Edit: http://www.nalp.org/sept2010pubintsal provides some data for "firms of 50 or fewer lawyers", but I don't know how accurate this data is. The average increase over five years, regardless of starting, was by $17,000. Does this mean that someone who makes $60k starting can expect to make ~$77k in five years? Or is this also inaccurate?

AssociateX · Post by **AssociateX** » Mon Mar 25, 2013 5:25 pm

You can't. Law schools don't track this data for a number of reasons (although it would be nice if they did). Frankly, its like tracking down the success of college graduates 5 years out. Too many variables - students working, others going to grad school, others vegging out in their parents' basements, etc..

Same thing with law school - after 5 years in the work force, most lawyers pretty much chart their own careers. Some stay in law. Some leave after getting married/having kids. Some become solos. Some go back to non-law jobs. Its just too diverse to say. The effect of one's JD really affects immediate job placement more so. After a few years, it becomes less of an issue what law school a lawyer attended (w the exception of competitive upward/lateral employment moves like clerkships, gov't postings, SCOTUS, biglaw, etc).

Data for middle-of-the-road income after 5 years? Forum

Data for middle-of-the-road income after 5 years?

Re: Data for middle-of-the-road income after 5 years?