LLM Salary Advice Forum

[Anonymous User]

Currently getting LLM in tax at top 3 program. JD GPA was good (3.6) at a T25 school so nothing crazy. Just got an offer from accounting firm in NYC, not B4, but next tier size wise, but the salary is 85k which seems wayyyy low for JD/LLM. Am I wrong in this? Any advice regarding negotiating salary is welcome.

[notinbiglaw]

That sounds right for a lot of second tier employers, toward the low end but not unusual

[2013]

Don’t take that. With your law school grades you have a shot at biglaw and big 4.

[nealric]

I'm not super familiar with non Big-4 accounting firm salaries, but that doesn't sound totally beyond the pale. Keep in mind that even Big4 will make offers in that range outside of NYC. You may have some negotiating room, but I doubt you are going to get them up substantially.

I also wouldn't write Big4 or law firm work off just yet. LLM professors can be great networking resources, and you'll presumably have a new slate of them next semester.

[ninthcircuitattorney]

Don't take that bro !!! They are way ripping you off. Top 3 tax ll.m. has a great shot at Big4 on a bad day.

[UnassumingUsername]

Don’t take that. With your law school grades you have a shot at biglaw and big 4.

A shot? With these stats I would be shocked OP would not get either. If OP is at GULC or NYU and put in effort in studying, then OP should be very competitive for big law.

[2013]

Don’t take that. With your law school grades you have a shot at biglaw and big 4.

A shot? With these stats I would be shocked OP would not get either. If OP is at GULC or NYU and put in effort in studying, then OP should be very competitive for big law.

If OP is at one of those schools with insane grade inflation where a 3.6 was median, then I don’t think biglaw is a guarantee. But I generally agree with you.

I think OP is competitive for biglaw and a Big4 regardless of how they do in the LLM.

[Anonymous User]

OP with the pandemic and uncertainty of employment I’ll suggest trying to negotiate and then accept. A couple of my classmates almost turned down accounting firm offers in the fall because they wanted big law through TIP/TARE. Then covid happened and hiring freezes...

I’ll suggest throwing your hat in during TIP/TARE in the spring to see your options. Some of my classmates are still job hunting and they’ll be grateful to have an offer at an accounting firm. Worse case scenario you lateral after a year or two to big4/big law.

[Anonymous User]

Don't take that bro !!! They are way ripping you off. Top 3 tax ll.m. has a great shot at Big4 on a bad day.

OP here, I'm just low key worried about rejecting this offer and then not being able to find a comparable job in NY. I've been applying to big 4 jobs, but haven't gotten much yet. I know I could wait until TIP/TARE, but sounds nice to have that taken care of already. Was also under the impression that a lot of the Big 4 hiring had been done already and that was happening at a much lower rate than normal years because of covid. I'm probably going to try to negotiate and ask for the offer to be extended. They wanted me to respond within 2 weeks of the offer.

[ninthcircuitattorney]

80k and a 2 week deadline to take it or leave? If they appreciate you this little when they are trying to recruit you, just imagine the nightmare of actually having to depend on them for your livelyhood

[Anonymous User]

80k and a 2 week deadline to take it or leave? If they appreciate you this little when they are trying to recruit you, just imagine the nightmare of actually having to depend on them for your livelyhood

lol, fair.