So what's there if you strike out at Biglaw? Forum

[FiveSermon]

Is there a midlaw? Or is it just shitlaw.

[Grizz]

[FiveSermon]

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Image doesn't work for me. But seriously. I'm considering taking $$$ at GWU instead of paying sticker at a school like Cornell but was wondering what future jobs I would have if I didn't graduate top 30% but instead more like median.

[Adjudicator]

[Grizz]

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[FiveSermon]

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I would but I'm not pretty enough.

[romothesavior]

Small firms, PI, government, or unemployment (which is a very likely scenario).

The vast majority of lawyers work outside of biglaw, and the vast majority of new grads will never land biglaw.

Also, just FYI... top 30% at GW will have a hell of a time landing biglaw ITE.

[FiveSermon]

Small firms, PI, government, or unemployment (which is a very likely scenario).

The vast majority of lawyers work outside of biglaw, and the vast majority of new grads will never land biglaw.

Also, just FYI... top 30% at GW will have a hell of a time landing biglaw ITE.

I just went by the most recent NLJ 250 stats.

[romothesavior]

I just went by the most recent NLJ 250 stats.

Those are pretty outdated ITE.

If you go to Cornell or GW, you'll probably get a job. Both are good schools and the average student coming out of there will have some opportunity. But there is a decent chance you won't be employed at graduation, and there is a good chance that even if you are, it won't pay very well and will make your loan repayment very difficult. Just keep that in mind when you're deciding how much debt to take out.

[Veyron]

Is there a midlaw?

Is there a tooth-fairy?

[luckyme]

you can start your own firm and immediately start banking 400-500k a year

[JCougar]

There's far more people employed in medium-sized firms and small firms than there are in biglaw, so obviously there are non-biglaw jobs. Then there's government/regulatory jobs, etc.

If there were no non-biglaw lawyers, there would be no need for biglaw lawyers. Someone's got to be suing biglaw clients.

Small and mid-sized firms still hire people. Just not at salaries that make your debt load manageable.

[FiveSermon]

There's been like one helpful response. I'm proud.

[romothesavior]

sorry OP

[FiveSermon]

There's been like one helpful response. I'm proud.

I tried to be nice and helpful. Don't be a jerk.

That one helpful response was yours. lol.

[romothesavior]

There's been like one helpful response. I'm proud.

I tried to be nice and helpful. Don't be a jerk.

That one helpful response was yours. lol.

Oh... retracted then. I think jcougar was also trying to be helpful.

In any case, good luck. You have some solid options.

[Grizz]

Is there a midlaw?

Is there a tooth-fairy?

Depends what markets you're targeting.

[thesealocust]

In a given year there will be about 50,000 people enrolling in LS and about 45,000 graduates. 35,000 will be lucky enough to find legal employment, per the bureau of labor statistics. Somewhere around 5K will land big firm gigs (about half of whom will come from the top 14 law schools, the other half from the other 180+ in the country).

Of those 30,000 'other' legal jobs, many will be hourly contract attorneys working on document review type projects, many will work for the federal government, many will work at smaller firms for smaller salaries, many will work for public interest organizations or public defender's offices, some will try to hang their own shingle, some will be law clerks for judges a year or two, and some will work at firms that are for all intents and purposes big law, just not big enough to get counted in the stats.

Within that group, starting salary is likely to be well south of $100,000 - though obviously the federal clerks have bright futures, and those starting at a 50 person firm that pays $150,000 won't exactly be upset about not being in big law. The vast majority of the employed-but-not-in-big-law group, however, will have entry level legal jobs in the 30-60K range.

5K big law, 30K not big law, 10K unemployed, 5K drop out. 50% of big law jobs go to about 7% of the law student population.

Welcome to Law School.

Remember, tuition is non-refundable.

[LLB2JD]

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I would but I'm not pretty enough.

Then you are making the best decision by going to law school