LEGAL SALARY DATAPOINTS Forum

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Re: LEGAL SALARY DATAPOINTS

Post by Anonymous User » Sun Sep 11, 2016 2:37 pm

Job: PI nonprofit. 75% litigation/25% policy
Experience: entry-level
Where: Chicago
Salary: 60k
Hours: 9 to 5

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Re: LEGAL SALARY DATAPOINTS

Post by Anonymous User » Mon Sep 19, 2016 10:04 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
How are your hours so good? Is that typical for others in your industry or at your firm?

Was the learning curve difficult? Despite the finance undergrad, it's obviously been 7-10 years since you've graduated. I have biz econ undergrad degree from top public undergrad but I would have no idea how to do the work at this point. Just curious - and thanks.
Hard to say on hours because I don't have exposure/experience with other entities in the business. Hours are probably good because we're smaller in size and I imagine we have fewer layers of management to deal with. Learning curve was difficult.

Although I knew a lot about the industry I work with, most of my experience was from a legal context. Learning the industry from a true financial perspective was very humbling and I leaned on my direct reports heavily at the beginning.

Financial modeling took a while to pick up. I'm still not great with Excel, but I'm at least to the point where I can spot problems pretty quickly. A lot of it was and continues to be learning by trial and error and intentionally trying to bust models by moving different variables.

I was worried about both issues. As part of agreeing to take the job, I got my employer to commit to a financial modeling class at the local b-school as well as a [technical industry class for non-experts in the relevant industry] that is hosted by third-parties.

I would encourage others to explore making similar transitions if they are interested.

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Re: LEGAL SALARY DATAPOINTS

Post by Anonymous User » Mon Sep 19, 2016 11:34 pm

Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
How are your hours so good? Is that typical for others in your industry or at your firm?

Was the learning curve difficult? Despite the finance undergrad, it's obviously been 7-10 years since you've graduated. I have biz econ undergrad degree from top public undergrad but I would have no idea how to do the work at this point. Just curious - and thanks.
Hard to say on hours because I don't have exposure/experience with other entities in the business. Hours are probably good because we're smaller in size and I imagine we have fewer layers of management to deal with. Learning curve was difficult.

Although I knew a lot about the industry I work with, most of my experience was from a legal context. Learning the industry from a true financial perspective was very humbling and I leaned on my direct reports heavily at the beginning.

Financial modeling took a while to pick up. I'm still not great with Excel, but I'm at least to the point where I can spot problems pretty quickly. A lot of it was and continues to be learning by trial and error and intentionally trying to bust models by moving different variables.

I was worried about both issues. As part of agreeing to take the job, I got my employer to commit to a financial modeling class at the local b-school as well as a [technical industry class for non-experts in the relevant industry] that is hosted by third-parties.

I would encourage others to explore making similar transitions if they are interested.
How long into your legal career did you realize you were interested in making this transition? What steps did you take to do so? Thanks for talking about this...fascinating stuff.

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Re: LEGAL SALARY DATAPOINTS

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Sep 20, 2016 9:45 am

a. Small firm, ton of PI, but also good amount of crim, commercial lit, real estate lit. Three attorneys, hiring two more in the next few months.
b. Less than one year
c. Suburb of NYC (NJ)
d. 55k with incentives for new clients (1/3) and for settlements/awards (10% I think), regardless of origination.

Firm is chill. Busy as shit, work about 50 hours but everyone here is nice and the partner, while somewhat of a maniac, is a nice guy and cares about his employees. The pay works fine for me. I don't think I would have done well at a big firm, not that anyone was throwing offers at me.
Last edited by Anonymous User on Tue Sep 27, 2016 10:50 am, edited 1 time in total.

Anonymous User
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Re: LEGAL SALARY DATAPOINTS

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Sep 22, 2016 7:44 am

Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:
How are your hours so good? Is that typical for others in your industry or at your firm?

Was the learning curve difficult? Despite the finance undergrad, it's obviously been 7-10 years since you've graduated. I have biz econ undergrad degree from top public undergrad but I would have no idea how to do the work at this point. Just curious - and thanks.
Hard to say on hours because I don't have exposure/experience with other entities in the business. Hours are probably good because we're smaller in size and I imagine we have fewer layers of management to deal with. Learning curve was difficult.

Although I knew a lot about the industry I work with, most of my experience was from a legal context. Learning the industry from a true financial perspective was very humbling and I leaned on my direct reports heavily at the beginning.

Financial modeling took a while to pick up. I'm still not great with Excel, but I'm at least to the point where I can spot problems pretty quickly. A lot of it was and continues to be learning by trial and error and intentionally trying to bust models by moving different variables.

I was worried about both issues. As part of agreeing to take the job, I got my employer to commit to a financial modeling class at the local b-school as well as a [technical industry class for non-experts in the relevant industry] that is hosted by third-parties.

I would encourage others to explore making similar transitions if they are interested.
How long into your legal career did you realize you were interested in making this transition? What steps did you take to do so? Thanks for talking about this...fascinating stuff.
I don't know that I explicitly targeted moving outside of the firm. I knew when I went to law school that my real goal was to end up in a position of responsibility where decisions were made at my desk. After starting in big law, as far as I was concerned, partnership or an industry role could satisfy what I was looking for. I had seen senior associates leave as GCs with VC-backed start ups. My alternative plan to partnership was to emulate that move and then try to move to a business role. But that plan would have required at least three more years with my firm and this opportunity allowed me to jump early.

The transition fell into my lap. I was asked by my employer if I would be interested in interviewing for the job and it took off from there.

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Anonymous User
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Re: LEGAL SALARY DATAPOINTS

Post by Anonymous User » Wed Sep 28, 2016 10:06 pm

State Court
Entry level/1-2 years
SF Bay Area
76k
8-5

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Re: LEGAL SALARY DATAPOINTS

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Oct 06, 2016 10:13 pm

a) what kind of legal job/firm/office they work at, and
Big law in DC
b) how long they've been working there, and
4 years
c) geographic area, and
d) yearly salary
235K + 50K bonus

Bill about 2000 per year

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Re: LEGAL SALARY DATAPOINTS

Post by Anonymous User » Wed Nov 02, 2016 7:43 pm

delete

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lhanvt13

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Re: LEGAL SALARY DATAPOINTS

Post by lhanvt13 » Wed Nov 02, 2016 11:44 pm

Anonymous User wrote:a) what kind of legal job/firm/office they work at, and
Big law in DC
b) how long they've been working there, and
4 years
c) geographic area, and
d) yearly salary
235K + 50K bonus

Bill about 2000 per year
2000 isn't bad at all. What practice group if you don't mind me asking?

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Re: LEGAL SALARY DATAPOINTS

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Nov 08, 2016 9:25 am

First year regional biglaw in a southern market, 110K, 1900 billable

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Re: LEGAL SALARY DATAPOINTS

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Nov 10, 2016 11:05 am

a) Associate at an AmLaw 200 firm;
b) 1st year (Post-clerkship);
c) Secondary market (Non-Boston), Northeast;
d) $110k + bonus (based on both merit and hours). 1800 billable target.

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Re: LEGAL SALARY DATAPOINTS

Post by narfkarta » Tue Nov 15, 2016 12:05 pm

Mod edit: stop spamming this blog.

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Re: LEGAL SALARY DATAPOINTS

Post by zot1 » Tue Nov 15, 2016 3:28 pm

narfkarta wrote:Mod edit: stop spamming this blog.
Thank you, mods.

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Re: LEGAL SALARY DATAPOINTS

Post by Anonymous User » Mon Nov 21, 2016 1:53 pm

a) Mid-size law firm
b) 2nd year
c) suburbs right outside of a major market
d) $110k + bonus based on hours and merit; 1,800 hours soft target

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Re: LEGAL SALARY DATAPOINTS

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Nov 22, 2016 11:53 am

Fed gov - second year - small city - range: 83k-87k.

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Re: LEGAL SALARY DATAPOINTS

Post by Anonymous User » Tue Nov 22, 2016 2:22 pm

Federal agency in DC, 2nd year here following a 1-year clerkship, so 2 years and a few months out of law school. 77k, going up to 92k in a few months. Flexible 40 hour work schedule with great benefits.

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Re: LEGAL SALARY DATAPOINTS

Post by barkschool » Wed Nov 23, 2016 1:21 pm

Anonymous User wrote:Federal agency in DC, 2nd year here following a 1-year clerkship, so 2 years and a few months out of law school. 77k, going up to 92k in a few months. Flexible 40 hour work schedule with great benefits.
What type of Clark ship translates in fed gov?

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zot1

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Re: LEGAL SALARY DATAPOINTS

Post by zot1 » Wed Nov 23, 2016 1:43 pm

barkschool wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Federal agency in DC, 2nd year here following a 1-year clerkship, so 2 years and a few months out of law school. 77k, going up to 92k in a few months. Flexible 40 hour work schedule with great benefits.
What type of Clark ship translates in fed gov?
Autocorrect got you good. I'm going to take a wild guess that OP meant judicial clerkship.

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Re: LEGAL SALARY DATAPOINTS

Post by Nebby » Wed Nov 23, 2016 1:53 pm

barkschool wrote:
Anonymous User wrote:Federal agency in DC, 2nd year here following a 1-year clerkship, so 2 years and a few months out of law school. 77k, going up to 92k in a few months. Flexible 40 hour work schedule with great benefits.
What type of Clark ship translates in fed gov?
Any clerkship. They treat you as entry level but you will have an edge.

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Re: LEGAL SALARY DATAPOINTS

Post by Danger Zone » Wed Nov 23, 2016 1:54 pm

Anonymous User wrote:Federal agency in DC, 2nd year here following a 1-year clerkship, so 2 years and a few months out of law school. 77k, going up to 92k in a few months. Flexible 40 hour work schedule with great benefits.
What's the big raise for?
Last edited by Danger Zone on Sat Jan 27, 2018 3:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: LEGAL SALARY DATAPOINTS

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Nov 24, 2016 1:18 am

What's the big raise for?
Not getting fired. That's how the feds roll. Just got my "not incompetent enough to get fired" raise last week, feels good.

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Re: LEGAL SALARY DATAPOINTS

Post by zot1 » Thu Nov 24, 2016 10:48 am

Anonymous User wrote:
What's the big raise for?
Not getting fired. That's how the feds roll. Just got my "not incompetent enough to get fired" raise last week, feels good.
OP completed one year as a GS12 and was moved up a grade to GS13.

Anonymous User
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Re: LEGAL SALARY DATAPOINTS

Post by Anonymous User » Thu Nov 24, 2016 11:22 pm

Fedgov OP from a few posts above. Responders are correct that the big raise will be an automatic one from GS-12 to 13. My job tops out at 14 (so I will be at 108k in a year and a few months) with opportunities to apply to GS-15 roles with supervisory duties a few years down the road. Also correct that I did a 1-year state trial court clerkship beforehand. While my agency didn't give me a year bump to start at GS-12, some agencies do.

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Re: LEGAL SALARY DATAPOINTS

Post by Googoodolls » Sat Dec 10, 2016 1:20 am

Fortune 100, 3rd year 105k + 10% bonus

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Re: LEGAL SALARY DATAPOINTS

Post by Anonymous User » Sat Dec 10, 2016 3:01 pm

a) registered investment advisor
b) 3-4 years out of law school
c) secondary market
d) 120k + merit/performance based bonus (20k in 2016); firm covered health/dental/vision insurance; 401k matching; eventual equity and annual raises

Seriously? What are you waiting for?

Now there's a charge.
Just kidding ... it's still FREE!


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