Spending & Earning
Big Law’s $245,000 Pay Blunts Student Worries About Trump Attacks
Law students with heavy debt burdens are stepping into an industry that’s in the president’s crosshairs.
Law school applications are up 23% so far this cycle compared with last year.
Photographer: Al Drago/BloombergTakeaways NEW
Thousands of students a year from top US law schools flock to white-shoe law firms, which dangle starting pay of roughly $245,000 in exchange for long hours and intense demands from corporate clients.
For many, that tradeoff has been worth it — at least for short time — to get out from an average debt load of $118,000.