whats the job market like for charlotte for new lawyers in charlotte area?
[QUOTE=NinerOne;318322]whats the job market like for charlotte for new lawyers in charlotte area?[/QUOTE]
better than it is for houston for new lawyers in the charlotte area
I own a condo in university and a duplex off of Wilkinson in a redevelopment area.
The job market is high paying because we attract big firms from big cities, bottom 25% salary is about 75k a year, top 25% salary is about 94k a year. Top paying positions (which I won’t have) pay up to 160k a year.
While the salaries are good I am fighting an uphill battle coming from a brand new law school, and being in a state with three of the best law schools in the country, which include Duke who has the highest out of school average salary in the US.
The market is also down right now because of the economy, several big firms have scaled back or cut out their summer associate programs, and some just flat out aren’t hiring anyone new right now.
Considering starting my own firm right out of the gate, I just have some major reservations about that. My ultimate goal is to have my own firm eventually regardless, it’s just a matter of whether or not I can survive without a couple years experience first.
I once read that there were more students in law school than there were lawyers in the U.S. Is that true? If so, seems as though it’d be difficult to find a job as a recent law grad.
I’ve never heard that. The only thing I have heard is conflicting information regarding the need for more lawyers. NC is ranked #48/50 for lawyers per capita (2006), and there was recently an article in the Observer stating how Charlotte, and NC needs more lawyers. Then a couple weeks after the article in the Observer, a national news outlet (can’t remember) published an article about law schools and over supply and did specifically mention NC because it just added two new law schools (Charlotte Law and Elon).
So, the answer to your question is… I’ll tell you in a year?
Just checked my Law Office Management book.
According to the ABA there are just over 1 lawyers in the US today. There are about 625,000 lawyers who actually are engaged in private practice.
In 1998-1999 there were about 40,000 graduates. So, if you multiply that times 3.5 years (average is 3 years to graduate), that’s 140,000 law students.
The book also notes there has been a slight increase since the 1998-1999 school year, but the majority of the increase came from around 1975 until the mid 1990s.
It also notes that the actual number of practicing lawyers statistically appears to be higher, but they use information based off those who report themselves to Martindale-Hubbel (lawyer directory basically).
Also, it points out the median practice age in 2000 was 48, and while more students are graduating than ever, the surge from previous decades will counter-balance itself with the retirement of baby boomers.
[QUOTE=Ninercentral;318330]
The job market is high paying because we attract big firms from big cities, bottom 25% salary is about 75k a year, top 25% salary is about 94k a year. Top paying positions (which I won’t have) pay up to 160k a year.
[/QUOTE]
I’ve heard of recent graduates to small firms in surrounding counties starting out at around 36k, though I’m sure they move up quick. the bigger firms are where you want to get hired obviously as far as getting paid right out of law school.
Yeah, you are right, but the numbers I posted are for first year associates in the Charlotte market. If I can make $60k a year starting out and move up I’ll feel okay. $36k is realistic, but it is probably in the bottom 5% of the market. Public service jobs pay more than that.