College Crunch

Some jobs command obscenely huge pay and careers in the legal profession are one such career path. While it is not always the case for all legal professionals and the divide between low earners and high earners can be quite jarring the salaries for most legal professions stand head and shoulders above most typical career choices. Top attorneys earn more than $750 per hour, while plaintiff lawyers pocket around a third of a personal injury settlements. On the opposite end of the spectrum, public defenders and country prosecutors get paid very little by comparison.

Still, there’s no denying the legal profession thrives even in this recession. Where businesses open, operate or close, lawyers are needed, and where their legal services are required, lawyers, and everyone else whose job is closely associated with lawyers and lawyering, thrives. But the interesting question is, how much money do legal professionals make? Let’s take a look at average legal starting salaries:

Lawyers

It’s hard not to think of lawyers when you hear the word legal. Lawyers. also known as attorneys, barristers, and counselors, are professionals whose expertise lie in the practice of law. These are people who have completed at least seven years of higher education, meaning post-high school, and have been duly licensed by the state they choose to work in.

Lawyers specialize and practice in a wide variety of fields from litigation (trial) to corporate law. Some lawyers rarely see the inside of a courtroom during the expanse of their careers; others live in courthouses. Successful lawyers have some things in common – excellent communication skills, strong analytical and problem-solving skills, and keen powers of observation.

Average legal starting salaries for most lawyers in private firms in large metropolitan areas like New York ranges from US$135,000 to $160,000; public defenders or those lawyers in the public sector earn much less. Interestingly, pay cuts for lawyers have been nearly unheard of despite the times.

Mediators

Although this may not be the first time you’ve heard of them or the process of mediation or arbitration, you probably never thought it’s a profession different from being a lawyer. While most mediators (a.k.a arbitrators or conciliators) are lawyers and former judges, non-lawyers are not barred from entering the profession and there are, in fact, many non-lawyers in the profession.

Mediators help warring parties settle their legal disputes outside of the courtroom by facilitating negotiation and settlement between the parties. In the US, there’s currently no formal education or licensing body for mediators. Training, however, is currently available through independent organizations and memberships in professional groups.

U.S. colleges and universities like the University of Phoenix and the Keiser University eCampus online are now offering advanced degrees in conflict management and alternative dispute resolution. In the U.S., mediators earn anywhere from US$28,000 to $100,000 annually. The average earning is currently at around US$50,000. Starting salaries are within the US$13.50 – $49.00 range per hour according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Paralegals

Also known as legal assistants, paralegals are professionals trained to assist lawyers in carrying out legal services for their clients. Paralegals are usually employed in law firms, corporations, and other areas and operate under the direct supervision of a lawyer.

Besides legal research, paralegals investigate the facts of cases, interview clients and witnesses, draft paperwork, and more. Generally, paralegals hold an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, or at least a paralegal certificate. The average legal starting salaries for paralegals in rural areas is US$20, 000 or less but is considerably higher in metropolitan areas. About three-quarters of paralegals in the US make over $50,000 annually, according to a survey by the National Federation of Paralegals.

Legal Secretaries

Daily clerical functions required for the smooth operations of a legal office are the thrust of legal secretaries. Besides excellent dictation and typing skills, they are required to be familiar with legal terminologies, court filing rules, and some basic legal procedure. One to two years of training in a legal secretarial program offered at a community college or private schools is required of legal secretaries. The average legal starting salaries for them is between US$28,000 and $65,000, depending on the size of the firm.

Litigation Support Professionals

These are people that assist attorneys and the court system in managing large-scale litigation. Basically in-charge of data management, litigation support professionals possess excellent IT skills and a good working knowledge of document management systems. Although there are no specific degrees for litigation support professionals, these people usually possess a college degree and advanced IT skills usually related to database management. Average legal starting salaries for litigation support professionals range from US$40,000 to US$80,000 annually.

So, thinking of giving the legal profession a go? Go ahead. You’ll be well-versed in legal matters and if you’re lucky, well-compensated.