Lawyer Salary

[despoTC]

Do any of you know if the mid firms have started considering TC applicants who are currently in year 3 sem 1?Some have replied me that they want to see my year 3 sem 1 results first. Also, do any of you have any good mid firms to recommend?

Originally Posted by despoTC

Do any of you know if the mid firms have started considering TC applicants who are currently in year 3 sem 1?Some have replied me that they want to see my year 3 sem 1 results first. Also, do any of you have any good mid firms to recommend?

Tbh most midsize firms are fairly decent. If you are looking at this range I'd say you will get fairly solid non half past six training. Its a good pick especially in this poor market

Speaking as a slightly biased associate practicing in one ! Many ex big 4 seek refuge here for marginally better quality of life. I've seen lots of ya ya papayas from big 4s in the end cmi or can't hack it and run off to the mid tiers. They don't look back.

To get most mileage, some mid tiers are much more reputed in select practice areas. Browsing thru Asialaw, Legal 500 or IFLR is a good start. Chambers is slightly biased towards the big 4

Since it's trainee season soon. Any tips for retention; and pet peeves?

tip: make your assoc's/sr's/partner's life easier
pet peeve: not making your assoc's/sr's/partner's life easier

Hey thanks guys, benefitted a lot from the discussion in this thread

I heard that trainees would usually be informed whether they will be retained ~4 months in to facilitate them to apply elsewhere. Is this true? Also, how long into the training period is a good time to start applying elsewhere?

Much appreciated!

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hey thanks guys, benefitted a lot from the discussion in this thread

I heard that trainees would usually be informed whether they will be retained ~4 months in to facilitate them to apply elsewhere. Is this true? Also, how long into the training period is a good time to start applying elsewhere?

Much appreciated!

It really differs from firm to firm so nobody can give you a useful generalised answer to that. You're better off asking the cohort above in the particular firm that you will be training in at which point they received their confirmations last year.

Believe me, looking out for your (ie you, the trainee's) well-being or career trajectory isn't the topmost agenda on a law firm's list of priorities.

You should start applying elsewhere the moment you think you wouldn't be retained or have made the decision not to stay.

Part B is over and the next batch of trainees are probably beginning to fret over retention prospects; and so the cycle continues.

If it's any comfort to you at all, if at the end of the day you aren't retained, it is in all likelihood more a result of financial constraints than a lack of ability on your part. Think about it this way, an office photocopier machine has more value to a firm than a legal trainee with 0 years of working experience under his/her belt.

Heard that Part A failures are at an all time high.

Hi guys, does anyone know what is the pay for WongP for fresh grads, and after 1 & 2 years?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hey thanks guys, benefitted a lot from the discussion in this thread

I heard that trainees would usually be informed whether they will be retained ~4 months in to facilitate them to apply elsewhere. Is this true? Also, how long into the training period is a good time to start applying elsewhere?

Much appreciated!

depends on your firm's internal policy.

[tea]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Broadly, I do agree with your admonishment of the little kid. However, your English is oddly poor for a law student. I also take issue with your disparaging remarks about business school.

I took both law and business degrees under the 5 year double degree course in NUS, and in my personal experience, business was the tougher degree. Law was simple once you found the shortcuts. We had almost exclusively open book exams, so doing well on exams was simply a matter of navigating your muggers well and copying pre-prepared answers quickly. I aced most modules without much effort.

Business school however was a different ball game. It covered a huge variety of difficult topics such as management science, statistics, programming, economics and mathematical finance, each at a relatively advanced level. Each topic had its own unique demands and modus operandi for mugging. The need to readjust your mental capacities to tackle different subjects was challenging. Law exams really only ever used the IRAC principle.

And in Business school, you didn't have control of your own grades, due to the exposure that one might unfortunately suffer if grouped together with lazy or incompetent group mates. You sometimes had to put in the extra mile to carry the team. It was in no way easier than a law degree.

And at the end of the day, what does the average 2nd upper biz student get? A generic job starting at $3.5k. The average LLB 2.1? A significantly higher $5.5k starting pay at a big4. Within a few years, the bba grad will hit 5k and the law grad will hit 10k. I think law is a good degree to take. Easier to study for, shorter hours of study and much better financial rewards career-wise. Certainly if you compare a generic lawyer to a top first class BBA student who lands a Goldman IB job, law seems to fall short, but that's by no means a fair comparison. Unless you're an absolutely brilliant individual, you have to hedge your risks and plan on the assumption of an average cohort standing. If you do so, law comes out pretty much tops on all counts, regardless of which other degree you benchmark it against.

So to the little kid who's complaining about how boring the study of law is, I say please leave and give some other more deserving individual the chance. If you're having such a hard time studying and find yourself unable to enjoy life, you're probably not a talented law student anyway, and you probably won't find yourself doing very well in school or at work.

Hmm, you claim to know shortcuts but what exactly are they? Pretty much everyone I know in the course (even those who come from a family of lawyers) is struggling. If there's a way to easily navigate the thousands of pages of readings we're given per week, I'm all-ears.