Lawyer Salary

Hi guys, a former Temasek Poly Diploma in Law graduate here. I have many well to do friends who didn't meet the criteria to enter local law schools and went to the UK to study law. Most of them went to low-tiered law schools which eventually got struck out by Minlaw.

I'm just wondering if anyone working in law firms can share how is the legal market now? There was an article by ST reported that some firms are not paying their trainees.

Originally Posted by Unregistered Guest

Hi guys, a former Temasek Poly Diploma in Law graduate here. I have many well to do friends who didn't meet the criteria to enter local law schools and went to the UK to study law. Most of them went to low-tiered law schools which eventually got struck out by Minlaw.

I'm just wondering if anyone working in law firms can share how is the legal market now? There was an article by ST reported that some firms are not paying their trainees.

Love hearing about lawyer wannabes getting pwned.

Yes please share. I also want to law for my degree.
It is a professional degree so it shouldn’t be hard to find job right?
even if it’s hard how hard can it be

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Yes please share. I also want to law for my degree.
It is a professional degree so it shouldn’t be hard to find job right?
even if it’s hard how hard can it be

you either have top grades or top connections if you want top tier jobs. v simple.

Originally Posted by Unregistered Guest

Hi guys, a former Temasek Poly Diploma in Law graduate here. I have many well to do friends who didn't meet the criteria to enter local law schools and went to the UK to study law. Most of them went to low-tiered law schools which eventually got struck out by Minlaw.

I'm just wondering if anyone working in law firms can share how is the legal market now? There was an article by ST reported that some firms are not paying their trainees.

The market is definitely in favour of the law firms now, and the law firms are taking advantage of that, especially the smaller ones. Doesn't help that there are law students desperate enough to accept pupillage without an allowance. Based on what I hear, small firms pay around $3.5 - 4k, mid firms can be anything from $4k - 5, and big4/baker/cc is $5.6k upwards.

I know a few TP grads who went onto the lower-tiered schools and as far as I know none of them made it to big4/baker/cc. The only way to get into a top firm is top grades and/or connections. Tale as old as time.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

The market is definitely in favour of the law firms now, and the law firms are taking advantage of that, especially the smaller ones. Doesn't help that there are law students desperate enough to accept pupillage without an allowance. Based on what I hear, small firms pay around $3.5 - 4k, mid firms can be anything from $4k - 5, and big4/baker/cc is $5.6k upwards.

I know a few TP grads who went onto the lower-tiered schools and as far as I know none of them made it to big4/baker/cc. The only way to get into a top firm is top grades and/or connections. Tale as old as time.

How to get connections?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

The market is definitely in favour of the law firms now, and the law firms are taking advantage of that, especially the smaller ones. Doesn't help that there are law students desperate enough to accept pupillage without an allowance. Based on what I hear, small firms pay around $3.5 - 4k, mid firms can be anything from $4k - 5, and big4/baker/cc is $5.6k upwards.

I know a few TP grads who went onto the lower-tiered schools and as far as I know none of them made it to big4/baker/cc. The only way to get into a top firm is top grades and/or connections. Tale as old as time.

Must I go to UK Universities to get good grades?
I heard in Singapore NUS it is very hard to get second upper. Almost half the class will not get second upper. But in UK, it is close to 90 percent can get second upper and first class.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Must I go to UK Universities to get good grades?
I heard in Singapore NUS it is very hard to get second upper. Almost half the class will not get second upper. But in UK, it is close to 90 percent can get second upper and first class.

This one is also tale as old as time. In NUS only about 50% will get second upper, 10% will get first class and the remaining 45% will get second lower.

In UK universities, almost 100% of Singaporeans will get 2:1 or First.

If you want an easy time to get good paper grades, go to a (non-Oxbridge) UK university. I'm assuming you are not of the calibre to make it to Oxbridge since you're asking these kind of questions anyway.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

This one is also tale as old as time. In NUS only about 50% will get second upper, 10% will get first class and the remaining 45% will get second lower.

In UK universities, almost 100% of Singaporeans will get 2:1 or First.

If you want an easy time to get good paper grades, go to a (non-Oxbridge) UK university. I'm assuming you are not of the calibre to make it to Oxbridge since you're asking these kind of questions anyway.

With the new grading scheme, 75-80% of NUS grads now get first or 2.1.

Salary post for those interested after qualification (compilation from prev threads)

CC: double-digits
Baker: 7.5k
WP: 6k
R&T: 5.8k
A&G: 5.6k
Drew: 5.6k
Rodyk: 5.5k
TSMP: 5k
L&L: 4.5k
RHT: 4.5k

Legal service (incld JLC): 4.8/4.4k (with NS, 1st/2.1); 4k/3.8k (wo NS, 1st/2.1) - seems low but this is payable from part b/RLT onwards and there is a further increment after 1 year or so