Lawyer Salary

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Criminal law and equity & trusts are so different. What an eccentric area of interest. Why not contract law? The law is a lot more interesting than criminal law (at least in Singapore) and a lot more predictable than equity & trusts.

I think I will just quit law school

I am only a first llb student at Nottingham

Seems pointless to continue on because I really hate living overseas and yeah the future prospects after graduation are dim as well

Originally Posted by Unregistered

can always apply for JLC if you are interested in those subjects.

I don’t think I can even get a TC. Some of my graduated seniors from Nottingham are unemployed. Many are now doing an LLM. Some even gave up completely and joined a management associate programme at the local banks.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

No offense but this is a naive mindset to have.

Your interest in the profession being dictated by how many competing entrants there are at the fresh grad level sounds like a reasonable mindset to have at first blush, but only because law has an artificial bottleneck i.e. the need to obtain TCs to qualify.

What if I told you that at the mid-level, there is a dearth of lawyers and you are almost guaranteed to get a job because good mid-level lawyers are so uncommon and law firms are fighting to hire all the mid-levels? Will you then think that the profession is attractive?

And if I told you that at the senior level, its hard to get hired anywhere at a level of compensation which would find palatable, unless you have a proven book of business as a rainmaker? Would you again think the profession is unattractive?

The market outlook varies with the level of seniority. If you have no interest, you should not be practising, full stop. Choosing your career based solely on market demand is stupid - we saw how that played out with life science and to some extent, now with cs.

Anyway you sound like a student, because nobody describes practice areas like "equity and trusts" (this is an academic area, not a practice area). So you still have a few years to think about alternative paths.

I really regretted not choosing science stream in A Levels. Medicine seems to be a more guaranteed path to be rich. Any student can be a GP as long as they pass their MBBS. Pretty much guaranteed a stable income of 15000/month in the private sector. Smarter students who become specialists can make upwards of 2 millions/year. But yeah even if you are a borderline student, you are still guaranteed that private GP income. And almost all private GPs can set up their own clinics when they reach the age of 45-50… pretty much guaranteed a stable income of 20000/month for the rest of the life until retirement.

Whereas law is like a cut-throat game, you have to get into a top school and even then nothing is guaranteed.

Currently a second year law/commerce student in an AUS Uni and life really sucks.

Hearing horror stories of seniors not getting TCs despite getting HD high distinction for their law degree.


I really regretted not choosing science stream in A Levels. Medicine seems to be a more guaranteed path to be rich. Any student can be a GP as long as they pass their MBBS. Pretty much guaranteed a stable income of 15000/month in the private sector. Smarter students who become specialists can make upwards of 2 millions/year. But yeah even if you are a borderline student, you are still guaranteed that private GP income. And almost all private GPs can set up their own clinics when they reach the age of 45-50… pretty much guaranteed a stable income of 20000/month for the rest of the life until retirement.

Whereas law is like a cut-throat game, you have to get into a top school and even then nothing is guaranteed.

Like wtf my cousin barely passed Med school (UWA) and she’s now earning 25000/month as an aesthetic doctor in Singapore.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I don’t think I can even get a TC. Some of my graduated seniors from Nottingham are unemployed. Many are now doing an LLM. Some even gave up completely and joined a management associate programme at the local banks.

frankly it's better to figure out that something isn't for you early on, rather than when you've graduated. cut your losses and go.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

frankly it's better to figure out that something isn't for you early on, rather than when you've graduated. cut your losses and go.

Can I humbly ask, what’s a legal executive?

I know a senior who’s now doing a master degree in business.

But he was working as a practice trainee at harry Elias after he graduated years ago.

His last position was “Legal Executive” Harry Elias Singapore.

Does that mean he didn’t qualify as a lawyer in Singapore?


s://uk.linkedin.com/in/kushalshah95

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I think I will just quit law school

I am only a first llb student at Nottingham

Seems pointless to continue on because I really hate living overseas and yeah the future prospects after graduation are dim as well

The future prospects are dim because there are still too many graduates than the market will allow at the junior level. THis is because too many graduates die die want to study law when they shouldn't even in the first place.

Why do you think local law schools have a cut-off and limited places? Its not merely a matter of resourcing. NUS and SMU and now SUSS coordinate closely with MinLaw on estimating the supply of entrants the market will allow, in setting the number of available spots in these schools.

But every year tons of people who cmi to local schools (or their parents), still die die wanna pay for an expensive law overseas at a lower tier school due to some long-obsolete misconception of prestige or pay or respectability.

Hence, overseas grads distort the fresh grad cohort numbers every year. MinLaw can only address so much at the supply side with the 2016 slashing of OSUs. They couldn't do it with the lousy Aussie unis due to the FTA. So you guys are left at the mercy of market forces because MinLaw's hands are tied. Anyways its a problem of your own making (collectively speaking, not you individually).

Your situation is a symptom of it. No interest or aptitude for law but still obstinately wanted to pursue an LLB course in a lousier school.

Nothing against overseas grads or anything - I think the slamming of OSUs vs local schools is immature, but generally speaking there is a very stark difference in employment outcomes and overall career trajectory of local grads + top UK uni grads vs lower tier UK or Aussie uni grads.

If you think you've no interest or aptitude, as others have said, just cut your losses and run.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Can I humbly ask, what’s a legal executive?

I know a senior who’s now doing a master degree in business.

But he was working as a practice trainee at harry Elias after he graduated years ago.

His last position was “Legal Executive” Harry Elias Singapore.

Does that mean he didn’t qualify as a lawyer in Singapore?


s://uk.linkedin.com/in/kushalshah95

Yes, legal executive is usually an title for someone who is not called to the Bar. You can only be designated as "associate" if you have been called.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Can I humbly ask, what’s a legal executive?

I know a senior who’s now doing a master degree in business.

But he was working as a practice trainee at harry Elias after he graduated years ago.

His last position was “Legal Executive” Harry Elias Singapore.

Does that mean he didn’t qualify as a lawyer in Singapore?


s://uk.linkedin.com/in/kushalshah95

Buddy I think you should google your senior’s name and read the news. Also yes, means he didn’t get called to the bar

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Buddy I think you should google your senior’s name and read the news. Also yes, means he didn’t get called to the bar

I don’t understand. He got a TC offer back then.

Is it common for TC offer holders to end up not being called to the bar?