Lawyer Salary

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Local law student applying for disputes TC soon - is it better to start out in an SC team at local big 4 or disputes at BMWL?

If i go to BMWL for the higher pay, is it worth sacrificing training under an SC? At such a junior level, does it even matter if I'm in an SC team? - given that I will be learning the ropes and probably wont be working too closely with the SC.

It does matter - a lot. You learn the most in your first 2 years, esp in disputes, and even if you dont see the SC the culture and work habits are set top down.

If you are looking to really grow, don't go anywhere outside the B4 for disputes.

What are rht rates?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

It does matter - a lot. You learn the most in your first 2 years, esp in disputes

it's true you (have to) learn the most in the first two years. and that brings me to my next point.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

If you are looking to really grow, don't go anywhere outside the B4 for disputes.

uh. other disputes practitioners can chime in but this is too sweeping a statement. If you want to act for B4 clients, then yes. but in terms of learning the trade, imho disputes is the one area where the playing field is pretty level amongst firms as it's largely based on the mentoring you get from the lead counsel (cf corporate work where firm brand plays a larger role).

So more relevant to look at who is likely to be your mentor.

E.g. would you turn down an offer from Michael Hwang chambers over B4 disputes?

Actually the discussion here is pretty sub par. It will be nice to have someone breakdown the different career paths according to practice and someone who actually knows clear salaries and progression instead of school slamming and all the nonsense. Anyone ?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

It does matter - a lot. You learn the most in your first 2 years, esp in disputes, and even if you dont see the SC the culture and work habits are set top down.

If you are looking to really grow, don't go anywhere outside the B4 for disputes.

The previous posts say how great bmwl is and potential for partners to be made SCs and also great juniors etc. Head is great and super hands on give personal training so guess you should go bmwl and also get more money - no brainer

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Actually the discussion here is pretty sub par. It will be nice to have someone breakdown the different career paths according to practice and someone who actually knows clear salaries and progression instead of school slamming and all the nonsense. Anyone ?

Singapore lawyers are in general quite sub par and this forum is quite reflective of this. You want to compare with American and Canadian JDs just go look at the depth of their career discussion in toplawschools.com and lawstudents.ca forums. Those are discussions by real professionals. Even the law discussions on Whirlpool forum (for australians) are better.

This place is unmoderated and full of young kids trolling.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Singapore lawyers are in general quite sub par and this forum is quite reflective of this. You want to compare with American and Canadian JDs just go look at the depth of their career discussion in toplawschools.com and lawstudents.ca forums. Those are discussions by real professionals. Even the law discussions on Whirlpool forum (for australians) are better.

Harvard/Oxbridge/AU>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> NUS/SMU > SUSS

That's why NUS/SMU NQ pay has been the same for the last ten years, while Harvard/Oxbridge/AU grads get paid six figures on graduation, no questions asked.

NUS/SMU grads must enjoy circlejerking on anonymous forums as a form of catharsis to make up for earning the hourly wage equivalent of a burger flipper in superior countries lol

I don't think legal work has or should have pay grades across the board, like in the civil service or elsewhere. A lot of it depends on the individual

I think fellow lawyers will automatically recognise that "my friend at B4 makes $x so I should too" makes for a very poor argument if said person is hopelessly incompetent. The nature of work and output differs widely. If it were all the same, then why even have a taxation regime, or protest against scaled costs in liti, right?

Most of this discussion is a good guide, but this post is really just a push back against that sense of entitlement. NQ: Think long and hard before you claim the work you do is worth you being paid nearly $6k a month, because very, very few of you are worth it. What the firm is actually paying for is the potential promised by your uni and your grades.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

The previous posts say how great bmwl is and potential for partners to be made SCs and also great juniors etc. Head is great and super hands on give personal training so guess you should go bmwl and also get more money - no brainer

Yes it's a great place bmwl litigation department

Originally Posted by Unregistered

BMWL - according to friends who are still there
Based on call dates, no front load
2021: 9+
2020:10+
2019:11+
2018:13+
2017:14+
2016:15+

Lmao this is horrendously wrong. If you don't know anything, best to shut up. Latest approximate salary scale is as follows:

Trainee - S$3,000
NQ - S$8,000
2PQE - S$9,500
3PQE - S$11,000
4PQE - S$12,500+ (Can be higher - salaries from 4PQE onwards are black box)
5PQE - S$14,000+
6PQE - S$15,500+