Five paths after law school.
Choose yours before you start.
Most people think "lawyer" is one job. It's not. There are five distinct career tracks after law school — each with completely different day-to-day work, recruiting timelines, salaries, and preparation. The track you want determines what you do in 1L summer.
The 5 Career Tracks
Each one is a completely different career. Pick the right track, then build toward it from Day 1.
BigLaw
$215K–$250K + bonusHours: Demanding (2,000+ hrs/yr)
Best for: High pay, M&A/corporate law, high-stakes litigation, maximum optionality
Judicial Clerkship
$60K–$80K (1–2 yr term)Hours: Excellent hours, intense writing
Best for: Prestige, SCOTUS pipeline, academia, legal writing mastery
Government & DOJ
$75K–$180KHours: Good (public sector hours)
Best for: Real courtroom time, criminal law, regulatory enforcement, public service
Public Interest
$50K–$85K + loan forgivenessHours: Sustainable, mission-driven
Best for: Civil rights, criminal justice, social justice, housing, immigration
In-House Counsel
$200K–$500K+ (with equity)Hours: Good-to-excellent
Best for: Work-life balance, tech/finance/healthcare, business partner role
Which track is right for you?
Eight questions to help you figure out where you fit.
Do you want maximum starting pay and the ability to pay off loans in 2–3 years?
→ BigLaw
Are you intellectually passionate about the law itself — constitutional questions, statutory interpretation?
→ Clerkship
Do you want real courtroom experience from day one — trying cases, not just researching them?
→ Government / AUSA
Did you come to law school to address a specific injustice — civil rights, housing, immigration, criminal justice?
→ Public Interest
Do you want the lifestyle of a professional job (9–6ish) with strong pay at a company you care about?
→ In-House
Do you want the most prestigious credential in the legal profession — and everything it opens?
→ Clerkship
Are you drawn to a specific industry — tech, finance, healthcare — and want to understand it from the inside?
→ In-House
Do you care deeply about managing law school debt? Public interest + PSLF may be the most financially rational path.
→ Government or Public Interest
You are not locked in. The most common path in law: BigLaw for 2–5 years → government or in-house. Many BigLaw associates become AUSAs. Many public interest lawyers did a few years at a firm first. Choose deliberately — but know the tracks are more porous than they appear.
$215K
BigLaw 1st-year base salary
10 yrs
Until PSLF loan forgiveness kicks in
Aug
When 2L OCI applications are due — before class starts