Lawyer Pays

[moku]

Flippin' through the newspaper today, and found this one article outlining the amount of cash lawyers get here in Australia. This kinda interests me, since I do law and such.

It states:

...Contrary to notions of young lawyers earning six figure sums, 56 per cent earn between $30,000 and $59,000 a year, the study by the Law COuncil of Australia found.
Almost 46 per cent are considering leaving their jobs in the next 12 moths, mainly for salary or more opportunity for promotion. Nearly a third see themselves ditching within 5 years.
...Overseas respondents were the most likely to earn more that $90,000 a year, but they were also the most likely to rate their job satistfaction as "neutral" and to complain about the pressures of work on their home lives...

Doesn't sound that well in the moment, does it?
Is there a lawyer somewhere in the depths of this forum to confirm anything?

[Vympel]

I graduated recently and just started College of Law (NSW). I always knew that when you start out, you don't get paid large sums. That comes later.

[DPDarkPrimus]

My dad can divide any number by three.

Of course, he's been a lawyer for a while.

[The Morrigan]

Young lawyers tend to earn fairly crap wages & often work ridiculous hours. What you get paid & what sort of hours you work will probably depend on what firm you end up working for. But on the whole, the bulk of lawyers probably aren't as well paid as people like to imagine. According to legand, you don't start earning big bucks until you make partner.

I for one hope to get a job in the Government, where the pay may not be so exciting but at least you get to go home at 5:00.

For the record, I'm doing pretty much the same thing as Vympel, only in Queensland. My main concerns at the moment are:

1. surviving the last 6 weeks of my course;
2. getting admitted; and
3. gettin a job.

[moku]

Hmmm. Sounds interesting. I was recently at the ACT's Supreme and Magistrate's Court, and viewed a few cases. For what tjhe pay is, and the morons you have to deal with, it might actually not be all that worth it. then again in some cases, perhaps, I could report the stupid things these morons do here...

For instance we sat in on this one hearing where these two dudes, who happen to be best friends for the best part of 20 years, bash each other shitless. The barrister goes:

"So you did hit _____ over the head with the iron bar?"
>"Yes"
"And you hit him in the face?"
>"WHAT!?!?! I never saif that I hit him at all!!!???"



This kinda shit I do not want to work for...

[The Morrigan]

Hmmm. Sounds interesting. I was recently at the ACT's Supreme and Magistrate's Court, and viewed a few cases. For what tjhe pay is, and the morons you have to deal with, it might actually not be all that worth it. then again in some cases, perhaps, I could report the stupid things these morons do here...

For instance we sat in on this one hearing where these two dudes, who happen to be best friends for the best part of 20 years, bash each other shitless. The barrister goes:

"So you did hit _____ over the head with the iron bar?"
>"Yes"
"And you hit him in the face?"
>"WHAT!?!?! I never saif that I hit him at all!!!???"



This kinda shit I do not want to work for...

Crim is a particularly crappy area of the law to practice in. You have to be pretty dedicated to be able to cope with it.

As for it not being worth it, I'm getting to feel a bit that way myself. Although that could just be because I'm a burnt-out mess at the moment.

[moku]

Problem happens when you get to civil, all your clients are money grubbing arsehole who wanna sue for this an' that.
"you infringed my copyright"
"you did this and that"

What has this planet come to!?! There are sooo many morons out there. Ugh

I feel sorry for you man...

[The Morrigan]

Problem happens when you get to civil, all your clients are money grubbing arsehole who wanna sue for this an' that.
"you infringed my copyright"
"you did this and that"

What has this planet come to!?! There are sooo many morons out there. Ugh

I feel sorry for you man...

There is that too. I guess civil is something you do if you want to earn a living, not change the world. Of course, it's not all just about suing people. A lot of it has to do with writing contracts & stuff so that people don't get sued in the first place.

[moku]

Yea... I am still just a student, all the way cramped back in the far recesses of year 9 high school. compared to the stuff you know, I know nothing...

[The Morrigan]

Yea... I am still just a student, all the way cramped back in the far recesses of year 9 high school. compared to the stuff you know, I know nothing...

Never mind. One of these days you'll finish High School & get a job/go to Uni & become just as cynical & ****ed up as the rest of us.

PS: Don't study law. It sucks.

[moku]

well, um, law isn't actually that bad for me... here...

[Darth Wong]

I believe it's called "articling" in Canada, where you do low-paid menial clerical grunt-work for real lawyers during the first few years after getting out of law school.

Even after that, not all lawyers become rich, although a lot of them become fairly successful, ie- upper middle class. The rich ones are the guys who are utterly devoid of ethics and who launch these class-action lawsuits on behalf of other people and then take half of the judgement money for themselves.

[Admiral Valdemar]

I hear too much about the stresses early on in work and given some of the law students I know, I'd certainly think twice about taking it as a career. Doing a science means not earning vast sums, but it's something I enjoy and job satisfaction ranks with salary anyday. I could earn over US$110,000 a year if I became a team leader in a lab.

[moku]

I have deeply considered one day working for the government, in different areas, though, I must say with this planets' great democracy... nope. I couldn't even open my mouth and give an opinion in such as job. Just like the soldier in the military: you've got orders, no opinions requested, so shut your gob and do as you're told, or go and take a hike.

I am 14, almost 15, and still don't know waht I should do...

[Vympel]

I believe it's called "articling" in Canada, where you do low-paid menial clerical grunt-work for real lawyers during the first few years after getting out of law school.

Yeah, the article system is still in place in most Australian states, but in mine it's College of Law- deemed to be more effective, because the effectiveness of your training in articles depends on the quality of your supervising solicitor. Or so they say.

I can't wait to have no ethics!

[moku]

What about morality?

[The Morrigan]

...College of Law- deemed to be more effective, because the effectiveness of your training in articles depends on the quality of your supervising solicitor. Or so they say.

Really? I'm doing a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (like College of Law, but run through QUT) and I feel like I've learned nothing, despite the way everyone rabbits on about how great it is.

What sort of areas of law are you interested in?

[RogueIce]

I have deeply considered one day working for the government, in different areas, though, I must say with this planets' great democracy... nope. I couldn't even open my mouth and give an opinion in such as job. Just like the soldier in the military: you've got orders, no opinions requested, so shut your gob and do as you're told, or go and take a hike.

Indeed. Just wait unti you're the one giving orders though.

I am 14, almost 15, and still don't know waht I should do...

No worries. There are people who graduate college and probably have no clue what they want to do still.

[moku]

Yeah, I suppose so...
Enjoy the Day!