National Jurist - February 2008 - (Page 11) NEWS We screwed up Editors note: In the January issue of The National Jurist we failed to report source information for the chart “How does your school compare?” in the feature “How much will you earn?” We also had incorrect Average Starting Salary information for the schools listed here in the chart. We are re-running these schools with the correct information taken from The Princeton Review Best 8 170 Law Schools 2008 d Edition. We understand t that it is important that students get accurate information about law schools so that they can make an informed decision when will choosing a law school to attend. We apologize for the error. To see how these schools compare to others, go to www. NJPLonline.com/digitalarchive.html to view the digital magazine. Schools Columbia University School of Law, NY Boston University School of Law, MA Cornell Law School, NY Boston College Law School, MA Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, NY Brigham Young University, UT Connecticut School of Law, CT American University, DC C Chicago-Kent College of Law C Case Western Reserve, OH C Chapman University School of Law, CA C Cincinnati College of Law, OH A Arizona State College of Law, AZ A Alabama School of Law, AL D DePaul University College of Law, IL A Akron School of Law, OH C Colorado School of Law, CO C Capital University Law School, OH D Dayton School of Law, OH A Albany Law School, NY C CUNY, NY D Denver College of Law, CO A Arkansas at Little Rock, AR A Appalachian School of Law, VA B Baltimore School of Law Average starting salary $145,000 $135,000 $125,000 $100,000 $86,971 $81,782 $80,709 $80,500 $77,608 $75,000 $72,146 $72,105 $71,000 $68,353 $67,634 $67,517 $63,778 $59,849 $55,892 $53,276 $51,735 $50,000 $47,097 $45,000 $39,391 $Huc m ow RY, J.D. $$ h you earn Some 2008 graduates will earn $160,000 in their first year. But while big But the jobs that pay firm salaries keep rising, the most also demand the most. most recent graduates Many young attorneys will earn far less. Find found that the out handcuffs”have large law firms “golden of where your school places are not worth it. Most of the large in terms of starting law firms demand long hours, and salaries, why big firm salarie that makes quality of life a challenge. s are outpacing other employers, and Why the large-firm growth? why you might not want Most experts agree that that $160,000-a-year job big firms’ salary increases happened after all. as a result of simple economics. It’s a case of supply and demand, said James G. Leipold, executive director of NALP. Large firms are reporting bringing in bigger associate classes. At the same time, the number of law school graduates has stayed about the same as in previous years. As demand for top graduates has increased and supply stayed stagnant, firms and other legal employers have begun to compete more for employees, particularly top graduates from top law schools. ? 31 Starting salaries at the nation’s largest law firms have more than doubled over the past ten years — with this year’s graduates expected to earn $160,000. But as fantastic and amazing as that growth is, it is even more surprising that all other legal employers – from mid-sized law firms to governmen t — have increased starting salaries at only a fraction of that pace. Associates at firms with 2 to 25 lawyers, which make up the bulk of all employers, increased salaries by a modest 33 percent over the past ten years. The resulting salary differences between large law firm associates new lawyers at other employers and are essentially creating two classes of recent law graduates: The haves and the havenots. $ $ And the differences can easily be seen on a school-by- school basis. While there are ten law schools with average starting salaries above $100,000, there are 58 with salaries of $60,000 or less. Law schools that feed graduates into the top law firms — higher ranked schools in bigger cities — report higher salaries than regional, much rural schools. BY URSULA FURI-PER And large firms are raising salaries simply because they can afford it. Big January 2008 THE NATIONAL JURIST $ The Bridge Between Educating for Justice Since 1912 LEGAL THEORY AND PRACTICE is in San Francisco this Summer May 19 - June 1, 2008 Develop Trial Advocacy Skills in San Francisco ■ USF offers an intensive two-week course on litigation and trial techniques and strategies. ■ Learn to take and defend depositions, argue pre-trial motions, examine eye witnesses and experts, select juries and make opening and closing statements and arguments. ■ Earn 3 units of academic credit in two weeks. ■ Work with over 100 distinguished judges and trial lawyers from around the country who will lecture, demonstrate skills and lead you in practice workshops. ■ Conduct a mock trial in front of a judge and jury and receive a videotape of your performance. ■ Learn to think on your feet and develop the confidence to advocate for your clients! The reason you went to law school! For more information see www.usfca.edu/law. Click on Centers & Programs, then on Intensive Advocacy Program. Email advocacyprograms@usfca.edu, or call 415-422-5780 x1. February 2008 THE NATIONAL JURIST 11 http://www.NJPLonline.com/digitalarchive.html http://www.NJPLonline.com/digitalarchive.html http://www.NJPLonline.com/digitalarchive.html http://www.usfca.edu/law http://www.usfca.edu/law
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