what are the highest paid positions to be a lawyer

by Miss Flo Nolan 4 min read

Here are the ten highest paid types of lawyers and legal careers: 1. Intellectual Property Lawyers (Average Salary: $155,000) Intellectual property lawyers are the highest paid types of lawyers.

11 of the highest-paying lawyers
  • Civil litigation attorney. ...
  • Real estate attorney. ...
  • Intellectual property attorney. ...
  • Bankruptcy lawyer. ...
  • Family lawyer. ...
  • Tax attorney. National average salary: $134,322 per year. ...
  • Corporate attorney. National average salary: $137,364 per year. ...
  • Patent attorney. National average salary: $143,492 per year.
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Jan 13, 2021

Full Answer

Which lawyer gets paid the most?

What Kind Of Lawyer Gets Paid The Most? Lawyers earning over $260,000 in salary are known as medical attorneys and their earning is regarded as among the highest salaries in legal. How Much Do Scottish Lawyers Earn? There are on average 40,027 lawyers in Scotland earning a salary. There are 28 people on this planet.

What is the average wage or salary for a lawyer?

Average Lawyer Salary: How Much Does a Lawyer Earn? The average lawyer salary is $120,910, but earnings can vary greatly depending on where you practice and in what field. State

Who are the 10 highest paid lawyers in the USA?

Who Are The 10 Highest Paid Lawyers In The USA?

  1. Ana Quincoces - Net Worth: $8 Million. If you combine beauty with brains, the end result is Ana Quincoces. ...
  2. Vernon Jordan - Net Worth: $12 Million. Vernon Jordan kick started his career as a civil rights activist and he has devoted his life and career to bringing about ...
  3. Thomas Mesereau - Net Worth: $ 25 Million. ...

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What are the lowest paid legal jobs?

Psychiatric technicians

  • Annual mean salary: $38,080
  • Employment: 85,330
  • Entry level education requirements: Postsecondary nondegree award
  • Metros with lowest average pay: — Houma-Thibodaux, LA ($23,760) — Charleston, WV ($24,170) — Lake Charles, LA ($24,750)

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1. Attorney at law

Primary duties: An attorney at law, sometimes called a trial lawyer, counsels and represents their clients' legal rights in civil and criminal cases. Attorneys at law can have varying responsibilities depending on who they represent.

2. Patent attorney

Primary duties: A patent attorney helps clients secure patents for inventions or other types of new products.

3. Legal manager

Primary duties: A legal manager offers legal advice to a company or another type of organization.

4. Intellectual property paralegal

Primary duties: An intellectual property paralegal helps attorneys who specialize in protecting their clients' IPs. Intellectual property paralegals can organize paperwork like patent applications, research intellectual property pieces to identify similar products from other sources and review sensitive information while maintaining security.

5. Lawyer

Primary duties: A lawyer represents clients in legal cases and provides legal advice before, during, and after court proceedings. Their job can involve reviewing evidence to develop an argument to use in court, preparing documents like plea agreements and witness statements, and arguing cases in court during trials and hearings.

6. Family lawyer

Primary duties: A family lawyer helps settle cases that focus on events within families, such as divorce or custody agreements. Family lawyers can act as mediators during negotiations between family members or spouses, represent their clients in court, and draft paperwork such as prenuptial agreements and adoption contracts.

7. Personal injury lawyer

Primary duties: A personal injury lawyer takes on cases for people who experience injuries that they aren't personally responsible for, such as an accident at a business place.

1. Corporate Law

The primary role of a corporate lawyer in a large law firm is to ensure the legality of company transactions. In most cases, attorneys' salaries with big law firms will start somewhere between $30,000 and $100,000 a year, depending on the size, location and financial condition of the employer.

2. Criminal Law

Criminal defense lawyers represent individuals under investigation for a crime or who have been arrested for a crime. There is room for a huge difference in salaries depending on the type of criminal cases the attorney handles. The salary trajectory based on the type of criminal lawyer and years of experience is:

3. Bankruptcy Law

Attorneys who handle bankruptcy matters assist individuals and companies in filing for bankruptcy relief. They may also work with creditors to file claims in bankruptcy cases.

4. Family Law

Family law is another area of law that is in high demand. It covers all matters related to divorce, including custody, property division, and domestic support. Family law also includes martial agreements and paternity questions.

5. Immigration Law

When it comes to types of private practice lawyers that make the most compensation, immigration lawyers round up the bottom of the list, according to labor statistics. Immigration lawyers are people who work in the field of helping citizens obtain legal documentation of their current status in the United States.

6. Civil Rights Lawyer

A person that focuses on cases that revolve around things like equality, social freedom, human rights, and discrimination are civil rights lawyers. Often, they handle cases where citizens are put under scrutiny for things they cannot control—the color of their skin, sexual orientation, etc.

7. Personal Injury Lawyer

How much money personal injury lawyers made in the United States during 2019 was $122,960 per year, according to the American Bar Association.

How much do corporate lawyers make?

At the low end of the salary scales, some corporate lawyers make less than some schoolteachers–$66,000. The more successful corporate lawyers can earn well into six figures, though.

How much do tax attorneys make?

Tax attorneys make $80,000 on the low side and $105,000 on the high scale, with most practitioners making nearly $100K. This type of attorney represents a company that deals with federal, state, or even local taxing bodies.

Why do IP lawyers make so much money?

One of the reasons IP lawyers make so much is due to the fact that it can be difficult to sort out IP facts and prove the case evidentially.

What are the skills needed to be a successful trial attorney?

They need to stay current with new, potentially precedent-setting cases. Their verbal, writing, and memory skills should also be top-notch. Personality also plays a huge role in trial attorneys’ compensation. The best trial attorneys are confident, persuasive courtroom performers who are nimble on their feet.

What does an IP lawyer do?

IP lawyers usually deal with patents that protect inventors’ rights and keep copycat competitors at bay during the time period the patent is valid. The stringent patent application process can be challenging even for experienced IP attorneys, so competition for the best, most experienced IP lawyers is high.

How much does a lawyer make in 2021?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average lawyer’s salary is $144,230.

Do trial lawyers make a living?

Some are barely surviving while others are swimming in cash. However, there’s no doubt that a lawyer with a penchant for the courtroom can earn a decent living.

What are the benefits of being a lawyer?

While a legal career often provides you with a generous paycheck, this field also comes with several other benefits. Knowing these benefits can help you determine whether you find this career path worthwhile. Here are some of the benefits of pursuing a legal career: 1 Intellectually challenging: When you work in the legal field, you have to navigate the legal system, take on challenging cases, research complex matters and analyze both your cases and the law. Therefore, having a legal profession provides you with an intellectually stimulating environment. 2 Financially rewarding: The legal industry offers some of the most lucrative careers in the job market. This means you can often expect high salaries which can afford you added luxuries in life. 3 Fulfilling: When you have a legal job, you work with a variety of clients. Knowing you're pursuing justice and helping others resolve their legal problems can help you find fulfillment and give you the satisfaction of knowing you made a difference in their life. 4 Flexible: As a lawyer, you have the ability to set your own hours, choose your own clients and pick your own hours. This means you're better able to balance your personal life with your job, ultimately increasing your job satisfaction. 5 Diverse career options: The legal field houses many careers that serve various legal functions. From lawyers to mediators, you have the opportunity to follow the ever-evolving legal system and the various career paths so long as you meet a particular job's qualifications.

What is the primary job of a corporate lawyer?

Primary duties: Corporate lawyers ensure the legality of commercial transactions. They represent corporations and counsel a corporation's employees regarding their legal duties and their responsibilities. Corporate lawyers often specialize in a specific area of corporate law such as mergers and acquisitions.

What are the duties of an attorney?

Primary duties: An attorney's duties vary based on the type of law they practice . They typically advise their clients regarding litigation and explaining various legal issues they're dealing with. Attorneys also perform research regarding legal cases, interpret case law and decisions from other courts, create case strategies, prepare pleadings and appear in court to defend their clients.

What do immigration lawyers do?

Primary duties: Immigration lawyers advise their clients, whether it's an individual or a business, on matters regarding visa applications, migration, political asylum citizenship, green cards, deportation problems and noncitizen employment . They also represent clients in U.S. Immigration Courts.

What are the benefits of pursuing a legal career?

Here are some of the benefits of pursuing a legal career: Intellectually challenging: When you work in the legal field, you have to navigate the legal system, take on challenging cases, research complex matters and analyze both your cases and the law.

What is the role of a litigation lawyer?

They handle the entire litigation process including the investigation, pleadings, trial and settlement. Litigation lawyers consult with their clients, conduct pre-trial activities and, if a case doesn't reach a settlement in enough time, they represent their client in a trial.

What is the primary job of a counsel?

Primary duties: A counsel provides legal advice and guidance to individuals or organizations. They use their understanding of a company's objectives and strategies to advise them about risks and legal issues regarding management decisions. They work alongside a company's management team to create efficient defense strategies and monitor the company's compliance with various laws and regulations.

What is the highest paid legal profession?

Trial Lawyers. Trial lawyers are among the highest paid legal professionals in the world. Thousands practice across the globe, but civil litigators who handle high-dollar, high-profile and high-stakes cases are the most highly compensated. However, not all lawyers rake in high incomes.

How much do tax attorneys make?

Although this type of work isn’t as flashy as that of trial lawyers, tax attorneys still bring in decent paychecks. The median pay is about $99,000 as of 2018, while some make as much as $200,000 each year.

What is labor attorney?

Employment and labor attorneys work to ensure that relationships between employers and employees stay balanced and fair. They represent either the employers and management or the employees. They are compensated well.

How much do judges make?

Judges preside over court proceedings in federal, state, and local courts. Judges and magistrates earn a median annual salary of $66,000 to as much as $148,000. The highest-paid judges are those within the federal court system, while local judges and magistrates earn the least.

What is the job of a law firm administrator?

Law firm administrators or chief managing officers oversee the business and administrative aspects of running a law firm. Their duties cover the non-legal aspects of law practice, such as financial management and reporting, business development, human resources, facilities management, technology, marketing, and practice management.

What are the qualifications to become a law professor?

Qualifications for top candidates include a law degree from a top law school, law review, high-class standing, judicial clerkship experience, law practice experience, and publication credits in scholarly journals.

Is a law degree required to become a politician?

If you like the idea of working in the business of changing laws for the betterment of an entire state or country, maybe a career in politics is for you. Although a law degree isn’t technically a requirement to get into politics, it can certainly help.

How do personal injury lawyers get paid?

Personal Injury Lawyer gets paid from the client as flat fees, hourly rate, and contingency fees; Mostly Personal Injury Lawyer sets up the particular percentage of settle compensation.

How much does a tax lawyer make in 2021?

Tax Lawyer Salary is $ 109,181; it is the average pay as per report of 2021 by Glassdoor. Tax attorneys have multiple options to work in the private sector or with federal and state governments. Most importantly, every sector needs a tax lawyer; as a result, its employment rate is also good. 3.

What is tax attorney?

2. Tax Attorney (tax law) Tax Lawyers are best paid lawyers who act as remedial person for companies or individuals to relieve tax issues settlement with IRS. Apart from this, they need to advise their client to reduce financial burden.

What is corporate lawyer?

Corporate Lawyers are the shield between their client and the party for closing the contracts and making negotiations on behalf of the company. Corporate Lawyers are multitasking; in some projects, they need to go through various financials and patents of merging companies with depth analysis.

What is the job of an IP lawyer?

If you like to work in diverse fields, you will love the IP Lawyer job; in this law specialization, you have to protect the new inventions made by different field professions. These inventions can be a new drug for a disease, and they can be music.

How do real estate attorneys save the buyer from fraud?

They save the buyer from fraud by checking all the property documents and preparing the legitimate agreement for making the payment process. Apart from the domestic market, the demand for real estate attorneys is also in gas, oil, and electricity to acquire land with ease and authentic process.

Do specialized lawyers have a good success rate?

As per consumers, specialized lawyers are more updated for their niche, which indirectly has a good success rate compared to other lawyers. If you are a law student or will pursue law, you need to know which are the highest paid lawyers specialization in today market.

How much do trial lawyers make?

Top-paid trial lawyers commonly earn more than $10 million in a year, according to a list on Forbes.com. They are usually lawyers for plaintiffs with class action lawsuits or cases involving personal injury, wrongful death, product liability, medical malpractice or patent infringement. These lawyers don't get paid any money unless they win a case, and then they take about one-third of the total settlement.

What is the job of a chief legal officer?

The chief legal officer, sometimes called the general counsel, has responsibility for ensuring that company actions are legal. She oversees the company's legal activities both as a plaintiff and a defendant. Chief legal officers in large corporations may have hundreds of lawyers on staff as well as a large budget they spend on specialized assistance from outside counsel.

How do federal judges work?

Federal judges are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. They usually hold office for life and try cases involving U.S. laws, constitutionality, disputes between states and bankruptcy. State judges may be appointed or elected for a term or for life, depending on the state. They preside over most criminal and civil cases. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that federal judges earned approximately $175,000 to $225,000 as of 2010. Salaries for state judges are approximately $100,000 to $200,000, depending on the state and the court over which they preside.

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Corporate Law

Criminal Law

Bankruptcy Law

Family Law

Immigration Law

Civil Rights Lawyer

Personal Injury Lawyer

Salaries For Other Types of Lawyers

  1. Tax Attorneys / Tax Lawyers– The average salary for Tax Lawyers with extensive tax laws knowledge is $88,863 an year.
  2. IP Lawyers, IP Attorneys– The average Intellectual Property Attorney salary is $174,562 as of August 27, 2022, but the range for intellectual property lawyers typically falls between $158,390 and $...
  1. Tax Attorneys / Tax Lawyers– The average salary for Tax Lawyers with extensive tax laws knowledge is $88,863 an year.
  2. IP Lawyers, IP Attorneys– The average Intellectual Property Attorney salary is $174,562 as of August 27, 2022, but the range for intellectual property lawyers typically falls between $158,390 and $...
  3. Medical Lawyers – Salaries as high as $155,331 and as low as $20,154, the majority of Medical Lawyersalaries currently range between $31,950 (25th percentile) to $83,563 (75th percentile) with top...
  4. Real Estate Lawyers– The average Real Estate Attorney salary in the United States is $152,863 as of August 27, 2022, but the range typically falls between $133,300 and $169,371, includin…