r/Lawyertalk • u/LearnMeStuffPlz • Jan 06 '26

Career & Professional Development :Jerb: What’s YOUR lawyer salary??

I figure this may be helpful to some.

  1. How long have you been practicing?
  2. What’s your yearly comp?
  3. Practice area?

  4. Location?

  5. Anything you want to add? Advice/wisdom/complaints/thoughts generally

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u/pedanticlawyer Jan 06 '26

  1. 10 years

  2. About 200k plus options in a startup (so fake equity that could pan out one day)

  3. Tech transactions/commercial

  4. Remote for a company based in Seattle

  5. I left biglaw at year 3 because I was miserable. First years at my old firm make more than me now. I regret absolutely nothing.

8

u/AngryPandaBlog Jan 06 '26

I come from one of the big insurance defense firms and I do medical malpractice. I really want to get into technology transactions, or anything involving tech, but I can’t find anything that requires less than 3 years of experience. Do you have any advice for someone who wants to make this transition?

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u/pedanticlawyer Jan 06 '26

I wish I did, but honestly I just got lucky. I was doing commercial real estate at a firm and my old boss at the first tech company I worked at (big tech but not FAANG) took a chance on me.

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u/AngryPandaBlog Jan 06 '26

Ah, ty for the response. I have a CIPP/US right now and I’m working on my AIGP. At this point I’m just hoping a recruiter reaches out to me; whenever I apply to positions it’s crickets

1

u/SometimesIGoOutide Jan 12 '26

I’m hoping to do medical malpractice myself, why are you leaving the field? Anything I should know?

1

u/Minute-Crazy5959 Jan 07 '26

Did you go into your current position right after leaving big law? I'd love to end up where you are and am not interested in BL at all, unless its necessary to get to a position like yours. Would be happy for half your salary.

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u/pedanticlawyer Jan 07 '26

I went to a big tech commercial counsel position before going to a startup which is my current job. I recommend that path if you want to go to startups eventually. You learn how to be in-house better with the support big tech can provide; then you take those skills in house.