© WikiMedia Wikimedia A courtroom (2) at Osgoode Hall, used by the Ontario Court of Appeal.
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How much money does a lawyer make?
Debuts
Trainee lawyers receive a starting salary of around £30,000 in their first year of training, rising to £38,000 during their second year. Salaries for newly qualified lawyers in top London firms range between £25,000 and £45,000 per year.
Experienced lawyers
Lawyers with ten years’ experience in the field can expect to earn attorney compensation of around £100,000, with partners in top law firms earning over £1.5million, depending upon the success of the company.
Criteria
The average salary of a lawyer and lawyer salary progression is dependent upon the size of the firm for which a lawyer works, the location of the firm, and the type of work performed.
How to enter into the profession
Academic requirements
The traditional route to becoming a lawyer is to achieve good A level grades. This will allow you to enter into a university law school. At university you will need to graduate with at least a 2:1 honours degree in law. The higher the degree classification earned, the more likely you are to be offered a training contract at a respected law firm.
Diploma courses
If you aren’t a graduate of law, you can still become a lawyer by enrolling on a Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) course. This will teach you all you need to know to become a lawyer. The course is typically studied full-time over one year. However, if you are unable to commit to full-time study, it is possible to take the course over two years.
Practice course
Once you have earned your law degree or GDL qualification, you will need to take a Legal Practice Course (LPC). This course can be studied full-time over one year or part-time over two or three years.
Costs
An LPC may cost you £13,000. You may find a firm willing to provide you with sponsorship. Alternatively, you will have to dip into your own savings or be prepared to take out a loan to cover the costs of your training.
Training
Once you have passed your LPC, you will be required to secure a training contract with a law firm. In-house training courses may last up to two years and will allow you to earn a trainee lawyer income. From here, you can gain the experience required to take on more complex and higher-paid legal cases.