5 Highest Paying Law Jobs

  • Trial Lawyer
  • Corporate Lawyer
  • Tax Lawyer
  • Patent Lawyer
  • Real Estate Lawyer

It can take approximately three years or more to finish law school, but the education received will prepare students to work in many different careers in law. As they also need a bachelor’s degree to work in the field, many students will want to know how much they can make and the types of jobs they can get when they graduate. Some of the highest paying jobs in the legal field may surprise some of those students.

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1. Trial Lawyer

Working as a trial lawyer is one of the highest paid jobs in this field. Trial lawyers can work for the defense or the prosecution, and they can work on small or large cases. A large case might include a group of people suing a car manufacturer because of injuries they suffered due to a malfunction with that vehicle. Those who handle small cases might work with those accused of committing crimes. Trial lawyers must work with their clients to prepare them for the cases and handle any settlement offers.

2. Corporate Lawyer

Companies of all types and sizes hire corporate lawyers to help them with their legal needs. The duties of a corporate lawyer can vary significantly based on the type of companies they work with and the unique needs of those companies. They may offer advice and guidance when it comes to acquiring real estate or selling holdings to another company. Corporate lawyers also help companies facing lawsuits from current or former employees, including cases involving workplace accidents and sexual harassment.

3. Tax Lawyer

A tax lawyer can make anywhere from $90,000 to more than $200,000 a year. It often depends on who they work with and for and where they work. The Internal Revenue Service requires that individuals and companies file their taxes each year. It can issue refunds for those who paid more than they owed and go after those who owe more. Tax lawyers represent their cases in claims involving the IRS. They can help their clients settle their tax debts for less than they owe and work out a payment plan to pay the amount due over time.

4. Patent Lawyer

According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a patent troll is someone who purchases or acquires patents and then sues companies that make similar products. Some companies will settle for less than the amount demanded to simply make the case go away. Patent lawyers help their clients defend their patents and stop those trolls. They gather any available evidence to show that their clients own those patents and that the products they make do not violate any patents issued to other people or companies. These lawyers can charge thousands of dollars to handle a simple claim.

Related Resource: Top 30 Most Affordable Law Degree Programs Online

5. Real Estate Lawyer

Real estate lawyers can make $90,000 or more each year as they help their clients with real estate transactions. When one company wants to buy another company outright, the owners must file the proper documents to take over any property that the seller owned. It can take months to create those documents and get both parties to sign the paperwork. Some of the highest paid careers in law include those in the real estate field because those lawyers can save their clients both time and money.

Many students enter law school with some idea of what they want to practice, but a large number of those students change their minds before they graduate. Students who look at the top paying careers in law can get help deciding which practice area is right for them.

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