[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by Sreesh1009

I'm more into Corporate Law but I'm not sure if they pay big bucks here :(.

The key to making money is professional competence, in any field, and most certainly in the legal field. And yes, corporate law pays big enough bucks to keep most happy.

In fact, being a graduate of the NLSIU Bangalore myself, I will stick my neck out and say that the starting advantage that you gain by graduating from a premier law school lasts only for the initial couple of years at best. After that it is your personal competence and willingness to put in hard work and hours that counts. If you work hard, you will definitely do well and make good enough money in the legal profession, be it in a corporate law firm or as a court litigator. If you do not, people from smaller and less significant law schools who are harder workers will most definitely move ahead of you in your organisation.

Originally Posted by ajmat

Just remember, lawyers charge on a time base, time is of the essence, the high salary is offset by sudden requests, tight deadlines etc. Its okay when you are young but you you have a family , it all changes.I have a cousin who could have been a senior partner but she switched to a corporate lawyer in order to balance out with her family.

In my first job at one of the largest law firms in the country, my average sleeping time was anywhere between 1-2 am, with all nighters being a regular feature of my job profile. I remember many nights when I slept in office at my desk at 6 am, and restarted work at 830-9 am, using a change of clothes kept in office! This firm did pay big bucks, but in the bargain, one had to more or less surrender personal commitments and the idea of free weekends etc. This was 15 years back when I was a fresh graduate out of law school. This model lost its charm very fast, though.

Along the way, I made conscious decisions to balance work and personal life, and am now a partner specialising in corporate law (specifically foreign investments, private equity, mergers and acquisitions etc) in a much smaller law firm, but with way more control over how much time I need to spend at work and outside of it. Yes, I still have the opportunity and ability to move to a much bigger organisation with much better financial outcomes, but there comes a time when a fatter and juicier salary loses significance as compared to other aspects of professional life. It is a journey about prioritisation, and everyone goes through it.

Anyway, the point is - money can be very well made if you are a hard working lawyer, in any set up, whether as a corporate lawyer or otherwise. Just like any other profession, law demands commitment and dedication, and thereafter, the sky is the limit.