I think I want to go to a top 15 law school so I can work at a large law firm to earn a large salary, what is it like working at a large law firm?

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The workload is very large translating into very long hours, although the financial rewards are very high. Depending on the area of law and law firm the hours will be approximately 65 - 90 hours per week. Some current first and second year associates report that in some large firm's litigation departments an 8 a.m. - 12 midnight workday is common. Also, a significant amount of work is performed on weekends although usually the work can be performed at home. Some of the more liberal large firms only require the associates to be in the office from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Some of the specialty practice areas have less of a workload and therefore less working hours i.e. Transactional Patent Law, which requires a hard science background and passing the patent bar exam.

Overall pay is very high for large law firm associates; Depending on the location and size of the firm the first year associate pay can be approximately $140,000 - $205,000 per year. Many first year associates do not like the long work hours as their social life suffers greatly and many leave after 2 years. Although, many associates really like the large law firm experience and work in large firms their entire careers.

Honolulu, HI - The University of Hawaii, William S. Richardson School of Law, is undergoing extensive improvements to their law library. The University of Hawaii will be adding a second story to the building in a environmentally safe manner with the intention of obtaining a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Check out the F.A.Q.'s for much more information on the top law schools as well as the lesser known, or lower ranked, law schools.

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Law School in alphabetical order	Tuition: Non-Res Resident	Acceptance	Bar Pass	% Employed @ 9 mos. after Graduation	% Employed  @ Graduation	Avg. Salary	Size	25% LSAT	75% LSAT	Median LSAT	25% GPA	75% GPA	Median GPA	Summary
Univ. of Nebraska College of Law	$25,142    $11,248	37.1	NE:87.1	96	78.9	56,690	400	155	160	157	3.23	3.78	3.52
Univ. of Nevada, Las Vegas, William S. Boyd School of Law	20,600    10,300	23.1	NV:76.6	91.5	N/A	75,000	341	155	160	158	3.20	3.71	3.44
University of New Mexico School of Law	25,644    11,594	22.5	NM:92.4	98.5	60.5	53,000	347	152	159	154	3.09	3.72	3.31
Univ. of North Carolina School of Law	27,858    15,040	18.5	NC:86.5	98.3	62.6	95,000	699	157	164	161	3.45	3.8	3.6
Univ. of North Dakota School of Law	20,985    9,634	28.5	ND:76.2	92.4	N/A	42,500	241	147	154	151	3.02	3.73	3.38
Univ. of Oklahoma College of Law	26,599    16,340	38.4	OK:96.2	95.7	81.7	65,000	510	154	160	157	3.35	3.78	3.57
Univ. of Oregon School of Law	25,610    20,570	40.8	OR:85.4	96.3	63.3	62,000	528	156	160	158	3.27	3.68	3.45
University of Pennsylvania School of Law	41,600	16	NY:94.4	98.2	95.3	135,000	782	166	171	169	3.46	3.88	3.69
University of Pittsburgh School of Law	31,576    23,432	36.9	PA:89.9	94.1	73.5	75,000	714	157	161	159	3.10	3.64	3.40
University of Puerto Rico School of Law	6,971    5,350	35.8	PR:78	81.2	N/A	N/A	717	142	149	145	3.45	3.85	3.68
University of Richmond School of Law	31,510	34.7	VA:84.8	95.1	72.5	68,158	500	159	164	161	3.25	3.72	3.50
University of San Diego School of Law	39,800	31.5	CA:75.5	87.9	N/A	91,020	768	160	164	162	3.22	3.66	3.32
University of San Francisco School of Law	35,800	37.7	CA:73.3	94	N/A	95,000	556	156	161	159	2.98	3.51	3.32
University of South Carolina School of Law	35,220  17,448	35.9	SC:87.9	97	63.9	68,000	665	156	160	159	3.1	3.7	3.4
University of South Dakota School of Law	17,606   8,991	49.3	SD:83.6	93.3	59.3	44,500	222	150	156	153	3.21	3.75	3.48
University of Southern California, Gould School of Law	42,968	18.7	CA:89	96	90.1	135,000	620	165	167	166	3.48	3.71	3.60
University of St. Thomas School of Law - Minneapolis	32,519	48.6	MN:91.2	94.9	N/A	52,000	467	154	160	156	3.01	3.59	3.36
University of Tennessee College of Law	29,304  12,084	29	TN:91.6	99	74	83,300	469	154	161	159	3.34	3.78	3.55
Univ. of Texas School of Law	39,642  23,988	24	TX:89.4	99	92	113,000	1291	164	168	167	3.42	3.82	3.62
University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law	36,544	39.7	CA:72.7	94.4	N/A	83,667	615	155	160	158	3.14	3.59	3.42
Univ. of Toledo College of Law	26,184  16,440	26.9	OH:91.1	97.2	71.5	57,700	348	156	161	159	3.1	3.82	3.73
Univ. of Tulsa College of Law	27,500	51	OK:88.2	90.5	56.1	46,500	449	152	157	154	2.98	3.61	3.30
Univ. of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law	29,134  13,624	36.9	UT:90	98.5	96.2	68,000	397	157	162	160	3.38	3.79	3.63
Univ. of Virginia School of Law	41,800  36,800	24	VA:91.1	99.6	96.8	145,000	1175	167	171	170	3.51	3.87	3.76
University of Washington School of Law	28,809  19,585	22.7	WA:84.7	98.9	87.6	110,094	528	159	166	163	3.52	3.85	3.72
University of Wisconsin Law School	34,655  14,730	29.5	WI:100	97.2	72.9	105,000	807	157	163	161	3.32	3.74	3.59
Univ. of Wyoming College of Law	17,977   8,491	31.4	WY:78.4	87	N/A	47,250	228	150	155	153	3.26	3.63	3.43
Valparaiso Univ. School of Law	34,430	26.6	IN:82.5	88.1	39.4	57,000	486	150	154	151	3.23	3.67	3.47
Vanderbilt Univ. School of Law	41,850	25	TN:97.8	98.3	95	115,000	601	164	169	168	3.52	3.86	3.72
Vermont Law School	38,408	58.6	VT:71.9	90.7	N/A	50,000	555	151	158	155	2.95	3.54	3.25
Villanova Univ. School of Law	33,490	43.4	PA:89	94.3	64.2	100,000	727	160	163	162	3.19	3.64	3.49
Wake Forest Univ. Sch. of Law	33,950	35.4	NC:87.5	96	71.3	77,000	452	160	165	163	3.26	3.70	3.43
Washburn Univ. School of Law	24,600  15,750	52.3	KS:89.3	95	N/A	51,000	430	150	155	152	3.01	3.60	3.31
Washington and Lee University School of Law	35,260	23.6	VA:79.2	97	84	110,000	395	161	167	166	3.25	3.81	3.52
Washington Univ. in St. Louis School of Law	39,700	25.7	IL:93	99	83.9	130,000	800	162	168	167	3.2	3.7	3.6
Wayne State University School of Law	24,647    22,407	51.8	MI:92.2	87.9	N/A	60,000	481	152	158	154	3.29	3.69	3.49
West Virginia University College of Law	24,010    10,644	37.2	WV:66.3	94.5	70	52,500	443	150	156	153	3.18	3.75	3.42
Western New England College School of Law	32,756	71	MA:75.3	82	N/A	52,450	397	151	156	153	2.8	3.38	3.2
Western State University - College of Law	31,000	45.1	CA:73	57.9	N/A	54,000	259	149	153	150	2.81	3.42	3.12
Whittier Law School	33,900	59	CA:84.6	92.1	N/A	70,000	372	149	153	151	2.62	3.12	2.99
Widener Univ. School of Law (both campuses)	31,950	51	PA:77.3	82.8	52.9	60,000	879	150	154	151	2.88	3.46	3.15
William & Mary Law School	30,346    20,146	27.1	VA:86.8	96.3	82.3	135,000	617	159	166	164	3.44	3.82	3.64
William Mitchell College of Law	30,650	51.3	MN:94.2	96.7	N/A	63,611	233	153	158	156	3.22	3.71	3.53
Williamette Univ. College of Law	28,250	45	OR:83.7	91	N/A	50,000	395	152	157	154	3.00	3.43	3.26
Yale Law School	44,000	7.6	NY:91.2	99.6	96.1	145,000	659	169	177	173	3.81	3.97	3.90
*Drexel Univ., Earle Mack School of Law	28,850	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	450	155	161	159	3.07	3.63	3.45

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Irvine, CA - UC Irvine will hold its first law school class in August, 2009. The school's Dean is the renowned constitutional law scholar and attorney Erwin Cherminsky. The law school is expected to gain great notoriety and respect by many in the legal community.