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[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally posted by Stugots
Answer: Non law-related fields without serious luck and/or connections (i.e., for the average person)? None.

You want to have it all (no problem; I do too). You want a $150K salary for 5 years of experience and prospects of $250K+/yr after 10ish years and more beyond that. But, don't want the billing, the hours, the stress, the firm politics, pressures to develop business, etc. Just want the money, in a non-legal career, wihtout at the lawfirm pitfalls. Here are the options to bigfirm practice and pitfalls as I see them:

(1) work for the govt in a legal capacity. States pay okay; feds pay better; benefits are good. Salary can be near $100k soon, but pretty much levels off and stays stagnant. Very difficlut to make more than $120K working for the gov't.

(2) non-firm jobs in the private sector. In-house, teach, non-profit, westlaw rep, headhunter, etc. Most don't pay too well; some very boring. In-house comparable to lawfirms in the initial years; however, unless you become the general counsel, salary is stagnant after $150k-ish.

(3) move to a smaller firm. Less money, but presumably less stress, less hours, etc.

(4) Lottery, sugar mama/daddy, crime, prostitution, porn.

(5) Bite the bullet and acknowledge that going to law school was a mistake for you. Find a professional field of interest where you can make good money (business, medicine, real estate, sales, and the like). Then, either get an advanced degree to assist with that field or enter it at the ground level and work your way up to successes and potential riches. This is what non-lawyers do. No reason that lawyers, entering a non-legal field, don't have to do it also.

Options 1-3 are all good, legitimate ways to get away from the bigfirm life. Must accept the tradeoff however that the money will not be as good. No. 4 could be fun and have perks; could also lead to time the big house. No. 5 is the only real option, for most people, to make biglaw cash in a non-legal profession. Takes lots of sacrafice, time and work.

That's just the way it is. We don't like to admit it; that's why we keep asking the question.

Ok, you've answered the first half of the question. And you're right.

The best option for litigators is sales. So now answer the second part of the question... what are the emerging industries where sales will be hot in the coming decade and what are the best geographic markets for jobs with high salary growth potential?

I'll answer part of my own question by saying that I've scoured my area, Phildelphia greater met area, for sales positions, and there are none because no one is selling shit here because no one in this area has any money and no new business is coming into town. So, (a) what would you sell if you could and (b) where would you sell it?

S(I've heard Raliegh Durham is an area on the move)D