BigLaw vs. Public Interest: Choosing Your Legal Career Path

Choosing between BigLaw and public interest is one of the most consequential career decisions you'll make in law school. Both paths offer meaningful work, but they differ dramatically in compensation, lifestyle, and day-to-day experience. Here's how to think through this choice and find the right path for you.

Defining the Paths

BigLaw

Large law firms (typically 100+ attorneys) representing corporate clients, governments, and high-net-worth individuals.

Practice areas: Corporate transactions, litigation, regulatory compliance, intellectual property, tax, antitrust.

Clients: Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, tech startups, private equity firms.

Public Interest Law

Legal work serving underrepresented populations or advancing social causes, typically at non-profits, government agencies, or legal aid organizations.

Practice areas: Civil rights, immigration, criminal defense, environmental law, housing, family law, policy advocacy.

Clients: Individuals, communities, advocacy organizations.

Compensation Comparison

BigLaw Salary (2024)

First-year associate: $215,000 (Cravath scale, most top firms) Bonuses: $15,000-50,000+ annually Partner track: $500,000+ after 8-10 years (if you make partner)

Total early-career comp: $230,000-270,000/year

Public Interest Salary

Entry-level: $50,000-70,000 (legal aid, public defenders) Mid-career (5-10 years): $70,000-100,000 Senior positions: $100,000-150,000 (rare exceptions higher)

Total early-career comp: $50,000-70,000/year

The Gap

BigLaw pays 3-4x more than public interest out of law school. Over a decade, this compounds to millions of dollars in lifetime earnings.

BUT: Money isn't everything. Lifestyle, fulfillment, and values matter.

Work-Life Balance

BigLaw Hours

Billable hour requirements: 1,900-2,200 hours/year Actual hours worked: 2,200-2,800+ (not all work is billable) Average workweek: 60-80 hours, often including nights and weekends

Unpredictability: Client emergencies, deal deadlines, and trial prep mean you're often on-call.

Vacation: Technically 3-4 weeks, but often hard to use fully (deals and cases don't pause).

Public Interest Hours

Average workweek: 40-50 hours Predictability: More control over schedule (though crises happen) Vacation: Typically 2-3 weeks, easier to actually take

Trade-off: Lower pay, but more time for family, hobbies, and rest.

Type of Work

BigLaw Work

Pros:

• Sophisticated, high-stakes matters (billion-dollar deals, precedent-setting cases)
• Exposure to elite clients and industries
• Resources for research, travel, and professional development
• Prestige and resume-building

Cons:

• Often narrow specialization (you might spend years on a single type of transaction)
• Heavy document review and due diligence (especially as a junior associate)
• Less client contact (you're often 2-3 layers removed from the decision-maker)
• Ethical tensions (representing corporate clients you may not believe in)

Public Interest Work

Pros:

• Direct client contact and meaningful relationships
• Clear social impact (helping people in need, advancing justice)
• Values alignment (work that reflects your beliefs)
• Variety (broader exposure to different types of cases)

Cons:

• Limited resources (small budgets, heavy caseloads)
• Emotionally draining (clients facing poverty, trauma, injustice)
• Less sophisticated work (some cases are straightforward, repetitive)
• Bureaucracy (government and non-profit red tape)

Career Trajectory

BigLaw Path

Years 1-3: Junior associate (document review, research, drafting) Years 4-6: Mid-level associate (more responsibility, client interaction) Years 7-9: Senior associate (managing deals/cases, mentoring juniors) Years 10+: Partnership decision (up or out in many firms)

Exit options:

• In-house counsel (corporate legal departments)
• Government (DOJ, SEC, FTC)
• Boutique firms
• Public interest (with debt paid off)

Public Interest Path

Years 1-3: Entry-level attorney (managing cases, direct client work) Years 4-7: Senior attorney (complex cases, supervision of juniors) Years 8+: Leadership (managing attorney, policy director, executive director)

Exit options:

• Government (policy roles, administrative positions)
• Non-profit leadership
• Academia
• Private practice (smaller firms, solo practice)

Law School Debt Considerations

The Problem

Average law school debt: $120,000-200,000.

BigLaw: High salary makes repayment manageable (can pay off in 3-5 years with discipline).

Public Interest: Salary barely covers living expenses + minimum payments.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)

How it works: Work for a qualifying employer (government or 501(c)(3) non-profit) for 10 years while making income-driven repayments. Remaining balance is forgiven.

Requirements:

• 120 qualifying monthly payments
• Full-time employment at qualifying organization
• Income-driven repayment plan (IBR, PAYE, REPAYE)

Pros: Can eliminate six-figure debt.

Cons: 10 years is a long commitment, and program changes are possible.

Strategy: If pursuing public interest, enroll in PSLF immediately after graduation.

Making the Choice

Questions to Ask Yourself

1. What kind of work energizes you?

• Do you want to work on cutting-edge corporate deals, or fight for individuals in need?
• Do you prefer specialization (BigLaw) or variety (public interest)?

2. How important is money to you?

• Can you live comfortably on $60,000/year (especially in expensive cities)?
• Do you have family obligations, debt, or lifestyle preferences that require higher income?

3. What's your tolerance for long hours?

• Are you willing to sacrifice nights, weekends, and vacations for higher pay?
• Do you need predictable hours to maintain mental health, relationships, or outside interests?

4. What are your long-term goals?

• Do you want to make partner at a firm, or lead a non-profit?
• Do you see law as a lifelong career, or a stepping stone to something else (politics, business, academia)?

5. What are your values?

• Does the idea of representing corporate clients sit well with you?
• Do you need your work to align with your social or political beliefs?

Hybrid Paths

You don't have to choose forever. Many lawyers do both at different stages.

Common hybrid paths:

1. BigLaw → Public Interest Work BigLaw for 3-5 years, pay off debt, then transition to public interest.

Pros: Financial security, resume boost, BigLaw training. Cons: Risk of golden handcuffs (lifestyle inflation makes it hard to leave).

2. Public Interest → BigLaw Start in public interest, then move to BigLaw for financial reasons.

Pros: Meaningful early-career experience. Cons: Harder to break into BigLaw as a lateral hire.

3. Split Career Alternate between public interest and private practice throughout your career.

4. Pro Bono Work BigLaw but do significant pro bono work (many firms encourage 50-100 hours/year).

Red Flags

You Might Not Be Happy in BigLaw If:

• You hate working long, unpredictable hours
• You need frequent feedback and validation (feedback is sparse in BigLaw)
• You want close client relationships
• You're deeply uncomfortable representing corporate clients
• You struggle with hierarchy and rigid structures

You Might Not Be Happy in Public Interest If:

• You have significant debt and no plan to manage it
• You need variety in your work (some PI jobs are repetitive)
• You're uncomfortable with limited resources and bureaucracy
• You struggle with emotionally heavy work (trauma, poverty, injustice)
• You want prestige and external validation

Final Thoughts

There's no "right" answer. Both paths offer meaningful work and fulfilling careers—just in different ways.

Key principles:

1. Be honest with yourself: About money, lifestyle, and values. Don't choose based on what you think you "should" want.

2. Talk to people in both paths: Informational interviews with BigLaw associates and public interest attorneys will give you real insights.

3. You can change your mind: Many lawyers switch paths. Your first job isn't your last job.

4. Optimize for learning and growth early: Your first 3-5 years shape your skills and network. Choose a path that will teach you the most.

5. Don't let debt paralyze you: PSLF makes public interest viable even with debt. BigLaw makes debt disappear quickly.

Ultimately, the best path is the one that aligns with your skills, values, and life goals. Choose thoughtfully, but don't agonize. You'll learn more about what you want by doing the work than by overthinking the decision.