The secret to turning interviews into offers is preparation.
To help you effectively prepare for interviews, the Career Development Office offers all of our law students and alumni the following resources.
Salary Considerations
Some law firms ask for your salary requirements, and smaller firms negotiate offers during your first (and only) interview. You should be familiar with the prevailing salaries in the current market:
- For law clerks, the pay can range from $0 to $20 an hour, but the general range in the Inland Empire is $10 to $15 per hour (it is slightly higher in Los Angeles). If you have graduated, but have not yet been admitted to the bar, the general range is $15 to $30 an hour.
- For summer associates at large firms, the weekly salary is based on the first year annual salary of an associate; the weekly pay averages between $1,400 and $3,000. You should know that compensation varies between offices; typically, the Inland Empire office of a national or international law firm offers a lower salary than the Los Angeles or Orange County office of the same firm.
- For attorney positions in the Inland Empire, you can generally expect a starting salary of between $50,000 to $75,000. You may or may not be expected to contribute to your benefits.
Here are the median salaries for associates at different sized law firms:
- 2-10 Attorneys: $50,000
- 11-25 Attorneys: $61,000
- 26-50 Attorneys: $75,000
- 51-100 Attorneys: $87,500
- 101-250 Attorneys: $110,000
- 251-500 Attorneys: $160,000
- 501+ Attorneys: $160,000
The national median entry-level salary of a civil legal services attorney is approximately $90,000.
The national median entry-level salary of a public interest attorney is approximately $50,300.
Although government salaries are generally non-negotiable, the national median entry-level salary of a local prosecutor is approximately $56,200 and the national median entry-level salary of a public defender is approximately $58,400.
Mock Interviews
Students at the College of Law are welcome to sign up for a mock interview with the Career Development Office. Each mock interview lasts approximately a half hour to forty-five minutes with 15-20 minutes worth of questions and the remaining time for an evaluation.
Offsite Mock Interview Program
Students have the opportunity to practice their interviewing skills with a local attorney. Students will travel to the attorney’s office and receive valuable feedback from actual practicing attorneys. Mock interviews generally last about 15 to 20 minutes, with about 10 to 15 minutes of feedback. To register for this offsite program, please contact Kelly Fragiacomo.