Civil Legal Aid Attorneys Still Lowest-Paid in Legal Profession and Get Small Salary Gains with Experience
Legal Services Corporation ("LSC"), "Civil Legal Aid Lawyers Still the Lowest-Paid in Legal Profession," Legal Services Update, October 9, 2008

LSC reports: "The National Association for Law Placement (NALP) has released its 2008 Public Sector and Public Interest Attorney Salary Report, which provides salary information for both entry-level and experienced attorneys at public sector and public interest organizations. The report shows that while the median salaries for civil legal aid lawyers have been steadily increasing in recent years, they are still the lowest in the legal profession -- less than the salaries for public defenders, state and local prosecutors, and lawyers at other public interest organizations. An entry-level attorney at a civil legal aid program could expect to make around $40,000 a year, compared with $47,000 as a public defender or $50,000 as a state prosecutor. The situation does not improve with time either, according to the report. Legal aid lawyers with 11 to 15 years of experience can expect to earn a median salary of merely $60,000, less than the salary of a first-year attorney at a small private firm."