AL-55 · Education Path & ROI

Law School ROI
by Career Track

A T14 JD going into public interest can outperform a regional JD going into BigLaw — or not. Model the 10-year NPV of four law career tracks: BigLaw, In-House/Mid-Market, Government, and Public Interest. Computes PSLF loan forgiveness, break-even year, and monthly payment under IDR vs. standard repayment.

📊 NALP 2024 BigLaw median $225K · DOJ GS-11 scale 2025 · IBR/SAVE payment rules 2024 · PSLF 10-yr forgiveness logic. All embedded.
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School & Debt Profile Inputs
Include accrued interest. T14 avg ~$160–200K; regional avg ~$100–130K.
Grad PLUS 2024–25: 9.08%. Direct Unsubsidized: 8.08%. Check your servicer.
What you'd earn without law school (forgone during 3 years of JD).
10 years aligns with PSLF eligibility. 20 years for full IDR forgiveness.
Career Track Salaries Customize

Defaults auto-filled by school tier. Adjust to your target market.

Cravath scale 2024: $225K for class of 2024 associates
Market bonus yr 1: ~$15–30K. Senior associates: $100K+
DOJ honors: ~$72–82K. AUSA ~$72K. State AG ~$55–70K.
Legal aid, public defender, nonprofit. LRAP grants may apply.
Applied uniformly. BigLaw lockstep adds ~5–8%/yr for associates.
Loan Repayment & PSLF
SAVE plan: 5% for undergrad loans; 10% for grad. IBR: 10–15%.
2025 federal poverty guideline for 1-person household: $15,650
Track Comparison — -Year NPV
Key Metrics
Loan Repayment Comparison
Analysis & Caveats