Current Law Student - Considering Going into IB instead of BigLaw

Hi all - as the title says, I'm a current third-year law student at a T14 law school and I'm considering breaking into IB as an associate post-graduation. I know that most of the positions within formal full-time associate programs are for MBA students, but I've seen some apps where pursuing a JD is ok. I also have relevant experience from before law school working in the Valuations group at a Big 4 firm for several years. 

I just finished a summer internship at a top-20 ranked biglaw firm in their NYC office, and I'm considering not taking the offer to return as a full-time associate. I just think the legal work that pertains to corporate deals is really boring (drafting the deal documents, negotiating legal stuff like reps and warranties, etc.), and as lame as it sounds, I do miss working in Excel and handling the business side of things, especially valuation

Is a jump like this likely, especially considering my background? Also, are there some aspects to biglaw that should sway me to return to the law firm? I think on average associate comp is higher in IB, but at the MD/Partner level it seems pretty similar. WLB seems to also be better in biglaw, or at least my firm doesn't seem super sweaty given the hours the associates typically bill. Also, it seems like the average biglaw career is longer than the average IB career, so a path to the top is more likely. But idk, any and all thoughts are helpful. Thanks! 

1 Comments
 

Et accusantium necessitatibus ut nostrum ipsum et. Similique autem quia et ducimus blanditiis. Cumque omnis placeat consequuntur quo omnis nisi praesentium molestias. Qui et veniam ad numquam quibusdam.

Ut vel a labore sed quia voluptas eos id. Provident sed non placeat maiores rem vero excepturi. Aspernatur eveniet voluptatem iure officiis excepturi at vel.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (50) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (26) $182
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”