Every placement season, the same three pieces of information float around your law school WhatsApp groups. A name, a package and a mention of ‘Tier-1’
Few explain what these mean and fewer still account for the differences in the fixed pay, bonus on offer and work involved.
This guide decodes law firm tiers, PQE and fresher pay in Mumbai and Pune. Suggests what you can begin to do in your second year to be a stronger candidate.
A brief disclaimer on the figures!
Since Indian law firms do not publish salary scales, the numbers in this article are indicative of what’s generally reported around campus placements and by recent joiners.
Consider these ranges, not figures that are guaranteed.
Salaries can vary significantly every year. Will depend on the firm, office practice groups and your law school. Before finalising anything, double-check with seniors who recently joined a firm.
The true meaning of ‘Tier-1, Tier-2 and boutique’
There is no ranking that categorises firms in tiers. There is no regulator that decides what falls under ‘large service,’ ‘mid-size’ or ’boutique.’ These terms exist as shorthand among students and recruiters.
Tier-1 typically refers to the full-service firms that have substantial M&A, private equity and banking practices. These are the names frequently placed in the Tier category: Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas, AZB & Partners, Khaitan & Co, Trilegal and JSA. These firms recruit from top NLUs and premier private law schools.
Tier-2 or mid-size firms have strong work but smaller-scale operations. Bharucha & Partners and Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan are often mentioned in discussions around salary.
Boutique firms are organisations with niche specialisations, often in intellectual property, tax, arbitration or real estate. Some boutiques pay at the level of Tier-1. A common misconception is to consider ‘Tier-1’ as synonymous with quality.
While a Tier-1 firm may offer an overview of the ins and outs of company law, a boutique specialising in arbitration might offer a steeper learning curve.
The reality of pay at Tier-1 firms
Recent NLU batches: Tier-1 offers typically land in the high teens in lakhs. For the Batch of 2025, Trilegal is at ₹19.5 lakh, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas is between ₹18-19 lakh and JSA is at approximately ₹15.7 lakh. While general estimates for NLUs hover between ₹15 and ₹20 lakh, pay scales vary greatly depending on the school, the firm and the city.
The part that students often forget is that while a certain amount is decided on a fixed, performance-based component, a bonus is frequently included in the package that is rarely given in full. A closer examination reveals that two offers of value can put significantly different numbers in your account each month.
Equally important is the number of seats. While larger firms may take 170 freshers, others might take 80 or even 50 seats.. All of these will be distributed across all law schools, meaning incredibly cutthroat competition.
The true picture of pay at Tier-2 and mid-size firms
Tier-2 freshers’ pay estimates range from ₹6-12 lakh with significant variation on a per-firm basis. Veritas Legal is at ₹14-15 lakh; Bharucha & Partners is at around ₹12 lakh in Mumbai; Spice Route Legal is ₹12 lakh fixed and a bonus of around ₹4 lakh; Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan is ₹9 lakh plus bonuses and Regstreet Law Advisors is ₹7-8 lakh, no bonus.
The lesson to be learned here is that when a student hears the word ‘Tier-2’, it is vital to ask about the fixed component and the bonus separately.
The murky waters of boutique pay
Boutique pay is the hardest to estimate, with students reporting from about ₹30,000 a month at some firms to ₹60,000 or more at others. A few boutiques even claim to pay on par with Tier-1. Some students also report that firms that promise exorbitant pay have incredibly long ‘training’ periods or entirely unpaid ‘training’.
Use this as a reminder to ask questions or request a written offer before finalising anything.
Pune versus Mumbai
Hiring from Tier-1 is concentrated in Mumbai and Delhi, and Pune has few large-firm seats. Trilegal has a Pune office besides Dua Associates and Solomon & Co. Many Pune-based firms are smaller and specialised.
In terms of pay, Pune sits 20-30% below Mumbai, while the cost of living is also lower, partially offsetting the difference. Do not overlook this city, however, as smaller firms offer the possibility of client and drafting exposure.
Fresh graduates from non-NLU colleges can begin much lower, anywhere between ₹3 lakh a year. This does not mean that they cannot land a position but it usually takes longer.
A common route is through internships, moves and working up through the ranks, making PQE (see below) an essential metric to keep track of.
PQE decoded
PQE (pre-qualification experience) measures the number of years a graduate has been practising after qualifying. It is a term borrowed from the UK, where a person’s PQE is counted from when they enter the roll. In India, firms typically count from the time a person has enrolled as an advocate, though it can vary from firm to firm.
Why should it matter to a student? It is the language used in job descriptions to denote experience level. If a firm says they are looking for someone with ‘3-5 years PQE ‘, it means they expect a certain level of competency (often hinted at by the salary) and responsibility.
PQE also serves to indicate the trust level of work that a person can handle at different stages, which is arguably a more valuable metric to understand.
The associate ladder
Firms use a system of designations to denote levels, such as A0, A1 and SA1. As a guideline, associates from the fresher level to about two years (A0 to A2) perform research, first drafts, due diligence and document tracking with little or no supervision.
Around the three-to-four-year mark (A3 to A4), associates draft with supervision, begin coordinating with juniors and start to have responsibility over workstreams. Senior associates manage matters. Liaise directly with clients, while those at the principal associate level and above can handle matters at a manager level and generate business.
Read this as the skeleton of the ladder, not as a correspondence between designations and years of experience. The designation and years of experience rarely match up. A person with six years of experience may still be at a lower level. Promotions depend on the firm, the group and performance.
What firms want from a Fresher
Pay is just the beginning and while most firms recruit at a similar level, what they expect from a fresher is similar across the board.
– Clean first drafts, meaning a notice, a clause or an MoU that requires fewer corrections than the last one. – Research that you can hand over to someone. A short, sourced note with the answer at the front is more useful than a dumping of twelve judgments. – Comfort with documents such as diligence checklists, trackers and version control. – Reliability. Meeting deadlines, flagging problems early. – Notice that memorised bare acts and mooting trophies are not on this list. They are motivators and skills to develop, but firms are looking for work-readiness.
Six mistakes that students make
The first mistake is prioritising a tier over a practice group. Ask yourself: What team will I join? M&A, litigation and real estate are different practices.
The second is to confuse a stipend with a salary. Intern stipends are small. Vary widely, typically from about ₹4,000 to ₹16,000 a month across larger firms in 2025. Do not use these as a benchmark for full-time salaries.
The third is to read 15 LPA as in-hand pay. Subtract the variable first. Then factor in taxes.
The fourth is overlooking Pune and Mumbai boutiques. Many students apply to five famous names and fail to consider firms where they can gain real experience earlier.
The fifth is to include activities on a CV that do not relate to the job. While a moot court is a motivator, a corporate team also looks for drafting or transactional experience.
The sixth is not asking questions in interviews. Ask about training, working hours and how confirmation works.
How to build these skills from law school
You do not need to wait for an internship. Here is a three-month plan to get started.
Month 1: learn to draft: pick one contract type, such as an NDA or a leave-and-licence agreement and draft it from scratch. Then compare your draft to an available template and note what you missed. Ask a senior or a faculty member to mark up your draft and redraft it. Most of the learning curve will take place during this redraft.
Month 2: learn to research and summarise: Choose a regulatory topic (such as a recent SEBI or RBI circular) and write a one-page note summarising the change, the parties affected and what action is required. Do this three times for a boost in speed and clarity.
Month 3: learn about deals and disputes: Read the filed documents of a listed-company transaction and map out the parties, conditions and timelines. If disputes are of interest to you, follow one arbitration or commercial suit. Map out its stages.
Take advantage of your colleges, clinics and societies. A legal aid society will give you an understanding of talking to clients and collecting facts, while an ADR cell will help you get better at negotiating and writing settlement agreements. Both are important for companies.
Keep a file of your drafts and notes. Two or three clean samples attached to an internship application can make you stand out from hundreds of CVs.
How to read an offer like a lawyer
Before agreeing to any offer, ask questions. What is the fixed pay? What is the extra or bonus? Is there a period of training or probation? Is it paid?
Which team will you be part of? How is pre-placement confirmation of work? What is the notice period and any restrictions?. Is everything written down?
Companies like it when students ask these questions in this way. It shows that they have read the documents, which is the job of a lawyer.
Where My Legal Employer fits in
Most of this information is spread out among seniors, old placement posts and online groups, which is why My Legal Employer exists: to help law students find internships, jobs and information in one place.
Use My Legal Employer to compare companies and positions. Check the pay and terms directly with the company before making any choices.
The practical takeaway
Stop asking, ‘Is this company Tier-1?’ and instead ask questions that can help you plan your career. Here is how to use everything in the article.
Make a list of 15 companies, not five. Split it into three groups: five Tier-1 or top Tier-2 companies, five mid-sized companies and five small companies or Pune-based companies. For each one, write down the areas of work, the cities and the kind of work you could realistically do. This helps you avoid focusing on big names.
Test every company with three questions: What kind of work will I do in my year? What is the fixed pay in writing?. What will I be able to do in two years that I can’t do now? If a company can’t answer clearly, treat that as information about the company.
Create three examples of your skills before your application. Prepare one draft, one sharp research note and one detailed breakdown of a real legal issue or case. Attach them to your applications. Mention them in your email. This tells a partner that you can already do part of the job.
Use internships as your way. Do at least one internship in every category on your list and ask for feedback at the end. If a company offers placement, treat the internship as a long interview and prepare for it.
Read the offer before you get it. Learn the difference between fixed pay, bonus, probation and notice period now while the pressure is low. Ask seniors who joined recently what they actually got in their year.
Plan for two steps, not one. Your first job is not always your last. If you start at a company or a Tier-2 company, aim to gain real experience and look for other options after two to four years. If you start at a company, decide early which area you want to be known for.
Check everything. Salary numbers change every year. Can be different for each company and office so make sure to confirm everything with recent employees and the companies communication before making any choices.
Companies of every type hire the student who can show the work. Start building your work this month.
Disclaimer: The numbers in this article are examples and may have changed. Please check directly with the companies involved.
