General Salary Information

• While the salaries of landlord-tenant lawyers often vary, aspiring attorneys may review general information regarding lawyer salaries through the "Occupational Outlook Handbook" published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). According to the BLS, the median annual salary of all American lawyers who earn yearly salaries was $110,590 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent of annual salaries ranged from $74,980 to $163,320 for the same period. For information beyond the general salary ranges published by the BLS, aspiring attorneys who plan to practice landlord-tenant law may seek further guidance from professional associations for lawyers, law schools and specific employers.
  
  

Fellowships

• Recent graduates may find employment through fellowship programs that allow them to develop their own projects in landlord-tenant law, as well as in other areas of law. Some programs accept applicants from across the United States, while school-specific programs focus on their own alumni. The Yale Law School Fellowship, for example, provides annual compensation averaging $44,000 to fellows who work with public-interest organizations. Public-interest fellowships in landlord-tenant law may include representation of clients through eviction defense or research of illegal practices committed by landlords.
  
  

Public Interest

• In general, salaries of public-interest lawyers do not reach the compensation levels of attorneys in private practice. Public-interest organizations offer similar salaries to entry-level lawyers, regardless of whether they practice landlord-tenant law or in another field of law. NALP, the Legal Association for Legal Professionals, reports $48,700 as the median annual salary for entry-level lawyers working with clients on housing and homelessness issues in 2010. Housing issues include landlord-tenant disputes such as eviction proceedings.
  
  

Government

• The salary range for lawyers who practice landlord-tenant law with a government agency or court generally exceeds the average compensation for public-interest lawyers but does not always reach the salary levels of attorneys employed in private practice. For example, the National Center for State Courts reports an annual salary range of $89,033 to $115,742 for lawyers who perform research, litigation review and legal writing as attorney advisers to designated landlord-tenant courts. The salary for a government position generally depends on the type of court and the attorney's level of experience.
  
  

Private Practice

• The salaries of attorneys in private practice with law firms and corporations depend on the size of the organization; solo attorneys and small practices may earn less each year than at large firms. When lawyers practice landlord-tenant law through the real-estate group of a large firm, however, their salaries often rise above those earned by attorneys with public-interest organizations, government agencies or small firms. According to Brigham Young University's career counseling center, the salary range for real-estate lawyers in private practice may span $100,000 to 250,000 each year. Real-estate departments often handle legal issues related to commercial leases rather than residential leases.