Internship. Salary: $20 an hour

You're a second-year law student who's scored a sweet summer internship at a mid-sized Los Angeles firm that specializes in entertainment law. After spending twelve weeks mostly organizing case files, you head back to school with one piece of law knowledge firmly in place: networking is everything.

New Hire at a Firm. Salary: $85,000

You're one of the lucky ones—the LA firm where you interned last summer liked you a lot and sent you an offer immediately after graduation. While you can't take on cases of your own until you pass the California bar, the firm is excited for you to join the team. You're paid handsomely, but until you pass the bar exam, you're basically doing intern work.

Associate at a Firm. Salary: $137,000

Time to pop some champagne—you've passed the bar and can now take on clients of your own. After spending a year or so learning the ins-and-outs of IP law from the sidelines, you now get to charge out onto the field, ready to do battle for those you represent. The more you win, the more you get noticed by the higher ups. You're headed places, Shmooper.

Partner at a Firm. Salary: $160,000

Okay, forget champagne, you're pouring some thirty-year-old scotch to celebrate this move. After proving yourself to be extremely capable as an associate, winning countless cases (and making hundreds of thousands for your firm), the partners invite you into the fold. You get first pick of new clients, a more flexible schedule, and your clients' opponents are learning to just take the settlement rather than unleash your limitless legal fury. You're living large.

Owner of your own firm. Salary: $200,000+

Started from the bottom, now you're here. You have the corner office, the rolodex filled with big-money, famous clients, and, more than likely, a name that strikes fear and awe in the hearts of the rest of the IP law community. At this point, you only need to take on a few clients a year and can relax a little on staying current—you pay people to do that for you.