[albionmoonlight]

Geography matters. Unless you are going to a top 15 school, you should consider the region.

So, if he thinks that Tennessee is where he wants to be, then he should go to UT without a second thought. Same thing if he wants to be in Florida. Go to Miami and don't look back. And the people you talk to are right in that there is a lot more money in Florida than in Tennessee.

What I am not quite sure about is how each school would stack up in, say, Atlanta (which is the big market between the two). That might involve a little legwork in terms of looking at Alumni networks.

I can say that if I were looking at resumes here in Raleigh, I would consider UT and Miami about on par. I don't have a gut feeling of one as better than the other.

There is a pretty big $$ difference between state and federal prosecution. If he becomes an AUSA, he will eventually cap out at ~$160,000/yr depending on region. I think that state prosecutors probably get about half of that.

But that is the cap, really. No year-end bonuses or anything like that. If he really wants "I'm thinking of getting a second beach house because my first one is too small" money, then he's gonna have to go big firm.

You can google biglaw salaries. They seem to be starting at $190,000/yr now. (no idea how COVID will affect things)

edit: To be clear--an AUSA will eventually make $160 (with max seniority). A big law firm associate will start at $190, and it goes up from there.