Is Big Law a subdivision of law that people specialize in, like elderly law?
_refugee_ is close, but Big Law has a more specific meaning within the legal community. Basically it means working for a large firm (hence the name), which have their own culture. They pay very well (you can expect to start fresh out of law school making $150,000/year+), but they will also work you into the ground. That salary comes with 60-80 hours per week with few if any breaks for several years, at least. There's a reason addiction and suicide are quite prevalent among lawyers. But these jobs typically involve representing large corporations and the like, since they're the only ones typically that can afford you.
Pretty much. As an aside, I quite enjoyed the game of the same name.
I think, though I may be wrong, that someguyfromcanada is making the distinction because a lot of people who get law degrees end up not actually doing the typical "lawyer" stuff that you think of when you think "lawyer." For instance, there's corporate law, which really means you sit around at a desk all day and people come to you and describe a situation and go, "OMG did we break a law?" and you say, yes, or no, or maybe, or "but we could defend this so it's okay" - my interpretation is that a Big Law Lawyer is someone who actually goes into court and pontificates before juries and so on, as opposed to all the desk jobs you can get with a law degree.