If anyone wants to compile a list of which firms have recently raised salaries, by how much, in which markets, etc. we'll sticky it, or if it's extensive enough give it its own section on the site.
Date: February 10th, 2006 5:43 PM Author: offensive impressive market
Is there really any doubt that eventually every firm in every city that currently pays market will be paying 145,000, even if some are hesitant at first? Clearly, a firm that considers itself competitive is not going to suddenly pay 10-20,000 less than other firms in the cities-that would have a huge impact on recruiting. It just seems silly that people (on monkeyscribe or ga) are talking about transferring to firms that pay 145,000. Clearly, if you work for a firm that currently pays market, it is overwhelmingly likely that you will also soon be paid $145,000 (or more, I suppose, if someone re-raises).
Date: February 11th, 2006 5:58 PM Author: Fantasy-prone aromatic son of senegal
So unless stated otherwise, these raises are nationwide for the firm? Also, will all of these raises be reflected as an increased summer salary for every firm?
135k - Irell, Munger, Gibson, O'Melveny, Paul Hastings, DLA Piper, Sheppard Mullin, Latham, MoFo, Manatt, Sidley, Kirkland, Sonnenschein, Orrick, Heller Ehrman, Proskauer, Morgan Lewis, Pillsbury, Thelen, Bingham, Foley, Katten Muchin, Bryan Cave, Jones Day, Christensen Miller
* 135k firms lag 145k firms by 15k or more after the first or second year, except for Kirkland, Proskauer, Latham, and Gibson (10k difference for all years)
Summer salaries (no longer updating this, see nalpdirectory.com)
2800 - Skadden
2788* - Simpson, Sullivan, Dewey, Milbank, White & Case, LeBoeuf
Date: February 10th, 2006 4:24 PM Author: Stirring jet university
Also, Latham NY is on a different bonus structure, something like $13k or so more than these numbers. MoFo NY does something like a lockstep bonus that matches NY market I believe.
Date: February 10th, 2006 3:34 PM Author: Stirring jet university
You might be interested that Latham apparently raised to 145k for NY *and* overseas offices. So you very well might make more in Tokyo this summer than you will in SF.
Date: February 10th, 2006 3:40 PM Author: Stirring jet university
MoFo also held off on deciding NY raises, like Latham. They'll probably go along with the $145k raise, and if Latham is any indication, they could apply that raise to Tokyo too. (I assume because Latham has to compete with NY firms in those markets.)
Date: February 10th, 2006 4:19 PM Author: ruinous phenotype
Cleary memo from GA
On behalf of the Firm, we are pleased to announce the following salary increases for associates on the U.S. compensation scale who are in the classes of 1998 through 2005.
These increases will be retroactive to January 1, 2006 and will be reflected in the March 3 payroll. The amounts set forth below include the FirmÂ’s contribution to associates’ TOPS accounts.
Date: February 10th, 2006 5:02 PM Author: Stirring jet university
I don't have copies of either, friends just happened to show me on their laptop when those emails came.
I believe both have been posted on here in their entirety though. (If you can't find the threads, consider that as my bugging you about the search engine again.)
Date: March 16th, 2006 5:08 PM Author: Stirring jet university
Sorry, I was just going off of what was posted in this thread. I'm trusting people to post correct info, but if you think there's a mistake, you can call it out on this board or email me privately at xoxochecklist@hotmail.com.
Date: February 10th, 2006 4:10 PM Author: Clear principal's office
If anyone has multi year salary and bonus info it might not be a bad idea to post it here. I know greedy clerks has charts, but as this board ages we shouldnt have to rely on them. I think if we had more salary info we would draw people over from greedy, which has the worst interface ever.
Date: February 10th, 2006 4:12 PM Author: Stirring jet university
I don't think the greedy associates really like hanging out with us law students. Plus the advantage of the charts on Greedy is that they can do HTML formatting. But your point is taken.
Date: February 10th, 2006 4:18 PM Author: Clear principal's office
half the regular posters on here are associates or will be associates next year. I figure if we compile enough info GTO or someone can table it for us, run some regressions on it, and make some bogus claim that yale is hurt by its H/HP/P/F grading scheme.
Date: February 10th, 2006 4:20 PM Author: aqua therapy trump supporter
We could put something on the wiki, for our own use. And maybe link it in the corner. That would be a lot more useful than the Leiter link or the one to jd2b.
Date: February 10th, 2006 4:48 PM Author: aqua therapy trump supporter
This is a really good idea. Ours might actually end up being better than greedy's since we're not all separated by city and we could put together something more comprehensive.
Is it true that COL wasn't an issue before? That is, (a) did Chicago raise to $125K the same year NY did and (b) did Chicago firms pay NY-level bonuses? My guess is that the answer is no. Remember that, at least in theory, some of the $145K is coming out of year-end bonuses.
Date: February 10th, 2006 6:48 PM Author: Stirring jet university
This was an interesting post from Greedy LA:
"Until the late 90s, Cali firms even paid different salaries to their associates in different parts of the state--LA associates got 10-20% more than their SF cousins. This is only surprising to kids who have only ever known $125 first-year salaries. Don't like it? Move to NYC, take another bar exam and live in a shoebox."
Date: February 10th, 2006 5:47 PM Author: Spectacular abode Subject: Email from STB to summers
This is the email sent from STB to all their summer associates....
"You may have been following recent stories concerning the salaries at New York City law firms. Earlier this week, Simpson Thacher increased annual first year associate salaries by $20,000 to $145,000. The salaries for associates in other classes increased by similar amounts. This salary increase will also apply to new associates from the class of 2006. The summer salary will be the weekly proration of that amount.
On a separate note, we want to remind you that Friday is the deadline for submitting your responses on summernet. We appreciate the submissions received from many of you and look forward to hearing from everyone by the end of the week.
For those of you spending your summer in NY, if you have not yet responded to the section on summernet polling your interest in various types of summer events, please add to the list of options tickets to select a performance at Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Date: February 10th, 2006 8:18 PM Author: fiercely-loyal parlor
oh, some guy told me last year that they paid 135, but they were including the 10k signing bonus. Lots of other firms pay bar stipends that are worth about 10k but do not include that in their salary calculation.
Date: February 10th, 2006 8:24 PM Author: Stirring jet university
It's a little more complicated, since many non-NY firms don't pay a prorated bonus at the end of the stub year (before the first full year). Also there are firms like Skadden that give like a really big "technology allowance" or something.
Date: February 17th, 2006 6:48 PM Author: Razzle-dazzle Juggernaut
Actually, my tax prof. told me it is harder to lateral from DPW to a smaller market than from V&E because the stuff that DPW does is so sophisticated that it isn't applicable to what some mid-sized firm in Denver does. Apparently, the general tax work I'd get from V&E would be better for staying in Houston or lateralling to smaller market (a very real posibility).
Also, my wife would kill me if I went to NYC unless it was Wachtell.
Date: February 10th, 2006 8:01 PM Author: Razzle-dazzle Juggernaut
Bah, that's BS. If Chicago is your main office, you need to give those people the best rate of the firm. Just more evidence that K&E would treat us like crap.
Date: February 10th, 2006 8:23 PM Author: aqua therapy trump supporter
I'm not sure why. Most other industries adjust their salaries to the cost of living of the area where their offices are located, at least to some extent. It's always seemed a little funny that law firms treat the subject as taboo and have to make the adjustments in the bonus rather than in base salary.
Date: February 10th, 2006 9:58 PM Author: Razzle-dazzle Juggernaut
Supply and demand, baby. Costs are never a determining factor of "price," at least in theory. If law firms want the best candidates, they have to be willing to pay the competitive price. COL often helps low COL markets in competing with high COL markets, but you could imagine how much a firm based in Iowa City would have to pay to get a 100 summer associates from HYS. It would certainly be more than what NYC is paying, even though the COL is dirt cheap. Why? Low supply of top candidates willing to move there and (assumed) high demand for such candidates.
Date: February 11th, 2006 12:34 PM Author: aqua therapy trump supporter
But why are you assuming there's either more demand or less of a supply of associates who want to work in Chicago than want to work in New York? It's notoriously easier to get a legal job in New York than elsewhere, signaling that the supply there is lower or the demand is higher. Makes sense they'd pay a little more if they have an unusually large number of jobs there that need to be filled, and not all associates find New York an attractive place to work.
At the very least, I think it's reasonable to assume the price at all large cities would not be the same.
Date: February 17th, 2006 5:07 PM Author: aphrodisiac gaped point personal credit line
In theory, costs are the determining factor of supply. Supply = marginal cost (from the Microeconomic perspective). Law firms demand the labor, attorneys supply the labor. COL is certainly a part of the aggregate supply curve for any geographic market, along with other aggregate opportunity costs (such as the cost of giving up the opportunity to be in a more desirable location).
Date: February 17th, 2006 6:53 PM Author: Razzle-dazzle Juggernaut
Agreed, but it isn't a direct relationship as this person was suggesting. Firms in Denver or Miami aren't paying half of what NYC is paying, even though COL would suggest they should. It's not a "determining factor," although that may not be the best term for what I'm trying to say. COL is certainly a competitive factor, but it doesn't have any affect on what law firms would be willing to pay(except to the extent COL affects legal fees and they simply can't pay above a certain amount). It only affects what associates are willing to accept (the lowest they can), but if demand drives the price up to $200k, an associate wouldn't accept $199k (in theory), even though that is much more than they could get in NYC. To suggest that you could "adjust salaries" to meet COL, as the above poster suggested, is overly simplistic. I don't see you moving to Iowa, even if they did pay $200k. :)
My understanding may be incorrect, but you charge cost because there is competition that pushes price down to cost, not *because* that's what it costs you to produce the product. You'd gladly charge more if you could, like the associates living in Iowa, but may be forced to charge your cost because of competition.
Date: February 18th, 2006 4:14 PM Author: aphrodisiac gaped point personal credit line
All costs are determining factors. Collectively, they make up the total cost curve from which the marginal cost curve is derived. That is my only disagreement with you.
In your example, there is additional cost to top law students as a whole of being in Denver and Miami aside from the COL in those markets....and that is giving up working in a major legal market. Opportunity cost is equally important to economists as accounting cost.
Under this analysis, the reason why COL does not explain the entire salary difference is that the opportunity cost of giving up being in NYC (for law students as a class) exceeds the COL difference by $30k (for Miami).
Date: February 10th, 2006 9:57 PM Author: Stirring jet university
What LA offices are missing from my list above? There's mostly branch offices like SSD, Sonnenschein, Jones Day, etc. that will undoubtedly raise when their home offices do. Unless you're wondering about regional firms like Christensen Miller and Mitchel Silberberg?
Date: February 12th, 2006 12:22 AM Author: Clear principal's office
you ge tit when you graduate, so you can pay for your summer and bar trip and whatnot. its a nice tax dodge too cause you get 10k in a year when you ar emaking less.
Date: February 11th, 2006 9:52 AM Author: arousing topaz theater round eye
So the real question at this point is what Skadden will do. If Skadden goes to $160K base, then that sets a floor on S&C/etc. bonuses and means that total comp almost has to go up.
Date: February 11th, 2006 10:37 AM Author: Dead Set
The real question is what will KIRKLAND & ELLIS do. The crappy has-been NYC firms should be looking to KIKRLAND & ELLIS, not to a firm that may increase base but only pays out 15K bonuses.
Date: March 30th, 2006 10:21 PM Author: carnelian greedy range
It isn't taxed at a higher rate, rather more is withheld, because withholdings are calculated based on the assumption that each paycheck is indicative of every other check. So that a $35k paycheck, indicates that every pay period deals out $35k, so the calculators withhold the amount based on assumed income.
i agree, i'm not too familiar with the tax system. all i know is that in the past, when i lived in another state, my base was taxed at like 31%, but about 40% of my year end bonus was taken out.
Date: February 11th, 2006 12:30 PM Author: slippery geriatric step-uncle's house famous landscape painting
We have a progressive tax system. The first $x you make are taxed at a rate of y. $$ made above x are taxed at z. It doesn't matter whether those dollars are in the form of a bonus, or a higher base. The total tax is the same.
hmm, i guess i should retract everything i've said then. then again, i've never done my own taxes, and i've never asked my dad's accountant what it all means...
Date: February 11th, 2006 12:28 PM Author: Glittery bistre base cuckoldry
it will all come out in the wash when you get your tax return. the only real advantage is the time value of money. but hellsbells is right: bonuses are taxed higher because they are taxed as if, say, the person was making 35K per paycheck.
Date: February 11th, 2006 12:33 PM Author: slippery geriatric step-uncle's house famous landscape painting
Also, the time value of money in this instance is so small as to be insignificant. It's not like you're getting a lump sum payment at the beginning of the year, it's being spread over 52 weeks, with decreasing value.
Date: February 11th, 2006 12:39 PM Author: Glittery bistre base cuckoldry
yes. if associates get a bonus at the end of the taxable year, then the time value is only the equivalent of investing for a few months the 7-8% extra taxes taken out of the bonus check. We're talking about a few hundred dollars invested for a few months. Not worth worrying about.
Date: February 17th, 2006 4:13 PM Author: Big Chapel Filthpig
KT--if you're really working at K&E, you should shut up and quit embarassing the place. I can only assume that (1) you're not working at K&E and just trying to give the place a bad name; or (2) you're the sort of self-important tool who--despite never having left his parents' basement--has decided he is really "a big deal." Grow up.
Date: February 11th, 2006 4:09 PM Author: scarlet up-to-no-good really tough guy senate
do you think Skadden originally went to 140 thinking others would match? maybe they'll just fall in line here...but your're right...they could be the barometer for the bonus market...
man if total comp went up another 15 or 20...whew..
Date: February 11th, 2006 4:46 PM Author: Dark insane site
I'm not sure, but I don't see what they lose by staying "ahead" in the market as far as base compensation. Personally, I'm hoping they bump (and I think every NYC person should be hoping they bump) to $160 in order to assure than that's the new "base" for total compensation.
I need you to come tutor me for the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test). I am located in Tampa, Florida. My telephone number is: (813) 598-2899. Basically, what I need is a very good GMAT instructor who has taken the real test no more than a year ago with a score of 720 or above.
If this is you, then read on…
I will pay you tutor me. This is how it works: You first tutor me for free until I take the real GMAT. If I score above a 650, you get $1,000 for all your trouble. But, if I score above a 700, you get $5,000. Finally, here’s the best part: If I score above a 750, you get $10,000. I am talking about cash, pure cash, coming out of my pocket for you to tutor me.
If you are excited so far, then read on…
I agree to pay you to come to Tampa, Florida. I agree to pay for the hotel and flight accommodations. I agree to pick you up in a limo, or my brand new 2005 Camry (your choice). You will then be escorted to your hotel room for preparation to tutor me the very next day. You will be served three meals a day. You will have breakfast, lunch, and dinner with me at really good fancy restaurants. No, I am not talking about McDonalds, Burger King, Taco Bell, but ten times better than that. You will enjoy for the next few weeks the hotel stay, and the food that I pay.
What happens after you tutor me…
When I see my unofficial score for the GMAT, I will then decide how much to pay you in cold cash. Then, you will be flying back home to tell all your friends about how much money you have made by tutoring me.
P.S. If instead of going through the trouble to tutor me, if you take the GMAT for me and score a 650, 700, or 750, I will pay four times the amount mentioned above. This means you will get $4,000 for scoring a 650, $20,000 for scoring a 700, and $40,000 for scoring a 750. This is a quick way to make money for your helpfulness!
I need you to come tutor me for the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test). I am located in Tampa, Florida. My telephone number is: (813) 598-2899. Basically, what I need is a very good GMAT instructor who has taken the real test no more than a year ago with a score of 720 or above.
If this is you, then read on…
I will pay you tutor me. This is how it works: You first tutor me for free until I take the real GMAT. If I score above a 650, you get $1,000 for all your trouble. But, if I score above a 700, you get $5,000. Finally, here’s the best part: If I score above a 750, you get $10,000. I am talking about cash, pure cash, coming out of my pocket for you to tutor me.
If you are excited so far, then read on…
I agree to pay you to come to Tampa, Florida. I agree to pay for the hotel and flight accommodations. I agree to pick you up in a limo, or my brand new 2005 Camry (your choice). You will then be escorted to your hotel room for preparation to tutor me the very next day. You will be served three meals a day. You will have breakfast, lunch, and dinner with me at really good fancy restaurants. No, I am not talking about McDonalds, Burger King, Taco Bell, but ten times better than that. You will enjoy for the next few weeks the hotel stay, and the food that I pay.
What happens after you tutor me…
When I see my unofficial score for the GMAT, I will then decide how much to pay you in cold cash. Then, you will be flying back home to tell all your friends about how much money you have made by tutoring me.
P.S. If instead of going through the trouble to tutor me, if you take the GMAT for me and score a 650, 700, or 750, I will pay four times the amount mentioned above. This means you will get $4,000 for scoring a 650, $20,000 for scoring a 700, and $40,000 for scoring a 750. This is a quick way to make money for your helpfulness!
Date: February 13th, 2006 8:24 AM Author: arousing topaz theater round eye
By the way, as someone who's actually worked at a law firm, here are some reasons why base is better than bonus:
1. Base can't really go down. A firm that pays $125K base + $35K bonus one year can pay $15K bonus the next for $140K all-in. A firm that pays $145K base + $15K bonus can't really go below $145K all-in, and most NY firms will probably feel compelled to pay a five-figure bonus, so a $145K base sets a $155K all-in floor, which is toward the high end of the recent market. Relatedly, as discussed above, *Skadden's* base sets a floor for other firms' all-in, so if Skadden also goes up $20K we've got a $160K all-in minimum, which again is not as good as 2000 but is pretty close to the top for recent years.
2. NY lawyers have high rents and student-loan debt, and if you've got monthly expenses you'd rather have monthly pay. There's a concomitant disadvantage here, which is that bonus probably encourages savings more than base does.
3. Lots of exit options have non-calendar-year timing. If a large percentage of your comp comes in December/January, it's harder to leave at other times in the year. If you're getting most of your money in base salary, you have more flexibility to leave.
There are no tax advantages, and the time-value advantage isn't really worth mentioning given the time and sums involved.
Date: February 13th, 2006 7:49 PM Author: Pearl Brunch
The benefit you point out in #2 is basically the time value advantage. Under a bonus system, you could just take out a loan to cover the monthly expenses that you later pay off plus interest with the bonus. The salary hike lets you cover these expenses without the interest, or time value.
That's fair, although 28-year-olds don't have completely efficient access to the capital markets. But, yes, essentially you're right. Points 1 and 3 are more important to me, though; if you can't live month to month on $125K you're in trouble.
Date: February 13th, 2006 12:11 PM Author: Flushed private investor
This move effectively guarantees a raise in total comp. Simpson and Cleary have raised for *all* their domestic US offices. If they were to follow S&C's original statement, they'd have to drop bonuses from $35k to $15k to make up the difference. Assuming that they also want to keep paying their NY associates higher total compensation, that would mean that they'd have to pay non-NY associates an even lower bonus, somewhere in the range of $0 to $5k. That's the floor, and it's quite likely they'd go higher.
Date: February 13th, 2006 1:19 PM Author: well-lubricated station
Why would simpson/cleary want to pay their NY associates higher total comp? It's pretty standard these days for NY firms to pay the same comp to every office.
I need you to come tutor me for the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test). I am located in Tampa, Florida. My telephone number is: (813) 598-2899. Basically, what I need is a very good GMAT instructor who has taken the real test no more than a year ago with a score of 720 or above.
If this is you, then read on…
I will pay you tutor me. This is how it works: You first tutor me for free until I take the real GMAT. If I score above a 650, you get $1,000 for all your trouble. But, if I score above a 700, you get $5,000. Finally, here’s the best part: If I score above a 750, you get $10,000. I am talking about cash, pure cash, coming out of my pocket for you to tutor me.
If you are excited so far, then read on…
I agree to pay you to come to Tampa, Florida. I agree to pay for the hotel and flight accommodations. I agree to pick you up in a limo, or my brand new 2005 Camry (your choice). You will then be escorted to your hotel room for preparation to tutor me the very next day. You will be served three meals a day. You will have breakfast, lunch, and dinner with me at really good fancy restaurants. No, I am not talking about McDonalds, Burger King, Taco Bell, but ten times better than that. You will enjoy for the next few weeks the hotel stay, and the food that I pay.
What happens after you tutor me…
When I see my unofficial score for the GMAT, I will then decide how much to pay you in cold cash. Then, you will be flying back home to tell all your friends about how much money you have made by tutoring me.
P.S. If instead of going through the trouble to tutor me, if you take the GMAT for me and score a 650, 700, or 750, I will pay four times the amount mentioned above. This means you will get $4,000 for scoring a 650, $20,000 for scoring a 700, and $40,000 for scoring a 750. This is a quick way to make money for your helpfulness!
Date: February 14th, 2006 5:57 PM Author: Stirring jet university
According to Greedy NY, this is just for the NY office. Can somebody copy/paste the summer email or otherwise confirm it's $2800 and not one of the prorated numbers (2788/2789)?
Date: February 17th, 2006 1:19 AM Author: lavender field
My friend will be at their LA office. He got a message with the announcement of their first year salary raise to $135k and a note saying that the summer intern salary would be raised accordingly, but no specific number mentioned. I assume it will be the $135k prorated.
To add to all this, Weil is pleased to announce that effective January 1, 2006, annual U.S. associate base salaries will be increased by $20,000 for each class year. As such, summer associates will be paid a salary of $2,788 per week.
We look forward to seeing you at Pre-Orientation on March 31/April 1. Details to follow shortly.
Date: February 21st, 2006 9:53 PM Author: Stirring jet university
I've read it pretty closely, so I know what you mean. I added it here after I saw it mentioned on Greedy LA as well. Greedy could have just gotten the news from here though. I'm guessing we'll find out soon.
Date: February 23rd, 2006 7:50 AM Author: trip indirect expression piazza
It's legit. I work there. Won't get into any more details than to say that. (And I fully realize that trusting someone's word on the internet isn't easy or ideal, but all I can say is that there would have been some proof to the contrary by this point on GAs or here if it was false.)
Date: February 28th, 2006 1:59 PM Author: Sienna clown Subject: Arnold & Porter NY matches
Here's the memo:
Greetings New York Associates.
In light of changes in the market, the Management Committee has recommended, and the Policy Committee has approved, adjustments to associate compensation in the New York office as follows:
Class of 2005 $145,000
Class of 2004 $155,000
Class of 2003 $170,000
Class of 2002 $185,000
Class of 2001 $210,000
Class of 2000 $225,000
Class of 1999 $240,000
Class of 1998+ $255,000
The change is retroactive to January 1, 2006 and the adjustment will be included in your March 3 paycheck.
As always, we appreciate the contribution you make to the Firm and our clients. Thank you.
Date: March 1st, 2006 10:18 AM Author: Disgusting startled orchestra pit keepsake machete
this is really good news. looks like all top NY firms will be forced to increase summer associate pay for this summer. hopefully my letter will be coming soon.
Date: March 3rd, 2006 4:12 AM Author: Supple sickened meetinghouse feces
Add Kirkland NY to the list of $2800/wk:
Hi all,
I hope you're doing well. I wanted to let you know that we have increased our summer associate salary to $2800/week. I hope that little bit of news makes you smile. :)
Date: March 7th, 2006 8:22 PM Author: Stirring jet university
Adding Quinn LA summer salary at $2600 to my post above based on this: Cali Biglaw $145k Raise Vigil Thread If anybody has info on NY summer salary, let us know.
Date: March 9th, 2006 12:31 AM Author: Appetizing lime stage
Date: March 8, 2006
To: All (Vinson & Elkins) Texas Associates
From: Joseph C. Dilg
Re: New Associate Compensation Levels
One of our Firm’s core values is to attract the finest attorneys and to retain and develop these attorneys to be outstanding practitioners in their fields. There are many attributes of the Firm that contribute to our ability to accomplish this goal, and we recognize that compensation is an extremely important factor. As communicated in my voicemail this morning, we are pleased to announce that, effective March 1, we have increased associate compensation. Our new Texas compensation levels are set forth below. These new levels represent an increase in both base salary and potential total compensation at all levels. The productivity-based bonus amounts reflect the total bonus payable. Once again, thank you for all that you do for our clients and for Vinson & Elkins.
Class Year Base Salary Productivity Based Bonus** Total Potential
Date: April 11th, 2006 2:47 PM Author: Pungent mind-boggling background story bawdyhouse
the question is: will Jones Day raise their summer associate pay? the website says that pay for NEW ASSOCIATES in NYC is 145,000. the way they put NEW in bold makes me think that it doesn't apply to summer associates. any info?
Date: March 28th, 2006 8:37 AM Author: Multi-colored home community account Subject: $140K market rate in Texas?!?
This is the most interesting chapter of the salary wars:
What are DC, Chi-town, LA, SF going to do with Texas raising salaries across the board to $140K? Texas only has the cheapest cost of living of any major legal market in the country!
Predictions anyone? Does this indicate that the salary increases have only begun in the top-top markets (they've got to top TX, but then what does NY do?) or is this just typical Texas--irrational exuberance and excess?
Date: April 3rd, 2006 2:13 PM Author: Exciting Mustard Stag Film Subject: Some DC firms
By Emma Schwartz
Legal Times
The law firm associate salary race appears to be coming to a close.
Arnold & Porter, Howrey, Venable, and WilmerHale have all joined onto the recent wave of pay increases that boosted first-year salaries by $10,000 to $135,000 annually.
A few more tidbits: At Venable, all associates will see an increase of $10,000, but because pay doesn’t move in lockstep beyond the second year, the amount will vary for third-years and above.
At Wilmer, the firm has advertised its new rates online. Midlevel associates take note: Pay for third-years is $160,000, $180,000 for fourth-years, and $200,000 for fifth-years. The firm declined comment on why it posted salaries on the Web.
Date: April 18th, 2006 2:42 PM Author: Yellow dragon
Nalpdirectory.com has been updated for 2006 (although some firms still haven't sent in the new form). Seems like most of the LA firms are jumping on the 135k bandwagon.