Associate Pay Hikes Create New Problem: Lower-Paid Partners

Miriam NUll
Feb 1, 2008 5:40 AM CST

How can I feel sorry for partners in these wealthy firms who make so much money? What about the many very qualified lawyers in public service who would be very happy to make so much?

Matt
Feb 1, 2008 8:02 AM CST

Sheesh, people need to stop complaining about pay.  75-80k is not bad at all, and 200k+ is an absolutely ludicrous number to complain about.  Plus, the number of hours you have to bill to approach those “bonuses” basically means you live at your office most weeks, somewhat limiting you ability to spend all of that new scratch beyond eBay auctions and Amazon.  I like the ABA, but if I wanted to hear rich people complain, I’d subscribe to OK! Magazine.

Mark Pitchford
Feb 1, 2008 8:44 AM CST

Thank you for once again publishing an article damaging our profession.

Presenting the top 1% as representative is a sham.  You should be ashamed of yourselves.

I work in biglaw.  Partners don’t make the numbers that you guys claim associates make.  What’s the mediam now, like 50k?  That doesn’t even pay most people’s loans.

This is shameful.

Zack
Feb 1, 2008 9:36 AM CST

I want to make 1/3 of that

Law Student in Madison
Feb 1, 2008 10:07 AM CST

Why are you people so upset that someone esle is making more money that you are?  If you had their skills, you would be making that much too. 

Further, how is the ABA ruining the profession by publishing these articles?  They are true for some people!  Yes, maybe it’s a very small number of lawyers, but it is a problem that some firms are facing.  The ABA is not saying this is common to every lawyer.  The article does not make such a claim.  Anyone who reads that into these articles is obviously not reading very carefully.

babaloo
Feb 1, 2008 10:27 AM CST

“salary dictated and sustained by the market” Ha-Ha-Ha!

H.V.Baxendale
Feb 1, 2008 10:35 AM CST

To Law Student in Mad:  The answer to your question is found in “the agenda-setting function of the press.”  What is published prominently is taken to be important and representative.  If a newspaper ran front-page stories every day about the previous day’s DUI arrests, the public would think there must be an increase and inordinate number of arrests, even if they were, in fact, average and declining.  Publishing “truth” as news can present a false light.  The stories about Biglaw are marginally interesting in that they reflect the lives of a few, and therefore should be back page features, but not 5 of the 12 articles this week.

NYC Lawyer
Feb 1, 2008 10:43 AM CST

I worked at a mid sized firm that had this same problem. Some senior associates were there for years, doing well, and with bonuses earning a lot of money. The non-equity partners were pretty much just coasting along, some of whom had family or other personal obligations with precluded them from seeking alternate career options.

I have been practicing law for almost 6 years now and it amazes me the discrepancy of salaries amongst the legal profession, even within the firms themselves were associates with higher experience levels are paid lower or treated like 2nd class citizens than incoming associates who get treated like royalty and are offered high salaries.

The ABA should be writing articles that address ALL facets of the profession, even the salary discrepancies w/in the higher echelons. The downside is that most of these “issues” that make it into the ABA articles seem centered on big firms. The majority of us don’t work for big firms, so this, I think needs to be changed.

Law Student in Madison
Feb 1, 2008 10:56 AM CST

Baxendale,

Thank you for the well though out and civil response.  I understand that the media plays a role in what the general public perceives as “truth” or important.  However, this newsletter is not read by the general public.  It is read by sophisticated lawyers, students, etc.  I think we can give each other more credit than you seem willing to give.

That being said, I don’t think the intent is to minimize the contributions of attorneys not in biglaw.  But, let’s face it, these folks (biglaw) generate more responses and attention to important issues.

Thanks again.

Respecting our differences
Feb 1, 2008 2:23 PM CST

The article is not nearly as interesting as some of the comments.  As to the article, that issue is exaclty why some firms cap associate salaries, so associates have an incentive to become a partner and work hard for bonuses until that happens. 

As for the comments - the reality is that very few professions afford one the opportunity to get very rich and very powerful the way that practicing law can.  I say can, because not all of us have and use the same opportunities.  Not all of us are hungry for tons of cash.  You have to make sacrifices if you want to get rich practicing law, but not all of us are willing to do so.  I would venture to say that the average lawyer is not willing to make those sacrifices even if they were presented with the opportunities. 

But it is very sad that when you choose your path, you belittle your colleagues who have chosen another way.  We all have our place in this field, whether it’s solo, big law, government or mid-size firms.  If you don’t like your place because of the money or the service or whatever, then make a change, but don’t be disrespectful of others just because they chose another way.  You don’t know their background or their reasons or their struggles.

Susan
Feb 2, 2008 6:13 PM CST

It all seems so very far away.  Granted ,this is printed only for us, but it seems to chat up a lot of competition among us, for no reason.  One firm mishandled its salaries.  So what.  It’s funny that there are people purportedly quibbling over making that much money, but with a $20K difference between them.  It’s about the same after taxes anyway…  It’s crazy talk.
P.S. the first poster really isn’t named Mike Hunt, right?  And I’m really not Bart Simpson…