Drinker Biddle Cuts New Associate Pay, Plans In-House 1st-Year Training

In yet another twist on associate pay cuts, a Philadelphia-based national law firm is reducing the starting salary for first-year associates.

However, they will start on time at Drinker Biddle & Reath, which plans to begin a new in-house training program in September for first-years, reports the Am Law Daily. It will include sessions on taking depositions and brief-writing, as well as shadowing partners at client meetings and court hearings.

The 700-attorney firm will cut its starting salary, which presently ranges from $145,000 to $160,000, to what amounts to $105,000 on an annualized basis, according to the law blog. Then, in the spring of 2010, Drinker Biddle will reportedly revise the first-year salaries to match "prevailing market rates," apparently at the same time that they complete the firm's training program.

Related coverage:

ABAJournal.com: "Dozens of BigLaw Firms Make Law Blog’s Start-Date Deferral List"

ABAJournal.com: "Enterprising UCLA Offers Skills Training for Jobless 1st-Years"