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2175 ABA Journal Associates articles.

Losing Lockstep: Luce Forward Bases Associate Pay on Practice Area, Hours

Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps has ditched lockstep pay for associates in favor a 14-level compensation system based on practice area and hours worked. Under the system, first-year associates can earn from $145,000 for 1,950 hours to $165,000 for 2,100 hours, the Recorder reports. The flexibility means that a third-year…

Jan 14, 2008 11:35 AM CST

Possible Boies Associate Bonus: $1 Million

A big litigation win for Boies, Schiller & Flexner could translate to big bonuses for some of the associates who worked on the case. Those who opted to wait for a percentage of the payoff in the case when it was resolved could get $1 million each, reports American Lawyer…

Jan 11, 2008 10:24 PM CST

More Law Firms May Be Considering Layoffs

The Daily Brief blog of Portfolio.com wonders if more law firm layoffs are in the offing after the announcement yesterday that Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft is laying off 35 associates. The associates work in Cadwalader’s capital markets and global finance departments, hard-hit by volatility in the financial markets. Gregory Markel…

Jan 11, 2008 11:32 AM CST

Will Salary Wars for Big-Firm Associates Cool in 2008?

Last year, new associates at big New York firms earned 22 percent of their compensation in bonuses, but some suggest the compensation gravy train could be stalling. The last time big-firm associates earned such a large proportion of their compensation in bonuses was in 2000, the National Law Journal reports.…

Jan 10, 2008 3:21 PM CST

Big Salaries Linked to Big-Name Law Schools; Small Pay Is Larger Reality

Graduates of 58 law schools make average starting salaries of $60,000 or less, a fact ignored by many of the stories touting $160,000 starting salaries at big law firms. Instead, the reality is that there are two classes of law grads, the National Jurist reports: those who earn the big…

Jan 8, 2008 2:39 PM CST

Firm Sues Ex-Associate for Soliciting Clients

A Florida law firm has sued a former associate for allegedly soliciting its clients before jumping to a new firm. The suit by Rosenthal & Levy of West Palm Beach claims associate Andrew Frisch failed to negotiate a joint letter announcing his departure, as required by Florida ethics rules, the…

Jan 3, 2008 2:50 PM CST

Building Your Dream Practice

Want to specialize? Be patient, pull overtime.

Jan 1, 2008 9:37 PM CST

D.C. Firm Pays New Associates $180K, But No Year-End Bonuses

Washington, D.C., law firm Williams & Connolly will pay first-year associates $180,000 beginning Jan. 1, a sum that is $20,000 more than the typical pay for new lawyers at big law firms in New York. Some but not all of the big D.C. law firms are currently paying $160,000 to…

Dec 19, 2007 1:20 PM CST

‘Lowball’ Bonuses at Some BigLaw Firms?

‘Tis the season for associates at major law firms to receive hefty year-end bonuses. But the BigLaw largesse is more generous at some law firms than others, and a number of associates receiving lesser amounts are not jumping for joy. At least two firms, DLA Piper and McDermott, Will &…

Dec 19, 2007 12:49 AM CST

Obama Played ‘Strong, Silent Type’ in Court

Presidential contender Barack Obama, known for his oratorical skills, played the “strong, silent type” when he was practicing law, according to a feature Monday in the Chicago Sun-Times. The paper reviewed cases Obama worked on while he was at Miner Barnhill & Galland and found that other than making introductions,…

Dec 17, 2007 4:47 PM CST

Boies’ Jamaican Surprise: $168K Starting Pay

A “knowledgeable source” tells the blog Above the Law that Boies, Schiller & Flexner is raising starting pay for associates to $168,000. The pay hike was announced at a firm meeting last weekend in Jamaica, according to the blog. Second-year associates will be paid $180,000, with the amount then increasing…

Dec 14, 2007 12:21 PM CST

What to Tip Your Administrative Assistant? Here’s a Chart

Associates pondering whether to give a cash holiday gift to their administrative assistants are getting some help from Above the Law. The blog has published a table “making the rounds of one large New York law firm” that was first issued in December 2006. The suggested amounts range from $100…

Dec 13, 2007 2:06 PM CST

10 Guidelines for Newbie Associates

Associate David Dummer at Weil, Gotshal & Manges in Dallas gives new associates his top 10 tips for survival in a Texas Lawyer article. Here is a summary of his advice: If you are unsure about an assignment, don’t hesitate to ask questions. Let supervisors know if assignments pile up…

Dec 11, 2007 2:25 PM CST

Law Prof to Would-Be Supreme Ct. Clerks: Keep Trying

Being a stellar law student isn’t all it takes to win a U.S. Supreme Court clerkship. Perseverance is almost as important as the prerequisite U.S. Court of Appeals clerkship, a law prof who’s been there told students at a recent Harvard Law School meeting. Even if the first application or…

Dec 7, 2007 9:25 PM CST

New BigLaw Job: Lend-an-Associate

An innovative perk being offered to favored clients by a small but growing number of law firms can also provide big benefits to associates. So-called secondments—essentially, a loan of an associate to work onsite for a client for a period that often lasts for months—are growing in popularity with major…

Dec 4, 2007 8:56 PM CST

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