Lawyer Pay

In ‘a bold move,’ Milbank announces associates will get raises along with bonuses

Milbank announced Tuesday that it is matching last year’s year-end bonuses while also giving annual raises of $10,000 to its associates beginning Jan. 1.

Nov 7, 2023 3:49 PM CST

Full BigLaw associate bonuses may not be for everybody

Large law firms will likely continue to pay annual associate bonuses ranging from $20,000 to $115,000 this year, the going rate since 2021.

Oct 31, 2023 9:26 AM CDT

Law prof pay has dropped 24% in real dollars this decade

Average law professor pay has decreased 24% in real terms from 2013 to 2022, according to a law professor’s analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Oct 26, 2023 2:23 PM CDT

Race, ethnicity, parents’ education level produce differing job outcomes for class of 2022 law grads

Nikia Gray, the executive director of the National Association for Law Placement, is asking legal employers to “stand firm” on their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion after the release of data showing that minorities from the class of 2022 fare worse in employment numbers.

Oct 17, 2023 3:30 PM CDT

Quinn Emanuel announces special fall bonuses after ‘fabulous year’

Associates at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan will be paid special fall bonuses ranging from $2,120 to $32,908.

Oct 16, 2023 10:22 AM CDT

David Boies’ high hourly fees pale in comparison to request by lawyers suing Tesla

High-profile lawyer David Boies charges $2,110 per hour, putting him “in a still-rarified realm of attorneys who charge upwards of $2,000 an hour,” according to Reuters.

Sep 21, 2023 9:42 AM CDT

Which general counsel were paid the most in 2022?

Six of the top 10 highest-paid general counsel work in the tech industry, according to a new report published by Corporate Counsel and ALM Intelligence on Monday.

Aug 28, 2023 12:26 PM CDT

Graduates of this Ivy League law school have highest salaries 4 years after graduation

Graduates of Columbia Law School earn a median salary of $280,926 four years after graduation, making it the top Ivy League law school for pay.

Aug 14, 2023 12:46 PM CDT

BigLaw firm partners awarded fraction of their $1,500-plus hourly legal fees

Two Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher partners usually bill more than $1,500 per hour, but they trimmed the amount to only $950 per hour in a request for an award of attorney fees following successful litigation in the Southern District of Florida.

Aug 11, 2023 9:28 AM CDT

Talent wars led to record-high salaries for class of 2022 law grads, new NALP report says

Talent wars helped push the national median salary for class of 2022 law graduates to a record high of $85,000, according to figures released Wednesday by the National Association for Law Placement.

Aug 2, 2023 12:20 PM CDT

Smaller law firms are bracing for the new pay transparency laws

The legal industry has long been criticized for pay inequality, especially when it comes to female and minority attorneys. But a recent spate of pay transparency laws may put an end to this, regardless of whether the firms like it.

Aug 1, 2023 2:20 AM CDT

How retainers can lead to ethics issues

Lawyers must tread carefully when they take a client’s money, particularly when labeling funds as “nonrefundable” and assuming they have earned the entirety of that fee even if the attorney-client relationship ends early.

Aug 1, 2023 2:00 AM CDT

Twitter challenges Wachtell’s ‘gargantuan’ success fee for work before Elon Musk takeover

The new management at Twitter contends Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz exploited the social media company and violated its fiduciary duties by charging $90 million in fees—including a “gargantuan” success fee—before Elon Musk’s takeover.

Jul 10, 2023 12:15 AM CDT

BigLaw partner pay has ‘grown unbelievably,’ putting top lawyers ahead of investment bankers

Fat paychecks taken home by top BigLaw partners are outpacing earnings by investment bankers.

Jun 28, 2023 9:30 AM CDT

$200K is median base pay for new associates, thanks to market pressure from talent wars, NALP says

Associate pay hikes cascaded during a “red-hot recruiting market” over the last two years, leading to a median base salary of $200,000 for new associates in 2023, according to Nikia L. Gray, the executive director of the National Association for Law Placement.

May 10, 2023 10:36 AM CDT