Associates

Lawyer burnout is ‘a real issue’ as demand for legal work outpaces growth in lawyer head count

Law firms will be able to easily absorb higher expenses driven by a talent war because of strong revenue growth in 2021, according to the 2022 Citi Hildebrandt Client Advisory released Thursday.

Dec 9, 2021 1:12 PM CST

Cravath, first to announce year-end bonuses, is among the firms matching Davis Polk’s special bonuses

Cravath, Swaine & Moore—the first law firm to announce year-end associate bonuses of up to $115,000—has matched additional special bonuses being paid by Davis Polk & Wardwell.

Dec 8, 2021 10:16 AM CST

Some BigLaw firms are offering jobs to experienced associates without conducting interviews

Several major law firms in the United States and Europe are offering jobs to associates without interviewing them, according to a story by Law.com.

Dec 7, 2021 11:20 AM CST

Finally! Davis Polk announces special bonuses in addition to Cravath match

Davis Polk & Wardwell announced year-end bonuses Monday that match Cravath's scale while adding special bonuses of 20% for all but the class of 2021.

Dec 6, 2021 11:10 AM CST

Viral post by once-rejected Perkins Coie partner leads to legal mentor nonprofit org

Updated: An informal networking organization that matched law students and new lawyers with mentors has become a nonprofit organization that's set to grow nationwide.

Dec 2, 2021 1:18 PM CST

A higher percentage of law grads are getting hired by larger firms

Larger firms of 250 or more lawyers are hiring a higher percentage of law grads as class sizes stagnate and law firms grow.

Dec 2, 2021 9:43 AM CST

Why is BigLaw delaying bonus announcements?

After Cravath, Swaine & Moore announced year-end bonuses of up to $115,000 for associates Nov. 22, a handful of law firms quickly chimed in. Since then, however, things have been quiet on the bonus front.

Dec 1, 2021 11:39 AM CST

Firms are desperate for associates amid a booming M&A market

A sudden skyrocketing boost in demand for the junior lawyers who help hammer out deals mirrors the huge surge in global mergers and acquisitions that hit a record high $4.33 trillion by the end of September, surpassing the prior mark of $4.1 trillion in deals for the entirety of 2007, according to Reuters. The M&A boom, which included a frenetic summer that saw a spike in deals compared with the same time period in 2020, also has seen senior M&A partners become recruiters.

Dec 1, 2021 1:30 AM CST

Jurors rule against associate who sued King & Spalding for alleged ethical retaliation

Fired King & Spalding associate David Joffe lost his wrongful termination lawsuit Monday when jurors found that the law firm had no liability.

Nov 30, 2021 9:32 AM CST

Some law schools outside T14 still send many grads to the nation’s top-grossing firms

Two law schools outside the T14 have landed on a list of schools with the highest percentage of alumni going to the nation’s 10 highest-grossing law firms.

Nov 23, 2021 12:55 PM CST

Cravath is first to announce year-end associate bonuses, with more money for every class year

Cravath, Swaine & Moore announced year-end bonuses of up to $115,000 for associates Monday, topping last year’s year-end bonuses of up to $100,000. Cravath has “reclaimed its throne as BigLaw’s bonus leader” by being the first to announce.

Nov 22, 2021 4:36 PM CST

Sidley Austin implements executive training and new titles for associates

Senior Sidley Austin associates are getting new titles and new opportunities to learn business skills.

Nov 18, 2021 2:06 PM CST

Talent wars top list of perceived threats to law firm profitability, new survey finds

Law firm business leaders are bullish about the future of the legal industry, but they are increasingly concerned about the impact of talent wars on profitability, according to a survey released Tuesday.

Nov 17, 2021 9:12 AM CST

Some law firms are promoting record numbers of associates to partnership

Several law firms have announced their largest new partner classes on record amid a push to reward lawyers and create an incentive for associates to stay.

Nov 15, 2021 3:35 PM CST

Some law firms try to keep their lawyers under the radar in misguided effort to keep them

Some law firms trying to hold on to their lawyers are offering special bonuses and perks, making counteroffers, offering more interesting work, and promoting on a shortened timeline.

Nov 10, 2021 4:15 PM CST