Lawyer Pay

BigLaw bonus leader makes announcement that will please associates

A law firm known for its industry-leading announcements on bonuses and pay hikes will be paying summer bonuses this year.

Aug 8, 2024 12:04 PM CDT

Duane Morris bestows partner title on powerless attorneys to shift tax and business costs, suit alleges

Duane Morris reduces business expenses and tax obligations for equity partners by shifting some of the burdens to lawyers who carry the partner title but have no equity or power in the law firm, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday.

Aug 1, 2024 10:55 AM CDT

Polsinelli touts ‘meteoric rise’ in revenue ranking as it adds 20-plus partners from competitor

Polsinelli is opening a Philadelphia office with more than 20 partners from Holland & Knight.

Jul 24, 2024 8:50 AM CDT

Referral bonuses as high as $50K? One BigLaw firm confirms incentive

Law firms are typically paying $20,000 to $40,000 in referral bonuses to employees who refer associates to their firms for placement, according to one recruiting partner. But some firms are exceeding that figure.

Jul 22, 2024 11:47 AM CDT

This city has the highest billing rates for litigators in nation, survey shows

Litigators in this city outpaced all other litigators on billing rates in 2023, according to a recent survey from the National Association of Legal Fee Analysis.

Jul 15, 2024 12:05 PM CDT

$20M for top rainmaking lawyers? Kirkland’s poaching started a trend

Eight-figure pay packages and bidding wars for lawyers are increasingly common in BigLaw.

Jul 2, 2024 10:18 AM CDT

This partner has billed an average of about 12 hours per weekday since May 2023

Sullivan & Cromwell has sought about $200 million as debtor’s counsel in the bankruptcy of cryptocurrency exchange FTX based on more than 168,000 hours clocked by lawyers and staffers.

Jul 1, 2024 3:28 PM CDT

Is law school worth it? At 33 low-tier schools, median income after student debt is $55K or below

Student debt is still taking a big bite out of lawyer earnings four years after law school graduation, especially at law schools with the lowest return on investment, according to a study by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce.

Jun 26, 2024 1:09 PM CDT

These 3 law firms are paying summer bonuses; will BigLaw follow?

Is the summer-bonus bandwagon for associates getting revved up? Law firms in California, Texas and New York have announced summer bonuses collectively ranging from $2,500 to $30,000.

Jun 25, 2024 9:02 AM CDT

Which BigLaw firms pay the highest starting salary?

Hughes Hubbard & Reed pays new associates a top salary of $235,000, which is $10,000 above the going rate at many top law firms, according to a survey by the National Law Journal at Law.com.

Jun 20, 2024 1:52 PM CDT

These law firms are preferred destinations for summer associates, new survey says

Surveyed law students at 149 different schools most often chose Kirkland & Ellis as a top place to work in a summer associate position, according to a new survey by Law360 Pulse.

Jun 18, 2024 10:21 AM CDT

BigLaw firm will pay up to $20M to top partners, an amount needed ‘to be at the big table’

Top partners at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett are expected to earn more than $20 million this year after the law firm adjusted its compensation structure.

May 20, 2024 3:32 PM CDT

Proposal to impose nation’s most restrictive cap on contingency fees may appear on ballot, judge rules

A judge in Nevada has refused to block a ballot measure that would impose a 20% cap on contingency fees in civil cases in the state.

May 15, 2024 9:29 AM CDT

Civil legal aid lawyers are often the last line of defense. Why are there so few of them?

As the 2023 ABA Profile of the Legal Profession reveals, civil legal aid lawyers are in short supply across the United States. According to the 142-page report, even though there are 1.3 million lawyers in the U.S., nationwide there are still only 10,000 paid civil legal aid lawyers, or about three for every 10,000 people in poverty.

Apr 1, 2024 3:00 AM CDT

Bonuses structured as forgivable loans are being used for partner retention

Some law firms are using forgivable loans to retain valuable partners and keep newly promoted partners happy.

Mar 28, 2024 1:23 PM CDT