Law grads get the best and worst return on their investment at these schools

The average 2012 law grad with debt owed about $108,000, while the median private sector salary for 2011 grads was about $76,000, according to data collected by U.S. News & World Report. But some students fared better than others. U.S. News & World Report compiled a list of law schools…

Aug 14, 2013 12:31 PM CDT

Greenberg ups first-year pay in 2 offices to $145K from $125K; will competitors follow suit?

Working as a first-year associate in the Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., offices of Greenberg Traurig just got more rewarding. The firm has increased starting salaries for new attorneys there to $145,000 annually from $125,000, the Daily Business Review reports. Such announcements of pay raises for fledgling legal eagles at…

Aug 13, 2013 6:57 PM CDT

Patton Boggs tells idle partners to shape up or ship out, WSJ reports

As many U.S. law firms struggle to find their footing in the post-recession era marked by seismic change, Washington, D.C.-based Patton Boggs has drawn up a new game plan. It’s one that includes trimming less productive partners, reworking compensation plans, and refocusing the firm’s growth on practices that support its…

Aug 9, 2013 8:38 PM CDT

Accounting ‘rogue outliers’ seek to change billable hour

Will a group of “rogue outliers” in the accounting profession change professionals’ reliance on the billable hour? A New York Times magazine article uses the “rogue outliers” description in a story about the efforts of an accounting group called the Cliff Jumpers. Many in the national group have abandoned the…

Jul 31, 2013 12:24 PM CDT

Ex-SEC enforcement chief joins Kirkland, will reportedly be paid over $5M a year

A former top Wall Street watchdog will be focusing on corporate compliance from a different perspective after joining Kirkland & Ellis as a partner. Appointed in 2009 as the SEC’s director of enforcement, Robert Khuzami will now split his time between the New York and Washington, D.C., offices of Kirkland…

Jul 23, 2013 9:55 PM CDT

Once-successful prosecutor was brought down by anger over sentence and alcohol, ex-girlfriend said

A drinking problem, financial woes and anger at the Nevada judge who had handed down a prison sentence he considered unfair all may have played a role in the death of a former Clark County prosecutor whose body was discovered in his home—and a note found nearby—last week. Celebrities that…

Jul 22, 2013 9:40 PM CDT

Patton Boggs is said to be planning changes in partner compensation

Patton Boggs is said to be planning changes to its partner compensation formula in a plan revealed to partners last Thursday. Politico had a story on the proposals, reportedly made by a strategic committee and approved by the executive committee. Partners won’t vote on the proposals until September, the story…

Jul 22, 2013 11:15 AM CDT

Top-paid general counsel earned $10.9M in 2012, survey says

The top in-house lawyer at General Electric was the highest-paid general counsel in the U.S. last year, earning a total of $10.9 million in cash compensation. Brackett Denniston III also exercised another $2 million or so in stock options, explains a Corporate Counsel article reporting on the magazine’s annual salary…

Jul 17, 2013 9:10 PM CDT

Looking to close the gender pay gap? Negotiation is key, free guide says

Even firms with written compensation policies often have a host of informal criteria when it comes to deciding how much partners are compensated. And because there is so much uncertainty when it comes to pay decisions and subjective requirements, the ABA has published a free downloadable guide— What You Need…

Jul 17, 2013 5:37 PM CDT

Law prof files discrimination charge, alleges ‘stark inequality’ in pay for men and women

A law professor has filed a federal administrative complaint against the University of Denver, contending that she has been a victim of gender discrimination and is paid less than comparable male faculty. Lucy Marsh alleges in her Tuesday complaint that the university’s Sturm College of Law pays full professors who…

Jul 10, 2013 11:30 AM CDT

Some basic rules for using ‘bitcoin’ as virtual money

Jul 1, 2013 6:50 AM CDT

Report: Township lawyer got $18K annually but did no work

An unidentified lawyer for a New Jersey township was earning $18,800 annually, plus health benefits, but admittedly got no work assignments for years. The attorney resigned from the North Bergen job in January after the state comptroller’s office began asking questions, reports the Star-Ledger. Meanwhile, the township’s top lawyer, Herbert…

Jun 26, 2013 4:23 PM CDT

These BigLaw firms had the highest spreads in partner compensation

For the first time this year, the American Lawyer has asked the nation’s 200 largest law firms to supply figures on the spread in compensation between their top-paid and lowest-paid partners. The publication received responses from 111 law firms, the American Lawyer reports. For law firms in the top 100,…

Jun 19, 2013 12:10 PM CDT

Gender inequity in pay diminishes women’s prospects—and the law profession

Jun 1, 2013 9:40 AM CDT

Employment picture for law grads looks pretty much the same as a year ago—for better and worse

Jun 1, 2013 6:50 AM CDT