Inertia and Worries About Associate Recruiting Keep Merit Pay an ‘Un-Trend’

Merit pay for associates never really caught on, despite the high-profile status of a small group of law firms that announced they were abandoning lockstep compensation in 2009. A Thomson Reuters story calls merit pay an “un-trend” and examines the reasons why. Most major law firms still have lockstep compensation,…

May 17, 2011 1:18 PM CDT

Texas Law Firms Jump on the Spring Bonus Bandwagon

At least two law firms with offices in Texas are following the lead of several large New York law firms and paying spring bonuses. Vinson & Elkins and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld will dole out bonuses this month, report Texas Lawyer and Above the Law. V&E and Akin…

May 3, 2011 11:48 AM CDT

Silicon Valley Law Firms Hire More Associates and Hike Their Salaries

Things are looking up for associates at Silicon Valley law firms. Salaries are increasing and firms are hiring more associates, the Recorder reports. The market is booming, particularly for midlevel associates in corporate departments, because of an increase in mergers and acquisitions and initial public offerings, recruiters tell the publication.…

May 2, 2011 5:21 PM CDT

The Lowdown on LPM: System Stirs Buzz, But Does it have Bite?

May 1, 2011 7:10 AM CDT

BigLaw Money Machine Revs Up Again: PPP Rose 8.4% at Am Law 100 in 2010, to Average $1.36M

The BigLaw money machine was back in business again in 2010, according to the American Lawyer’s annual survey of the nation’s 100 largest law firms. Average profit per partner was up 8.4 percent, to $1.36 million, after increasing only 0.3 percent in 2009 and falling 4.3 percent in 2008, reports…

Apr 28, 2011 12:11 AM CDT

Suit Says NY Gov’t Lawyer Earned $1M from Nixon Peabody, Seeks to Force Restitution to State

A government attorney in New York was paid nearly $1 million by Nixon Peabody over more than a decade as the law firm defended his county in land-claim litigation brought by the Oneida Indian Nation, giving him a disincentive to settle, a new lawsuit contends. Filed by George Carpinello of…

Apr 12, 2011 6:01 PM CDT

Are Female Lawyers Worth $50 an Hour Less Than Men? Average Billing Rates Show Gap

A recent survey has more evidence of a gender gap in the legal profession. The average hourly billing rate is $259 for women lawyers, while the average is $312 for male lawyers, according to the survey by ALM Legal Intelligence. The Larry Bodine LawMarketing Blog summarized the findings. For males,…

Apr 8, 2011 6:16 PM CDT

DA Budget Woes: Job Threats in Wisconsin, and a Standoff Over Budget Cuts in Nevada

Standoffs between prosecutors and budget officials have reached new levels in Wisconsin and Nevada. In Nevada, Clark County District Attorney David Roger said he won’t comply with a request to cut 9 percent from his budget, according to the Las Vegas Sun and the Las Vegas Review Journal. Roger said…

Apr 8, 2011 1:14 PM CDT

Overpaid? US Government Lawyers Make About $10K Less than Their Private Sector Counterparts

Republicans have charged that federal workers are overpaid, citing average pay of $101,000 that is well above the $60,000 average in the private sector. Supporters of federal employees, however, claim the critics are failing to consider that the federal government hires a disproportionate number of professionals. Many blue-collar jobs, they…

Apr 7, 2011 2:40 PM CDT

Defense Attorneys in Death Penalty Cases in Philadelphia File Court Challenge to Low Pay

Arguing that the state of Pennsylvania should either pay private defense attorneys adequately for taking on court-appointed capital cases or abolish the death penalty, a group of lawyers has filed suit in Philadelphia. Led by Marc Bookman, the group of lawyers says in its Common Pleas Court filing that Philadelphia…

Apr 6, 2011 9:44 PM CDT

Which Law Schools’ Grads Make $160K Median Pay? None, According to Website’s Data

Updated: The statistics from the nation’s top law schools paint a rosy pay picture for their new graduates. All of the schools that earned the top 15 spots from U.S. News & World Report say their new grads earn a median salary in the private sector of $160,000, according to…

Mar 24, 2011 3:40 PM CDT

We Need Judges to Work Harder, So We Should Pay Them More Money, Lawmaker Says

We need judges to work harder to bring a heavy backlog of undecided cases under control. So we should pay those who step up to the plate and get the job done more money, an influential Florida lawmaker is suggesting. Sen. J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales, chairs the budget committee and…

Mar 23, 2011 8:49 PM CDT

Lawyer Ranks Third as Top-Paying Job for Women, Forbes Says

Jobless law grads may have some misgivings about their career choice, but it’s still a good gig for women who want to earn big bucks, according to a magazine’s analysis of Labor Department statistics. Forbes magazine ranked the 10 best-paying jobs for women based on 2009 statistics on full-time, salaried…

Mar 16, 2011 11:51 AM CDT

42 Percent of Surveyed Millionaires Need About $7.5M to Feel Rich

At some law firms, profits per partner are increasing, reaching as high as more than $3 million per equity partner. But do these lawyers feel rich? A story noted in Pat’s Papers ponders the mindset of wealthy individuals. According to a new online survey, about four in 10 millionaires say…

Mar 15, 2011 1:26 PM CDT

A Wisconsin Prosecutor Moves On, Citing State Budget Woes

An assistant district attorney in Wisconsin is citing the state’s targeting of public employees in his decision to jump to a similar job in Minnesota. Jonathan Holets told the Superior Telegram that he enjoyed working in the Douglas County District Attorney’s office in Wisconsin, but he saw better opportunities across…

Mar 10, 2011 3:05 PM CST