ALMResearchBlog

Law School Hiring Stats

As part of its annual NLJ 250 survey, the National Law Journal surveyed the firms—including the ones that didn’t make the top 250 firms list—about their hiring: which law schools they hired from and how many were hired from each law school. That information is now available from ALM Research Online in the Lists & Rankings section as the 2007 Law School Hiring Survey. As a bonus, firms also contributed information about how many associates were elevated to partnership in 2007.

Survey of Summer Associates: Size Matters

According to The American Lawyer, in reporting on the results of its annual Summer Associates Survey, “small is beautiful.” Only four of the top 20 firms had summer programs with more than 100 summer associates, while nine of the top 20 hired 30 or fewer. Still, the firms in the top five spots were not exactly boutiques: Nutter McClennan, Fox Rothschild, Buchanan Ingersoll, Morgan Lewis, and Mintz Levin.

Subscribers to ALM Research Online should note that this survey is one of the few not archived in our on-line database. However, in-depth management reports of a firm’s survey results—including, for instance, a comparison of the results from each of the firm’s participating offices—are offered through ALM Reprints.

Recent Release: 2007 NLJ 250

The 2007 electronic NLJ 250 provides demographics of the nation's largest law firms, and rankings based on the number of full-time attorneys. Data included in the spreadsheet includes: total number of attorneys, equity partners, non-equity partners & associates, starting salaries for first-year associates, branch office locations and number of attorneys by branch office, key marketing contacts, and more. This product is available free to subscribers and may be accessed in the ALM Research Store. Non-subscribers may purchase this searchable, sortable spreadsheet for $400.

Salaries: 2008 Guide from Robert Half Legal

Thanks to Geoffrey Gussis, who writes on Careers for the In-House Blog, for the tip that the 2008 Robert Half Legal Salary Guide  is now available. Gussis focused on the news for corporate attorneys: “In-house attorneys will see average gains of 3.8 percent over 2007 levels. First year associates can expect annual base compensation to rise 4.9 percent to between $63,750 and $91,000. Average starting salaries for licensed attorneys with 10 or more years of experience will rise 4.1 percent, to the range of $126,000 to $210,750 annually.” But the guide provides information for law firm attorneys also, as well as for paralegals, legal secretaries, and other legal support staff.

And don't forget that we offer a free Associate Salary Update spreadsheet to subscribers, which is free to non-subscribers with the purchase of one other product from the ALM Research Store. For more information, contact almresearch@alm.com or call 888-770-5647.

A Lawyer Walks into a Bar ...

We heard about this one on AboveTheLaw.com, and no, it's not a new, or even an old, lawyer joke. It's a critically acclaimed, independent documentary film about lawyers and the legal profession, according to ATL. Their posting about the movie, A Lawyer Walks Into a Bar, provides a synopsis, as well as links to the trailer and official web site. The documentary is about is a celebration of the law and triumph over adversity that follows six future lawyers of all ages and backgrounds as they undertake the rigorous and excruciating California Bar Exam, while also dealing thematically with certain hot button issues in our profession.

You can't order it through NetFlix yet (I tried), and it doesn't seem to be playing anywhere but film festivals. However, if you just can't wait, you can order it through the official web site for $22.

Associate Salaries: Story of the Year?

It’s one of the most popular topics on the blog. Mention “salaries” or “compensation” and the links light up. In response to one of our last postings on the subject, a reader, “Judy,” suggested that we mention LawWages.com, a “comprehensive career portal and resource center” for the legal profession. Of course, our parent company, ALM Media, also sponsors the LawJobs.com site, which includes a salary calculator from Salary.com.

We reported last month on American Lawyer’s September feature and rankings having to do with associate salaries. And blogger Dennis Kennedy did a great round-up of links to on-going buzz about associate salaries (“Recruiting, Paying and Retaining Lawyers: Quite a Discussion Going”).

So, we’ll mention once again that we’re offering a spreadsheet of updated salary information for NLJ 250 firms and beyond. This file is free to subscribers, and free to anyone else who has purchased a product from the ALM Research Store recently. To get the link, just send an email to almresearch@alm.com, asking for the Associate Salary Update.

Vault’s Second Annual Ranking of U.K. Firms

Vault says they surveyed solicitors at 100 major law firms in the U.K. and nearly 1,500 lawyers from firms responded to. The results of the responses led to the Top 50 Most Presitigious, with Slaughter & May, Linklaters, Freshfields, Allen & Overy, and Clifford Chance in the top five positions. American firms Skadden Arps, Cleary Gottlieb, and Sullivan & Cromwell were ranked 7th, 8th, and 9th, respectively.

On the Best 20 Firms to Work For list, several smaller firms made the top of the list—much like in our own Midlevel Survey. At the top was Trowers & Hamlins, followed by two U.S. firms, Weil, Gotshal and Latham & Watkins. In 4th place, another relatively unknown firm (to the U.S. audience), Burges Salmon, and then LeBoeuf Lamb in 5th place.

Midlevel Associates Paycheck Report

In the annual Midlevel Associates Survey, The American Lawyer collects information from respondents about their salary and bonus. Following the workplace satisfaction survey report in their August issue this year, the magazine has followed up with a Paycheck Report. The report includes median salaries and bonuses for third-, fourth-, and fifth-year associates in major markets. As reporter David Brown puts it, “Three years as a big-firm lawyer, and it's a pretty sure bet that the annual paycheck is going to be at least $200,000.”

To read the story, click here. To see the charts click on The Pain Index (how partner profits fare in relation to associate salaries in various offices) and Firm-by-Firm Breakdown, which provides median salary and bonus by class year for all the major markets.

To purchase a searchable spreadsheet of the Midlevel Associate Survey, including scores for each participating office, click here to get a sample and description of this product from the ALM Research Store.

Recent Release: 2007 Midlevel Associates Survey

The American Lawyer’s annual survey measures the satisfaction of third-, fourth-, and fifth-year associates employed by the nation’s top law firm’s. Firms in this survey are scored based on associate responses to 11 questions, which assess the firm’s qualities, including interest and satisfaction levels with the work; benefits and compensation; relations between associates and partners; training and guidance; openness about finances and strategies; billable hours policies; and associate retention. The 2007 Midlevel Associates Survey is available in electronic spreadsheet format from the ALM Research Store.

ALM Research Offer: Free Associate Salary Update

ALM Research is offering the 2007 Associate Salary Update free to subscribers, and free to non-subscribers with the purchase of one other product. The promotional code for non-subscribers to use is when requesting the Update is "ASU." Email almresearch@alm.com for the link to download the Update in searchable spreadsheet format.

The Associate Salary Update includes information tracked by ALM Research about raises in first-year associate salaries and bonuses since November 2006 for almost 300 firms. Data includes the firm name and headquarters city, the highest first-year salary reported, the high and low first-year salaries reported in the most recent NLJ 250 survey (November 2006), which offices receive the highest salary, and the sources for updated information.

This free product will be updated once a month until the publication of the 2007 NLJ 250 Survey in The National Law Journal in late November of this year.