Midlevel Associate Survey: What Does It All Mean?

In the wake of the publication of the annual Midlevel Associate Survey report and rankings, a variety of “analysts” have scrutinized the meaning of all those numbers. In the National Law Journal, the anonymous columnist “The Disassociate” critiques the plethora of surveys associates are asked to complete, and proposes the creation of a better, more meaningful survey, which would ask questions such as “Would it help if we raised your salary and lowered your billable requirements?”

Meanwhile, New York Lawyer, reprinting a piece that appeared in The American Lawyer’s Associate Survey report, examines the “New York State of Mind,” noting that “It's the capital of legal superlatives. The biggest deals. The longest cases. The richest partners. And the most miserable midlevel associates.”  But in Pennsylvania , the Legal Intelligencer took note of the fact that “Associate at Some Firms Say Satisfaction is Soaring." Despite the drop in the rankings of several Pennsylvania firms, LI notes, “associates seem to be happier in the commonwealth than in other large cities across the country,” such as NY, LA, DC, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Boston.

Want to do your own armchair analysis? All the data from the Midlevel Associates Survey is available in spreadsheet format through the ALM Research Store—free to subscribers, and for a fee to non-subscribers.