Ohio

New Associates Raking in the "Big Bucks" at Big Firms

By Cleveland Law Library

A shocking Plain Dealer report indicates that brand new attorneys are being offered $160,000 to join big, metro-based lawfirms. That translates to a 28% increase, or $35,000 more than big firms were offering new associates 3 years ago. These huge salaries obviously come with long, intensive work hours that new attorneys who get paid a lot less may also have to endure. However, the report indicates that salaries for new associates at firms with10 and under range from $50,000 to $65,000, which is still a nice "chunk of change" for a novice attorney. Despite the prestige that comes with landing a judicial clerkship, the median clerk pay is apparently only $48,000. Apparently, competition for the brightest of the bright has gotten a little crazy. Last year, we reported on a Crain's Cleveland Business article on new associate salaries at Calfee Halter ($120,000), Jones Day ($135,000), Ulmer Berne ($115,000) and others.

Full post as published by Cleveland Law Library Weblog on August 25, 2008 (boomark / email).