Reply to Salary question -- fed lawyer transitioining to law firm

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I think many of you are missing the fact that this person -- clerkship, top school -- could have gone to big law, but spent ten years doing actual trials. [b]Tenth year associates make 250[/b] and barring stellar credentials are not that likely to make parmter or to have trial experience. They major around 250-300. It may not seem "fair" to you but many of the partners in big law are not long term former associates but rather come over from gov.[/quote]

They actually make more than that, at least at NY-firms.  290K base plus 50K and over in bonus.[/quote]

At our firm, a tenth year associate is rare because you usually are moved up or out by then, but we have a few in speciality practices who don't have the book to make partner but are needed to run cases. For people we bring in from government without a book [b]or a big profile [/b](and we do of this if there is a need) we usually ask for a two year haircut, sometimes a three year haircut. I think the question you should be asking is what does a 7th year associate make at the firm. At ours it's high 200s and, by that level of seniority, bonuses are more tied to performance than class-driven base bonuses. I have seen huge bonuses and almost negligible ones at that level.

I would echo the previous poster who said the more important question is what is the path to partnership. If you come in as a 7th year, is it a two year look? What kind of business development support can they offer to help you build a book? That isn't much time to put together a book of business that is going to get you over the line. If you don't make it, how willing are you to be a permanent counsel with no shot at partnership? Do they have a non-equity track that would be a better fit?  I would worry about these answer much more than the salary. Making 300K for two or three years is great, but if you don't actually have a long term future at the firm, it isn't that much money on the long run. [/quote]

How would you define a "big profile?"[/quote]

I'm not sure I could do it in a way that didn't give away what firm I'm at.  However, I can't think of anyone we brought over from government on the basis of their profile who didn't come in as a partner.  We have brought people over without a book and made them a partner.  About 50% were able to turn their profile into a book and stay a successful partner and the other half didn't get any traction and moved on in a year or two. [/quote]

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