Recently we asked you for compensation information about solo practitioners and lawyers at small law firms. We didn’t get terribly much (and we’d happily publish more should we receive it; submissions guidelines here).
But we’re happy to share with you the few nuggets we did receive. Here goes:
(1) associate, at a general practice firm with fewer than a dozen lawyers, in a small city, class of 2006: $33,000;
(2) solo practitioner, specializing in divorce, child custody, and some bankruptcy work, in a small city: $65,000;
(3) of counsel, at a firm with fewer than 15 lawyers, in a small city, specializing in complex litigation and appellate practice, class of 1996: $112,500 (incl. bonus; billable requirement of 1800 hours);
(4) associate, at a very small firm (under five lawyers) in a midsize city, specializing in environmental litigation (“on the treehugger side”), class of 2004: $65,000 (no bonuses; official billable requirement of around 1750 hours, but not enforced vigorously; average work day from 9:00 to 6:30); and
(5) associate, at a small law firm in a large city, specializing in litigation and insurance defense, class of 2004: $70,000 (1900 billable hours).
That’s depressing: billing 1900 hours a year, for under $75,000. Biglaw associates, count your blessings — all 145,000 of them.
Earlier: Skaddenfreude: Solo Practitioners and Small Firm Lawyers, Please
Skaddenfreude: Totally Gauche Ogling of Other Lawyers’ Incomes
