Lat, PLEASE call Latham and at least explain to them the amount of negative comments that have been generated about them lagging behind market in clerkship bonus. Thanks!

Why don't you Latham losers stop bothering Lat to do your dirty work. Get off your ass and send the firm an email and ask if they intend to reconsider their bonus.

Lazy bastards don't deserve a bigger bonus.

B/C we don't want to be labeled as the guy who emailed HR complaining about not being paid enough. Lat doesn't have to worry about Latham having a negative impression of him, but we do.

It's not complaining. You come up with a bunch of administrative-type questions you want to ask recruiting. You put them in an email.

Then you add, as the final question, a polite inquiry like:

"My understanding is that the firm's current clerkship bonus is $35,000. Is this correct?"

It's not a complaint. It's a polite, businesslike inquiry. When you mix it in with a bunch of other questions (about your start date, health insurance, practice area, etc.), it looks innocuous.

Ok, this is getting embarrassing. Dewey and LeBouef? I am a federal clerk in NYC going to the NYC office of a big Chicago-based firm that has not raised to 50k yet (and FYI for those of you in law school, Latham is NOT based in Chicago, so I am not one of those people).

Now, I know we're not entitled to 50k and all that yada, and it's not like I'm going to ditch my firm and go somewhere else based on $15k. But this is beginning to make me worried that I chose a firm that is not going to keep step with the market, which means I'll be considering those head-hunter calls that start coming after a few months much more seriously than I would if my bonus was $50k.

Not exactly profiles in courage material, 12:13/12:16.

Yeah, well if I had Kennedy money, I wouldn't be worried about the $15k. In fact, I wouldn't be working at a firm at all.

12:31 -- Given that almost all of us post anonymously on ATL, I really don't think any of us should be calling out others on their "profiles in courage."

Updated chart with new Vault 100 rankings now available!

http://lawclerkaddict2008.blogspot.com/2007/07/vault-100-clerkship-salary-bonus-chart.html

Connecticut should get on the bus with clerkship bonuses.

The $50k List (as of 8/2/07):
2. Cravath
3. SullCrom
4. Skadden
5. Davis Polk
6. STB
7. Cleary
9. Weil
10. Kirkland
11. Covington (NY only)
12. Paul Weiss
13. Debevoise
20. OMM
21. White & Case
23. MoFo
25. Ropes & Gray (NY only)
29. Fried Frank
30. Paul Hastings
32. Dewey Ballantine
33. Akin Gump
37. Wilkie Farr
54. LeBoeuf
55. Cahill
NR. Patterson Belknap

The Vault 25 LIST OF SHAME:
8. Latham ($35k)
14. Wilmer ($35k)
15. Shearman ($15k)
16. Sidley ($35k)
17. Williams & Connolly ($25k)
18. Gibson ($35k)
19. Arnold ($35k)
22. Jones Day ($35k)
24. Hogan ($35k)

yawn, that's the old Vault list, get with the program

Dewey Ballantine now pays a higher clerkship bonus than Latham? And Latham is in the top 10 in both the Vault and Am Law 100 lists (not to mention the A-List)? Pretty sad.

You fuckers aren't getting enough? A year lounging around chambers (yes, I clerked), a starting salary of $170-$190K (possibly more, in a few months), and a $35K starting bonus, and you're still complaining? Avarice knows no limits.

Meanwhile...I was glancing at Cleary's compensation page for its DC office ( http://www.cgsh.com/english/recruit/detail.aspx?id=320873705&OfficeID=320883505&pageid=000320918005) which says this:
We welcome written applications from judicial clerks. If you join us following a clerkship, you will receive a one-time $50,000 clerkship bonus for each year of your clerkship.

Am I reading this right, that clerks with two years would get 100K? Could it be a typo? What's the story!? Obviously, I could call myself and find out, but I'd rather not be flinging my name into the law recruiting world at the moment.

Now, the New York compensation page says this:
We welcome applications from judicial clerks throughout the year. Potential candidates should submit a written application, including resume and law school transcript, [says nothing about the amount of money offered in bonus]

And of course, those are Cleary's only two offices in the United States.

19 of the top 35 Vault (2008) firms are now paying clerkship bonuses of $50K, which, for you non-math majors out there, is over half. I think the market for clerkship bonuses has been set.

anyone have the list of shame for the vault top 40 or 50 firms?

Anyone hear anything re: Gibson? They pride themselves on "staying competitive" and seek out and hire plenty of clerks. Curious they haven't made a move yet.

i read on a firm's website that they will not pay a clerkship bonus to associates who use a headhunter. has anyone heard of this? is this a common occurrence?

akin gump pays 50k accross the board even in Texas?

What about WSGR???

According to the ATL post, Akin pays $50K in New York. (No word on D.C. or other offices.)

Lat, I've got a crisp $50 bill for you if you call Gibson & Latham and find out what the deal is. Mmmm.....President Grant.

Clerkship Bonuses (as of 8/2/07)
UPDATED TO REFLECT LATEST VAULT RANKINGS

The $50k Club (* = $50k/$70k):
2. Cravath*
3. SullCrom*
4. Skadden*
5. Davis Polk
6. STB
7. Cleary
9. Weil*
10. Covington (NY only)
11. Kirkland
12. Debevoise*
13. Paul Weiss*
19. OMM
20. White & Case
23. MoFo
29. Fried Frank
30. Ropes & Gray (NY only)*
31. Paul Hastings*
32. Wilkie Farr
33. Akin Gump (NY only)
35. Dewey Ballantine
52. LeBoeuf*
55. Cahill
NR. Patterson Belknap

The Vault 25 LIST OF SHAME:
1. Wachtell ($0)
8. Latham ($35k)
14. Shearman ($15k)
15. Wilmer ($35k)
16. Williams & Connolly ($35k)
17. Sidley ($35k)
18. Gibson ($35k)
21. Arnold ($15k $35k)
22. Jones Day ($35k)
24. Milbank
25. Clifford Chance

So now, here's where it stands:
80% of Vault 10 firms pay a $50k bonus.
65% of Vault 20 firms pay a $50k bonus.

Latham is looking more and more out-of-place on that list of shame.

i read on a firm's website that they will not pay a clerkship bonus to associates who use a headhunter. has anyone heard of this? is this a common occurrence?

What firm is this??? This could be bad . . . .

I really thought Latham and Gibson were going to match this week. Still one more day, but we'll see.

Hahaha All you clerks going to Latham are suckers!