Nationwide Pay Freeze Watch: Lexis Parties Like It’s 2008
Lexis employees who Shepardize “Lexis salaries” may now find a red stop sign attached to their search results. Last Tuesday, the powers that be at Lexis sent around a company-wide email announcing that 2009 salaries would be frozen at 2008 levels for all employees:
In order to address what is shaping up to be a more challenging 2009, the senior LexisNexis management team, which includes the leaders of all business and functional units, has had to make some difficult decisions. These decisions include freezing salaries at 2008 levels across all of LexisNexis Group…Except for a promotion or when an increase is required by local law, no one in LexisNexis Group will receive an increase in 2009.
Salary freezes these day are as common as HPV, but a tipster reports that Lexis’ freeze is actually surprising given an earlier announcement:
This is after they announced on a company-wide call in December that there would be a 2% pool for raises.
What’s Locke Lord Bisell got to do with it, after the jump.
Even if Lexis is a flip flopper, salary freezes stink. But layoffs are decidedly worse. And if you’re wondering if layoffs are coming down the pipeline, Lexis doesn’t pretend to be psychic. But you don’t have to be a psychic to read between the lines:
It is our sincere hope that these steps will enable us to otherwise minimize any job reductions to deal with the economic downturn. Of course, no one knows how the balance of 2009 will unfold.
Recall that Lexis already laid off approximately 300 employees in April 2008, and that was even before the economy went to hell. The additional salary freeze measure can mean one of only two things: either Lexis is really feeling the pinch these days or Locke Lord Bissell’s switch to Loislaw was a massive blow of untold proportions.
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Comments
First to say I don't have HPV
First to say I love you Marin
Is this going to affect my abusive hoarding of Lexis freebies from the weirdos who table in the hall of my school?
how will this effect my points!?!?!
*nervously cashes in points for 15 dollars in starbucks gift cards before lexis goes bankrupt*
-nervous T-10 1L
soon to be nervous 1L sa
"Salary freezes these day are as common as HPV"
A+
AUSTIN 3:16 SEZ YOUR ASS GOT SCREWED LEXIS!!
I don't partake in the Elie bashing, but this post truly was top notch compared to what he's been putting out.
Does anybody have any idea what Lexis and Westlaw reps make?
What's with the HPV reference? If you're trying to imitate Kash's saucy style, talking about STDs is probably not the way to go about it.
Marin >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Elie
Any idea what a Lexis or Westlaw lawyer makes?
HPV reference was great. It's all you hear about these days. HPV this, HPV that.
I WANNA BE ONE LESS! to get laid off.
hahah, good one marin
affect, not effect Nervous T-10 1L
-- TTT LS who works at a V15
The Shepardizing/stop sign comment doesn't make sense.
There would be a red stop sign for previous years, when salaries changed. This is one of the few years in which there wouldn't be a red stop sign.
I think around 80k.
i know of a handful of firms that switched to westlaw exclusively to cut costs/get sweeter rates. Lexis=Lose
Does Nervous T-10 1L really not know the difference between affect and effect?
Wow. Nice one Michigan.
Marin, you made me laugh, thanks
Maybe they make 80k if they have 20 years in.
Five years ago, a first-year attorney editor at West made 38k in Rochester. That was higher in MN, still higher in DC, but nowhere close to 80.
Wow, are you guys kidding, or is this just Marin posting continually in the comments? She tries WAY too hard to make jokes, and they inevitably fall flat. A red stop sign attached to their search results? Really??
Never thought I'd miss Elie...
nervous t-10 is a little lizard looking redhead. leave him alone. nature has already done all the damage it could.
20 = Elie.
there must be a lull as he waits for another side of beef to come out of the oven for the Prime Rib buffet.
Dude, don't miss out on the peel 'n eat shrimp cocktail! if you swallow them whole you can leave the shells on!
Agreed with 20. All these Marin-love comments are highly suspicious.
I'm sure that there were several firms that switched to Westlaw recently. Our firm was going to do the same until a last minute reversal (with a reduced rate I would assume) led us to stay with Lexis.
Yo Lat, ever feel like you made the wrong choice by letting Mystttal's Overeaters Anonymous support group vote him in?
Also, to be fair to Ellie, Lexis is a singular noun that is singular in form, thus it should be Lexis's.
CMS sect. 7.17-7.22.
Oh, and don't give me this "alternative form set forth in sect. 7.23" crap. Once you enter law school, you need to grow up and learn the real rules--not the easier rules that "disregard[] punctuation."
How much to Lexis lawyers get paid?
The Locke comment was possibly the worst "joke" I've heard in years.
Two comments:
1. I have a couple of distant cousins that work @ West in MN (as research lawyers). They aint be too smart and me doubts they make anything even approaching 80k.
2. I'm surprised to hear that firms are switching from Lexis to Westlaw for cost savings. My firm did the opposite this week for cost savings. Odd.
Former LN employee here....
The phone support "research attorneys" make 40-65K + good benes. Its also ultra rare to work more than 40/hr week.
The editors make that or less - its essentially paid like piecework, but work from home. Its a more competitive gig to get, but I have no idea why.
I know a Lexis sales rep who makes way more than $80K/year. Our firm is always a Lexis firm because the costs are always much cheaper than West's and because they have better content, like Matthew Bender and Shepard's.
I think the reps get around 3,000 points per week.
-Pop Bottles
I'm an LN employee. Can't speak for sales reps (who may or may not be attorneys), but a non-supervisory attorney editor makes $40K-$60K. No where near 80K. But, we have good benefits, can work 100% out of the home, consistent hours, and stress level is no where near attorneys in firms.
I'm an LN employee. Can't speak for sales reps (who may or may not be attorneys), but a non-supervisory attorney editor makes $40K-$60K. No where near 80K. But, we have good benefits, can work 100% out of the home, consistent hours, and stress level is no where near attorneys in firms.
Former LN employee - Lexis reps in law schools make about 60K. Firm sales reps probably make much more.
LN employee who made above 80 last year---not as a reference attorney---also, great company for employee morale, flexibility, autonomy, etc---there are reasons behind the freeze that will have a greater benefit to the company over the next few years
LN employee who made above 80 last year---not as a reference attorney---also, great company for employee morale, flexibility, autonomy, etc---there are reasons behind the freeze that will have a greater benefit to the company/lawyers over the next few years
LN employee who just read this thread. To those two individuals who posted comments mocking the intelligence of Lexis representatives, you should know that many (if not most) of your law school representatives are lawyers who have practiced in State and Federal Courts throughout the country, have argued multi-million dollar cases, constitutional rights cases and criminal cases before Federal Judges. You could not hold a candle to their legal knowledge and experience. You may understand their choice to leave practice once you have actually practiced, sacrificed your weekends and interrogated a defendant in hours and days of depositions. Rather than mocking your representative who is trying to make your law school experience a little bit of fun (with goodies at the table), you may want to take advantage of his/her experience and knowledge in real-life practice. Perhaps you should try practicing before you judge others who have left practice. (Your 3 credit clinic class is not practice). Perhaps in 8 years when you want to leave practice and find an alternative legal position, you will be looking up your past law school representative to refer you for a position at Lexis.
For those who asked about LN representative salaries; the salaries differ widely depending upon position, experience and location. At the higher end, an LN rep can make more than 80,000 (you will not make this coming right out of law school). All Law School reps however, work from home, make their own hours, have great flexibility during summer months and winter vacation, and do not have law firm partners dictating their evenings and weekends. Not a bad gig.