Skadden NALP Mystery Solved

For the past week, readers, commenters, tipsters, Steven Hawking and the Dalai lama have all been asking me what is going on with Skadden’s NALP form. If you look at the NALP directory of legal employers, you’ll notice that Skadden’s 2009 starting salary is listed as “TBD” — to be determined.
Well we finally have an official answer from the firm. The statement confirms what off-the-record sources and reasonably sane people have been saying all week: Skadden will still be paying $160,000 to first year associates.
After the jump, check out the firm’s salary statement.


Here is the official statement from Skadden:

The Firm can confirm starting salary will be $160,000 same as last year. Apparently it was just an oversight that the NALP form wasn’t completely filled out. ([T]hey plan to update it [today], though [we] don’t know how long it will take for the number to show up.)

As we understand it, it took Skadden management a long time to figure out why the NALP forms were incorrect, not a long time to decide what starting salaries would be next year.
Now that Skadden has corrected the clerical error on the NALP form, perhaps I can stop getting emails like these from concerned associates:

Mystttal. We’ve had our differences. You hate English and I hate you, but could you please stop eating and figure out what is going on at Skadden? I’ll give you a donut.

I really don’t like donuts.

Make Skadden come clean about their salary cuts. Make them. Make them now! What part of “job” do you not understand?

Sponsored

For my next trick, I will make the rains stop and the buffalo return. Worship me.

Thanks for nothing Ellie MysTTTal, I had to find out about my salary being cut from NALP. I hope you do get fired via Twitter.

I’m happy your salary has been returned to you. Perhaps now you can stop adding extra “L’s” and “T’s” to my name? Thanks.
Is there anything else I can be helpful with today?
Earlier: Skadden Summers: Welcome to the New Market Class of 2010 start dates pushed to 2011.
Nationwide Pay Freeze Watch: Skadden Freezes Counsel Salaries

Sponsored