Biglaw

Many Biglaw Associates Are Not Compensated As Well As You'd Think When You Consider How Much They Work

These associates are working their asses off and have little to no free time. It's not as good as you think it is.

By  
on

It is undeniable that Biglaw associates are among the most highly paid attorneys in the legal profession.  Indeed, many of the nation’s most prestigious firms recently increased salaries, and associates in Biglaw now make insane sums of money.  It can be easy to think that Biglaw associates are the most well-compensated lawyers in the legal industry, and if you consider salaries alone, this would be accurate. However, it is difficult to say definitively that Biglaw associates are the best-compensated attorneys when you consider how hard attorneys in Biglaw typically work.

It is a well-known fact that attorneys in Biglaw work long hours.  Of course, lawyers in many parts of the legal profession work numerous hours a week, and I personally know a number of public interest attorneys and small firm lawyers who work insane hours.  However, it is safe to say that on average, attorneys in Biglaw work more than attorneys in other parts of the legal profession.

I can attest to this reality from my own personal experiences.  When I was an associate in Biglaw, I was in the office at least 60 hours a week.  I usually had to work on nights and weekends, and I remember one stretch of time when I worked for 100 days straight without having a single day off.  This might sound like a lot of work, but I actually had it easier than most associates who work at large law firms.  My firm was having financial difficulties throughout much of my time in Biglaw, and this generally meant that my colleagues and I were less busy than attorneys who worked at other large law firms.

It is difficult to estimate how many hours an average associate at an ordinary Biglaw firms works a week.  This number is definitely not 40 or 50 hours a week, and I would estimate that the average Biglaw associate works 60 to 70 hours a week.  I am aware of some Biglaw associates who routinely work 80 hours a week or more, but 60 to 70 hours a week is probably average.

This amount is far more than the number of hours attorneys at other firms and in other parts of the legal profession typically work.  At least this has been my own personal experience.  At every job I worked after leaving Biglaw, I rarely spent more than 45 hours a week in the office.  Again, I know there are many attorneys at smaller law firms and in public interest jobs who work insane hours, but it is undeniable that attorneys at smaller shops on average work less than attorneys in Biglaw.  And this, of course, makes sense.  One of the reasons why attorneys in Biglaw are paid so much money is because they are expected to work longer hours and during nights and weekends.  One of the advantages of hiring a Biglaw firm is that exigent matters will be handled on short notice because attorneys are on call and are working longer hours.

When you look at the numbers, it becomes clear that associates in Biglaw typically work around 25 percent or more hours than attorneys in other parts of the legal profession.  And if you divide the salary of an attorney in Biglaw with the number of hours they work, the amount Biglaw associates are paid per hour of work is closer to the amount attorneys in other parts of the legal profession are paid per hour.  Of course, Biglaw associates are still paid a lot more per hour than other attorneys, but not as much as you might expect when simply evaluating their salaries alone.

It is also undeniable that attorneys who do not work in Biglaw usually have more free time than people who work in Biglaw.  It can be argued that free time is much more valuable than money.  This is because free time is a lot more liquid than money, since you could use free time to make additional cash through side-hustles, or use this time for relaxation, personal pursuits, or a number of other purposes.

Sponsored

During my student debt repayment saga, I used the additional free time I had after leaving Biglaw to pursue a number of side-hustles.  I had a few primary side-hustles that netted me the lion’s share of the money I made on the side, and I also had a number of smaller side-hustles I worked as well.  I really enjoyed working side-hustles, not only because they provided me with money I could use to pay off my student loans, but also because the side-hustles gave me a sense of financial security.  I knew that if anything ever happened to my main job, I could make money by working side-hustles, and I appreciated that I had multiple income streams.

I’d be lying if I said that my income from my main job and side-hustles exceeded the amount of money I might be able to earn in Biglaw.  However, when you consider how I had much more free time after leaving Biglaw, and how I had income from multiple sources, my total income and benefits were close to the amount of money associates in Biglaw earn.

All told, it is easy to read the news about Biglaw salary raises without thinking about how Biglaw associates typically work longer hours.  And when you divide the number of hours a typical Biglaw associate works with how much they are paid, this amount is closer to how much attorneys in other parts of the legal profession are compensated.  Of course, Biglaw associates are still paid more per hour than other attorneys, but their income is not as insane as might be believed when considering their salaries alone.

Jordan Rothman is the founder of Student Debt Diaries, a personal finance website discussing how he paid off all $197,890.20 of his college and law school student loans over 46 months of his late 20s. You can reach him at Jordan@studentdebtdiaries.com.

Sponsored

Topics

, , , ,