Biglaw

Biglaw Firm Boosts Salaries For First-Year Associates, Talks Up $100K Bonus For Former Clerks

Very exciting news, but how much will other associates at the firm be earning now?

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It’s now mid-September, and some first are just getting around to raising associate salaries. Sure, this trend started back in June, but when it comes to compensation increases for attorneys, the general mood is that it’s better late than never.

The latest firm to increase associate salaries is Robins Kaplan, a national trial firm that brought in $191,065,000 gross revenue in 2020, placing it at No. 158 in the most recent Am Law 200 ranking. The Minnesota-based firm was also recently named by Vault as one of the top firms in the Midwest (#25) and as one of the best firms for formal training overall (#21).

According to a recent press release, effective October 1, first-year associates at Robins Kaplan will earn starting salaries of $180,000, a sum that meets the market for Minneapolis firms. The firm doesn’t speak of increases its more-senior associates, so we’re left to assume that everyone else will receive commensurate market raises. These salary increases don’t come close to the new Davis Polk scale, but more money is more money. From the press release:

“This move shows our commitment to recruiting the best associate candidates to join our firm,” said Ronald Schutz, chair of the firm’s Executive Board. “Attracting and retaining top talent is what enables our firm to maintain its track record of success and accomplishment for our clients.”

The firm also offers a bonus program to recruit federal law clerks. Lawyers who join Robins Kaplan immediately upon completion of at least a one-year district court or appellate federal clerkship may be eligible to receive a $100,000 bonus.

Ooh, that clerkship bonus is a $100K carrot on a stick that incoming associates may want to nibble, but the firm’s compensation model is a bit black-boxy for our liking. If you’d like to help us crack the compensation code for Robins Kaplan for other class years, please feel free to send us an email. We will keep you anonymous.

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Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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