BigLaw Partners May Be Worth Top Pay, But What About Associates?

Amongst those at the top of the BigLaw ladder, partners at the ten highest-grossing law firms in Washington, D.C., have been earning seven-figure annual incomes and some of the top players are billing over $1,000 an hour. Are they worth it? The answer may be yes, according to a lengthy Washingtonian cover story co-authored by Above the Law's David Lat. But it questions whether BigLaw's high-paid associates, whose top starting salaries have hit the $160,000 mark, deliver the same value. Partners with decades of experience may be able to answer a legal question in 20 minutes, making them potentially less expensive than associates who need to spend hours on research to get up to speed on the subject. Plus, where bet-the-farm litigation and major corporate matters are concerned, a seasoned partner's expertise and advice may be critical to winning a case or closing a deal with a price tag in the tens or hundreds of millions.

BigLaw Partners May Be Worth Top Pay, But What About Associates? abajournal.com Wed, Jan 6, 2010