That other (far superior) legal tabloid Above The Law is doing a series on small law firms, and has started publishing the results of its survey of small firm lawyers regarding their salaries. With over 650 respondents, they had a pretty good sample size, and came up with some interesting numbers. Check it out. If you work for a smaller firm, let us know if the figures look accurate for our market.
(Thanks, Tipster!)
Spot on. And it confirms what I believed to be true. No complaints here, the small firm life is divine.
ReplyDeleteThe only problem with the results is that their definition of "small firm" is anything less than 50 attorneys. By that definition, every firm in Nevada is a small firm.
ReplyDeleteScooped by that other blog?
ReplyDeletehttp://abovethelaw.com/2010/10/nevada-lawyer-sues-over-mean-facebook-comments/
I work for a small firm (4 attorneys) and make 65K. This is substantially lower than most of my friends who are also at smaller firms (less than 10 attorneys)and are making 75-80K. FML
ReplyDeletere: 10:38 - how can Jonathan Goldsmith claim that he practices before the US Supreme Court when he's not yet eligible for admission? The Supreme Court requires three years of practice, but he was admitted in 2010. Scary that he thinks he's capable of practicing in all the areas identified on his website.
ReplyDeleteI work at a 5 attorney firm and make $78k as a 2nd year. I've learned that it could be much worse.
ReplyDeleteSolo - those numbers seem correct as net figures. You would have to collect 25-50% more than that gross, depending on your overhead.
ReplyDelete9:25 AM makes a very valid point. I always encourage attorneys to judge a firm by it's billing rate rather than the sheer number of attorneys.
ReplyDeleteFWIW, I like Jonathan Goldsmith. I think if you are professional with him, he returns the favor. He does have a rather large ego, however.
ReplyDelete11:03 AM
ReplyDeleteHow am I supposed to know the answer to that? I'm just here to surf and report. It appears from ATL that he also separates his practice areas into “60% Bankruptcy/ 10% Family Law/ 10% Criminal Defense/ 5% Personal Injury” and I'm a lawyer because I'm bad at math, but it seems that he's an 85% attorney. Of course, I also spend 15% of my time messing around, I just don't advertise it.
10:38
10 atty firm here, 1800 billables, 2nd year associate, make 115k.
ReplyDeleteThere's another report out there that says if you aren't making at least $65,000, regardless of firm size, then law school was a bad gamble if you're carrying a typical student loan debt load.
ReplyDeleteCan anybody recommend a decent estate planning attorney? Any help is much appreciated.
ReplyDelete10 atty Reno firm, 1750 billables, 3rd yr, 90K + bonuses (about 5-10K).
ReplyDeleteWould like to see less parity between small firms. Seems to me that some of my peers work a lot less hard, and only with micromanagement supervision. Those are $65K attys. Be able to handle the matters with the partners, then your a six figure atty.
hey 12:03-
ReplyDeleteliane wakayama @ m&a is top-notch. 702.382.0711
"How am I supposed to know the answer to that? I'm just here to surf and report. It appears from ATL that he also separates his practice areas into “60% Bankruptcy/ 10% Family Law/ 10% Criminal Defense/ 5% Personal Injury” and I'm a lawyer because I'm bad at math, but it seems that he's an 85% attorney. Of course, I also spend 15% of my time messing around, I just don't advertise it."
ReplyDeleteGood answer!!
Poor Goldsmith. If I had a dime for every time I was defamed by someone....
ReplyDeleteThat reminds me of Noel Gage. He used to threaten to sue attorneys regularly. Anyone know where he is now? I assume he is enjoying retirement, luxuriating in silk jammies by the pool as an attractive lady gives him a foot massage.
OMG not Liane Wakayama. Seriously. Anyone but her. Even Troy Fox.
ReplyDeleteFor Estate Planning, Jay Larsen is great.
ReplyDeleteFor estate planning, Craig Stone at Fox Rothschild is the bees knees.
ReplyDeleteFor Estate Planning, Lee Drizin is great.
ReplyDeleteWhere is double kickstand guy when we need him?
ReplyDeleteAmber Candelaria can help you plan your own estate. She is so good at it that she could have been a judge.
ReplyDeleteFred Waid and Steve Mayfield at H&S are solid as well for estate planning. Haters gonna hate.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the recommendations!
ReplyDelete12:03
H&S are a bunch of clowns, son!
ReplyDeleteMark my words, Amber Candelaria WILL be a judge in Clark County. She is the most wonderful and beautiful woman on the face of the earth. She is perfect. I love her and I want her to have my children. And yes, 1:59, she is a preeminent estate planning lawyer. And she is a fantastic litigator and a brilliant legal mind. And she puts ",Esq." after her name. I love her. I love her. I love her. Oh Amber, you make me suffer.
ReplyDeleteAlso for estate planning: Jeffery Burr, Steve Oshins, Jeff Morse.
ReplyDeleteWhat is an appropriate salary for a first/second year associate at a small firm ?
ReplyDelete@3:28 - I think it depends on a lot of different factors, especially what type of law you'll be practicing. I started out three years ago at a small insurance defense firm making $70k per year. No raises were given to anybody "due to the recession" and I jumped ship after my second year to make more money.
ReplyDelete3:28 - Can you provide more details? Plaintiff vs. defense work, or transactional; firm's reputation/billing rate. As a young lawyer, you have to remember that a firm has to invest in mentoring/training you...
ReplyDelete10 Atty firm, 1st year assoc., 1500 hours, commercial litigation, decent benefits (Health, Dental, Vision, Cellular), $75K + $5-15K bonus depending on receivables. $5K raise every 6 months.
ReplyDelete3:28 here-Primarily Plaintiff's work, expected/preferred 8 billables a day, no benefits, no 401K, etc., only making 65K.
ReplyDeleteUnless you get a sizeable percentage of the $$ you bring in -Jump ship! You can get that salary at another firm, and with standard benefits. Plus any firm that expects you live in the office should pay more.
ReplyDelete3:28 here-I'd love to jump ship, I'm just concerned there isn't another ship to jump too for someone with under two years experience.
ReplyDeleteIf you graduated from Boyd, Southwestern, Cal Western, or the equivalent, be happy to have a job.
ReplyDeleteIf you graduated from McGeorge, USD, Loyola, UofA, Utah, BYU, be patient; things will get better.
If you graduated from UCLA, USC, or the law school of just about any major university or real school (this does not include UNLV), you are probably already in six figures.
If you graduated from Thomas Jefferson, Western Sierra, National U, Concord, Peoples, Abe Lincoln, be happy if you can get a job as a paralegal.
The Standing Committee on Judicial Ethics issued its decision today censuring Joanna Kishner. What a piece of * * * * would do what Kishner did. She got a public censure for violating canons lying about Phil Dabney on Jon Ralston. Incredible. Hope everyone will read before voting in that race.
ReplyDeleteSorry, the link would not take into pasting on comments.
http://judicial.state.nv.us/Published%20Decision%2010-7.pdf
ReplyDeleteJoanna Kishner decision. A must read. Wonder if the Ralston show can be pasted
I highly doubt most of the voters even know what "censure" means. So, I doubt this will have any effect on her campaign.
ReplyDeleteBut, since about only 4 people watch Ralston's show, her statement probably had as much effect on Dabney's campaign as the censure will have on her campaign.
Kishner was represented by Dennis Kennedy! Now that's rich. Mr. Kennedy fashions himself an ethical maestro.
ReplyDeleteFor estate planning, you go to Oshins & Oshins unless it's a small estate. I don't think they handle small estates.
ReplyDeleteJeffrey Burr for all your estate planning needs.
ReplyDelete@ 10:42 - Quit whining. Think about the quality of your work environment. You have it made. No overhead, a percentage of what you bring in, and amazing co-workers. You have an opportunity to learn from the one of the best trial attorneys in town. After you have nothing else to learn from your current firm, move on. If you think you can do better now, go for it. In the meantime, count your blessings and STFU.
ReplyDeleteI manage a firm with 6 attorneys including myself and we pay $85k. We pay bonuses based on several factors, such as money collected, money brought in, billed hours, etc.
ReplyDeleteOctober 25, 2010 12:03 PM - If the estate in question in one of significant high net value, I would suggest Mark Solomon of Solomon Dwiggins Freer & Morse, John Dawson at Lionel Sawyer and Collins or Ken Burns at Kolesar & Leatham.
ReplyDelete@ 10:38 PM is @10:42 AM's boss -- BUSTED
ReplyDeleteCouldn't be my boss, none of that description is applicable.
ReplyDeleteHahaha! Seriously, how does 10:38 p.m. know where 10:42 a.m. works?
ReplyDeleteEither 9:17 a.m. is 10:38 p.m. (evil genius) or he/she is way gullible.
ReplyDelete7:53 p.m.--10/25/10--misses the point about the decision on Kishner violating ethics in her race against Dabney. She is getting into trouble already and is not even elected. Is she a skinny Halverson in the making? Will the blog do a post/story. This is worthy of discussion. Think the race will be close and the legal community needs to know about this.
ReplyDeleteI didn't vote for Kishner because she thinks way more of herself than she has a right to. She constantly references her labor law cases as if they are Supreme Court Must Reads. Also, at a meeting once, a date to reconvene was bantered about. Her constant use of I WILL BE OUT OF POCKET THAT DAY" were annoying and pretentious and stupid. We don’t need her on the bench and Dabny seems to do quite well on the bench when I have been in front of him. He knows that there is stuff he does not know. Kishner does not. That is dangerous.
ReplyDelete@12:33am (Jordan Ross)- Interesting list of names given. I bet it would be a coincidence that those firms use you to find attorneys to hire. Shame on you. You know who the better estate planning attorneys are.
ReplyDeleteI'm a family law attorney and I know who handles large estate plans and who mdoesn't in this town. You named three litigation firms who dabble in estate planning.
T&E: Rob Bolick, his firm was bought up by Durham Jones Pinegar
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't send an enemy to "let's see how much I can bill the crap out of a file" solomon
ReplyDelete@ 4:36
ReplyDeleteAmen
Does Soloman even do any estate planning work? He's a T&E litigator. Does his firm do any estate planning work? I don't think so. Maybe some simple trusts.
ReplyDeleteTrusts and Estates Lawyer in Nevada --- search in Best Lawyers in America book:
ReplyDeleteSearch Results
Results: 9
Henderson, NV
Jeffrey L. Burr
2600 Paseo Verde Parkway
Henderson, NV 89074
702-433-4455
Las Vegas, NV
Richard A. Oshins
Oshins & Associates, LLC
1645 Village Center Circle, Suite 170
Las Vegas, NV 89134
702-341-6000
Steven J. Oshins
Oshins & Associates, LLC
1645 Village Center Circle, Suite 170
Las Vegas, NV 89134
702-341-6000
Layne T. Rushforth
The Rushforth Firm, Ltd.
9505 Hillwood Drive, Suite 100
P.O. Box 371655
Las Vegas, NV 89137-1655
702-255-4552
Scott A. Swain
McDonald Carano Wilson LLP
2300 West Sahara Avenue Number 10, Suite 1000
Las Vegas, NV 89102
702-873-4100
Reno, NV
Robert E. Armstrong
McDonald Carano Wilson LLP
100 West Liberty Street, 10th Floor
P.O. Box 2670
Reno, NV 89505-2670
775-788-2000
Mark W. Knobel
Avansino, Melarkey, Knobel, Mulligan & McKenzie
4795 Caughlin Parkway, Suite 100
Reno, NV 89519
775-333-0300
Michael J. Melarkey
Avansino, Melarkey, Knobel, Mulligan & McKenzie
4795 Caughlin Parkway, Suite 100
Reno, NV 89519
775-333-0300
Matthew E. Woodhead
Holland & Hart LLP
5441 Kietzke Lane, Second Floor
Reno, NV 89511
775-327-3000
4:36 PM - Amen to that. Great attorney who has the vampire lust for money. He just can't stop feeding. "The thirst!"
ReplyDeleteSolomon bills more than other T&E litigators because he is better than all of the other T&E litigators.
ReplyDeleteIf Solomon is on the other side, I am probably going to lose but his client is going to pay for it.
Brad Richardson's poop has fragments of Solomon in it.
ReplyDeleteI think the question posed earlier was about an estate planner. I don't think Solomon's firm does any estate planning. They do T&E litigation.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how people just post their own names and their friends' names. Would you really, honestly refer a "friend" to random people who don't have any qualifications if it's a larger estate? Seriously, folks...the only person who made some sense was the one who listed the lawyers in the Best Lawyers book.
ReplyDeleteIf they are posting their own names or their friend's names, does that really qualify as "random people"?
ReplyDeleteI think his/her point is that "random names" are attorneys who aren't qualified to handle complex estates and that people are just throwing out random names without really helping the person who is looking for an attorney who excels in the field.
ReplyDeleteIt would be nice to see people throw out credible names and actually HELP the person looking for a good lawyer. If you aren't a top notch estate attorney, then don't post your name on a blog. Otherwise, you might actually receive the referral and be over your head. Too many desperate attorneys out there.
7-10 attorneys (fluctuates)
ReplyDeleteFirst year - $65k
How much of a raise should I beg off the boss? I'm feeling bold.
I work at a firm with about 12 associates. Starting salary is $65k. They raise maybe $2k a year. They're cheap asses.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very good one! I appreciate it. Thanks you so much for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely the worst and most unprofessional agency I have worked with and I have worked with most all of them.
ReplyDeleteThis is such an interesting blog. You are very knowledgeable about this subject. Please check out my site.
ReplyDeleteUtah attorney
Good info, many thank you to the author. It is incomprehensible to me now, but in general, the particular usefulness and importance is overpowering. Thanks again and good luck!
ReplyDeleteCriminal Defense Lawyer Reno
Yeah Mr jg. How do you lie to a judge and sleep at night? Fraud against the Court yes?
ReplyDelete