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My offer letter doesn't say. Does yours?

Mine says 15k in early spring.

Totally forgot about bar stipends. Something to look forward to this spring

My firm hasn't yet mentioned anything about a bar stipend, and I don't see anything on the website. Plus, any data on the interwebs is pre-2009, so I'm not sure how accurate it is. Is a stipend standard, or could it just be an advance? Is there a current list anywhere?

I'll be working for a ~30-40 lawyer patent boutique and the offer letter had info on my bar stipend and state & patent bar reimbursement. It's a stipend, not an advance.

There's a link floating around here somewhere with a list of firms and their pre-employment perks.

BeenDidThat wrote:There's a link floating around here somewhere with a list of firms and their pre-employment perks.

If it's that ATL poast with listings by firm, IIRC, it's pretty old and outdated for some firms.

Big Shrimpin wrote:

BeenDidThat wrote:There's a link floating around here somewhere with a list of firms and their pre-employment perks.

If it's that ATL poast with listings by firm, IIRC, it's pretty old and outdated for some firms.

ATL: Associate Life Survey: Everything (Else) You Always Wanted To Know About Starting Bonuses But Were Afraid To Ask

Anonymous User wrote:My firm hasn't yet mentioned anything about a bar stipend, and I don't see anything on the website. Plus, any data on the interwebs is pre-2009, so I'm not sure how accurate it is. Is a stipend standard, or could it just be an advance? Is there a current list anywhere?

To get the bar study stipend, BarBri reimbursement, and relocation fees, I had to sign an additional agreement that I would work for the firm for a certain amount of time. Otherwise, I would have to pay back those expenses plus interest.

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:My firm hasn't yet mentioned anything about a bar stipend, and I don't see anything on the website. Plus, any data on the interwebs is pre-2009, so I'm not sure how accurate it is. Is a stipend standard, or could it just be an advance? Is there a current list anywhere?

To get the bar study stipend, BarBri reimbursement, and relocation fees, I had to sign an additional agreement that I would work for the firm for a certain amount of time. Otherwise, I would have to pay back those expenses plus interest.

How long is your commitment, if you don't mind my asking?

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:My firm hasn't yet mentioned anything about a bar stipend, and I don't see anything on the website. Plus, any data on the interwebs is pre-2009, so I'm not sure how accurate it is. Is a stipend standard, or could it just be an advance? Is there a current list anywhere?

To get the bar study stipend, BarBri reimbursement, and relocation fees, I had to sign an additional agreement that I would work for the firm for a certain amount of time. Otherwise, I would have to pay back those expenses plus interest.

How long is your commitment, if you don't mind my asking?

18 months - I see this as a job guaranteed for 18 months, because, if the firm fires me, I don't have to pay back anything. This gives the firm some little incentive not to fire me.

I understand the ATL link is out of date, but it still makes me wonder why there's no "market" rate for this. Firms care so much about matching "market" for bonuses, but here they don't care about low-balling anyone. The difference between the most generous and the most stingy firm is huge ($18,461 + bar exam course + fees)!

xcountryjunkie wrote:I understand the ATL link is out of date, but it still makes me wonder why there's no "market" rate for this. Firms care so much about matching "market" for bonuses, but here they don't care about low-balling anyone. The difference between the most generous and the most stingy firm is huge ($18,461 + bar exam course + fees)!

Because it's not highly publicized.

BeenDidThat wrote:

xcountryjunkie wrote:I understand the ATL link is out of date, but it still makes me wonder why there's no "market" rate for this. Firms care so much about matching "market" for bonuses, but here they don't care about low-balling anyone. The difference between the most generous and the most stingy firm is huge ($18,461 + bar exam course + fees)!

Because it's not highly publicized.

Strange how the firms that offer substantial stipends don't use it as a selling point, especially as many of them exceed first-year bonuses.

Agent wrote:

Big Shrimpin wrote:

BeenDidThat wrote:There's a link floating around here somewhere with a list of firms and their pre-employment perks.

If it's that ATL poast with listings by firm, IIRC, it's pretty old and outdated for some firms.

ATL: Associate Life Survey: Everything (Else) You Always Wanted To Know About Starting Bonuses But Were Afraid To Ask

Realize this is old, but nice.

Anyone know anything about stipends in secondary markets? (Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Cleveland, St. Louis, etc.)

Anonymous User wrote:Anyone know anything about stipends in secondary markets? (Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Cleveland, St. Louis, etc.)

Yea, they don't give stipends in such TTT markets.

shmoo597 wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:Anyone know anything about stipends in secondary markets? (Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Cleveland, St. Louis, etc.)

Yea, they don't give stipends in such TTT markets.

Can't tell if joking.

The 2ndary market firm I worked at gives you around $7500 in bar stipend. Better than Ropes and Gray :p

Anyone know if big TX firms still give out stipends? If so, which ones/how much/etc?

Anonymous User wrote:

Agent wrote:
ATL: Associate Life Survey: Everything (Else) You Always Wanted To Know About Starting Bonuses But Were Afraid To Ask

Realize this is old, but nice.

I am only really familiar with the plans of three firms re. bar stipends and stub-year bonuses, but this thing is substantially wrong about two of them, so I'm not sure how useful it is.


Also, I can't vouch for the veracity of this at all, but if you enjoy unsubstantiated rumor: a classmate who is headed to GDC says they give a stipend in CA and a loan in NY, because the firm feels that's what the "market" is doing in both of those places.

Anyone know the details on Bar Reimbursements at S&C and DPW? Also, since it is a reimbursement, how long after we front the money will we be reimbursed? Shit isn't cheap!

Renzo wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Agent wrote:
ATL: Associate Life Survey: Everything (Else) You Always Wanted To Know About Starting Bonuses But Were Afraid To Ask

Realize this is old, but nice.

I am only really familiar with the plans of three firms re. bar stipends and stub-year bonuses, but this thing is substantially wrong about two of them, so I'm not sure how useful it is.


Also, I can't vouch for the veracity of this at all, but if you enjoy unsubstantiated rumor: a classmate who is headed to GDC says they give a stipend in CA and a loan in NY, because the firm feels that's what the "market" is doing in both of those places.

The rumor isn't quite as unsubstantiated as the chart says exactly that.

Renzo wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Agent wrote:
ATL: Associate Life Survey: Everything (Else) You Always Wanted To Know About Starting Bonuses But Were Afraid To Ask

Realize this is old, but nice.

I am only really familiar with the plans of three firms re. bar stipends and stub-year bonuses, but this thing is substantially wrong about two of them, so I'm not sure how useful it is.


Also, I can't vouch for the veracity of this at all, but if you enjoy unsubstantiated rumor: a classmate who is headed to GDC says they give a stipend in CA and a loan in NY, because the firm feels that's what the "market" is doing in both of those places.

This is true. I'm working in Chicago next summer at one of the big 5 (Kirkland, Sidley, Winston, Jenner, Mayer) and we get a 10k Bar stipend, while everyone I know working at NY firms (Cleary, Debevoise, STB) are getting a 10k Bar Stipend that is a SALARY ADVANCE.

NY really gets screwed on this.

Anonymous User wrote:

Renzo wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Agent wrote:
ATL: Associate Life Survey: Everything (Else) You Always Wanted To Know About Starting Bonuses But Were Afraid To Ask

Realize this is old, but nice.

I am only really familiar with the plans of three firms re. bar stipends and stub-year bonuses, but this thing is substantially wrong about two of them, so I'm not sure how useful it is.


Also, I can't vouch for the veracity of this at all, but if you enjoy unsubstantiated rumor: a classmate who is headed to GDC says they give a stipend in CA and a loan in NY, because the firm feels that's what the "market" is doing in both of those places.

This is true. I'm working in Chicago next summer at one of the big 5 (Kirkland, Sidley, Winston, Jenner, Mayer) and we get a 10k Bar stipend, while everyone I know working at NY firms (Cleary, Debevoise, STB) are getting a 10k Bar Stipend that is a SALARY ADVANCE.

NY really gets screwed on this.

NY to $150,000!!!!