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I'm curious what the standard is in, say NYC biglaw (or other markets/jobs, if people have experience) as to what perks you get on the job. Namely, what kinds of purchases can typically be expensed? Any other perks out there? I'm bored and wondering as a way to evaluate what those salaries really mean.

Other than the perk of not having to see your friends/family/SO ever and being miserable and blah blah. Pre-emptive +1 for great use of anon feature!

Anonymous User wrote: Pre-emptive +1 for great use of anon feature!

-.-

Having a job would probably be the best perk of all, wouldn't it?

Also, re: pre-emptive +1 -

At part time biglaw in Austin, TX:
1. Free downtown parking at a garage
2. Lots of free food
3. Got a free mug with logo on it
4. ???
5. Profit

edit: par -> part

Gym membership for the summer. And hopefully lots of free food.

Expensed? If you are traveling for work you can expense the food and transportation, same as any other job.

It varies from firm to firm based on my conversations with associates during OCI.

I paralegaled at a v15 firm in nyc where aside from your general health/retirement perks, associates got

-subsidized gym memberships
-$30 for dinner after 7:30
-car home after 8:30 (got switched to 9:30 in may 2010 right before i left)
-$20 for lunch on weekends
-car to/from office on weekends if working 4+ hours
-bar course/dues covered
-variety of sports teams including tennis, soccer, basketball, softball, volleyball (transp. to and from covered by firm)

SA at a different v10 firm with much of the same with a few additional perks
-car to work if arriving at office before 7 am
-10K bar stipend

I know Cahill has an associate lounge with food in it, plasma tv, etc.

Oh and most firms have complimentary Green Mountain Coffee...mmmmmmmmm

Got a sick mug and starbucks gift card from my summer firm.

Grizz wrote:Got a sick mug and starbucks gift card from my summer firm.

Sweet, but how many venti peppermint mocha frapps worth? Do you think they would prorate the amount for a full year if you worked there after graduation?

mel2010 wrote:

Grizz wrote:Got a sick mug and starbucks gift card from my summer firm.

Sweet, but how many venti peppermint mocha frapps worth? Do you think they would prorate the amount for a full year if you worked there after graduation?

Venti peppermint mochas? About 3. Those things are expensive.

DrGuano wrote:10K bar stipend

Want.

Big Shrimpin wrote:

DrGuano wrote:10K bar stipend

Want.

go to kirkland. WE RULE!

.

Some firms have retirement fund matching and some don't. Some pay for all your health insurance costs and others don't. Those can really add up depending on what the deal is at your firm. My pre-law school employer at dollar-for-dollar retirement matching up to something like 15% of salary. It was a huge perk for me and didn't cost my employer much because most people didn't have enough sense to take advantage of it or couldn't afford to sock away 15% of their pay.

IAFG wrote:Some firms have retirement fund matching and some don't. Some pay for all your health insurance costs and others don't. Those can really add up depending on what the deal is at your firm. My pre-law school employer at dollar-for-dollar retirement matching up to something like 15% of salary. It was a huge perk for me and didn't cost my employer much because most people didn't have enough sense to take advantage of it or couldn't afford to sock away 15% of their pay.

Yeah, 15% is pretty huge for that sort of thing. So it really just varies a bunch firm-to-firm?

dont most SAs get a blackberry or is that just for new associates?

What about vacation time?

Ofta3184 wrote:dont most SAs get a blackberry or is that just for new associates?

lol'ing hard at this being a perk.

IAFG wrote:Some firms have retirement fund matching and some don't. Some pay for all your health insurance costs and others don't. Those can really add up depending on what the deal is at your firm. My pre-law school employer at dollar-for-dollar retirement matching up to something like 15% of salary. It was a huge perk for me and didn't cost my employer much because most people didn't have enough sense to take advantage of it or couldn't afford to sock away 15% of their pay.

401K matching is so sweet. 100% ROI.

IAFG wrote:

Ofta3184 wrote:dont most SAs get a blackberry or is that just for new associates?

lol'ing hard at this being a perk.

Maybe Ofta hates his family?

mel2010 wrote:

IAFG wrote:Some firms have retirement fund matching and some don't. Some pay for all your health insurance costs and others don't. Those can really add up depending on what the deal is at your firm. My pre-law school employer at dollar-for-dollar retirement matching up to something like 15% of salary. It was a huge perk for me and didn't cost my employer much because most people didn't have enough sense to take advantage of it or couldn't afford to sock away 15% of their pay.

Yeah, 15% is pretty huge for that sort of thing. So it really just varies a bunch firm-to-firm?

My firm says they have some matching on their NALP page but I don't know how much. I know of at least a few firms that have no matching at all.

IAFG wrote:

mel2010 wrote:

IAFG wrote:Some firms have retirement fund matching and some don't. Some pay for all your health insurance costs and others don't. Those can really add up depending on what the deal is at your firm. My pre-law school employer at dollar-for-dollar retirement matching up to something like 15% of salary. It was a huge perk for me and didn't cost my employer much because most people didn't have enough sense to take advantage of it or couldn't afford to sock away 15% of their pay.

Yeah, 15% is pretty huge for that sort of thing. So it really just varies a bunch firm-to-firm?

My firm says they have some matching on their NALP page but I don't know how much. I know of at least a few firms that have no matching at all.

From what I can tell most big law firms don't do any matching. Even 5% matching is a lot of money.

A bigger question is how long is vestment period. In corporate America it usually takes 5 years to fully vest. That's almost twice the average time someone stays in big lawl. Probably why big law doesn't offer it.

IAFG wrote:Some firms have retirement fund matching and some don't. Some pay for all your health insurance costs and others don't. Those can really add up depending on what the deal is at your firm. My pre-law school employer at dollar-for-dollar retirement matching up to something like 15% of salary. It was a huge perk for me and didn't cost my employer much because most people didn't have enough sense to take advantage of it or couldn't afford to sock away 15% of their pay.

15%? Damn. That would be a compliance testing nightmare for a law firm. Hell of a perk if you can get it.

Desert Fox wrote: From what I can tell most big law firms don't do any matching. Even 5% matching is a lot of money.

A bigger question is how long is vestment period. In corporate America it usually takes 5 years to fully vest. That's almost twice the average time someone stays in big lawl. Probably why big law doesn't offer it.

5% would be a lot if it were 100% matching but I think that's pretty uncommon. Most non-law employers do $0.33 on the dollar or something along those lines. But law firms are hiring young kids right out of school who probably generally don't have enough sense to recognize the perk for what it is, so it's not particularly useful to them as a recruiting tool... unlike, apparently, blackberrys or shitty chinese delivery after billing 10 hours in a day.

If Xo is right some firms do 3% matching. Also, I should fire up the pizza tracker.