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Just wondering if anyone has information on formal policies or anecdotal experience about what bonuses look like for associates who are either ahead of or behind their class year when it comes to base compensation.

All of the firm bonus memos say "Class of 20XX" but is that just shorthand for everyone compensated as a 1st year, 2nd year, ... 8th year or does it imply that every associate from a certain graduating class year of LS is generally paid the same amount regardless of their base pay?

ur told what your class year is and what your base pay will be when u start

only a few possibilities

1. u start as stub, i.e., right out of LS

2. u start as lateral or poast-clerkship and they tell u what ur class year/base pay is...firms generally give u "credit" for your clerking year or time spent elsewhere before u lateral there...so like if u worked at TTT firm and lateral up u might get bumped down a year or something...similar situation if u switch practice areas

3. some places will hold u back a year if u miss billable targets

4. ive never heard of someone getting bumped up

Big Shrimpin wrote:ur told what your class year is and what your base pay will be when u start

only a few possibilities

1. u start as stub, i.e., right out of LS

2. u start as lateral or poast-clerkship and they tell u what ur class year/base pay is...firms generally give u "credit" for your clerking year or time spent elsewhere before u lateral there...so like if u worked at TTT firm and lateral up u might get bumped down a year or something...similar situation if u switch practice areas

3. some places will hold u back a year if u miss billable targets

4. ive never heard of someone getting bumped up

I have heard of people being bumped, but it's generally when that associate is crucial to a deal or it'd be really embarrassing to a client if the associate left abruptly. I have also seen people bump if they agree to follow a partner to another firm, and are a rockstar.

The most common source of a bump is the JD/MBA. At least some of the lockstep firms, including mine, automatically start all JD/MBAs as second years. They are paid bonuses in accordance with their class year, not their graduation year (so $25k prorated, $25k, $50k, etc.).

I would assume it's the same way for anyone else who is either bumped a class year but don't know with empirical evidence. I do know that people held back a year are paid bonuses with their class year, not their graduation year as well, at least at my firm.

Bumping isn't uncommon, but obviously the firm needs a good reason to do it. It sometimes happens when people lateral if the demand is high.

do you ever see associates bumped up at the start of their associate? Like when someone works at the firm as a 3L or something? Does that even happen?

Thanks for the info everyone.

I have a lower BigLaw class year than my law school graduation year because I was away from biglaw for a few years doing a different type of law that doesn't really translate. I get paid bonuses with my BigLaw class year. I've never heard of someone who has been docked one or more years getting paid the bonuses to which their law school classmates are entitled.

Anonymous User wrote:do you ever see associates bumped up at the start of their associate? Like when someone works at the firm as a 3L or something? Does that even happen?

Only technically (I.e JD/MBAs, Tax LLMs or clerks being bumped up to join their JD classmates despite the later start date [and even then, only the last is common])

Anonymous User wrote:do you ever see associates bumped up at the start of their associate? Like when someone works at the firm as a 3L or something? Does that even happen?

This can happen in patent law, probably more often at the boutiques than at true biglaw firms tho I've seen both. I've heard of bumps on the basis of advanced degrees, especially PhD's in biotech fields, or very significant work experience -- e.g., patent agent before law school, or working as a clerk at the firm during law school. Varies by firm and by associate.