Do firms match clerkship bonus offers? Forum

[Anonymous User]

Is there any wiggle room to negotiate clerkship bonuses in biglaw? For example, would a peer firm of Quinn consider matching the 75K clerkship bonus that Quinn offers? Obviously this differ firm by firm, but I'm just wondering if its worth even asking.

[Anonymous User]

I've heard of a firm matching.

[Anonymous User]

Interesting. As in a firm matched Quinn's 75K?

[Anonymous User]

Interesting. As in a firm matched Quinn's 75K?

I find it hard to believe you could summer at some v20 (Firm A), clerk for a year, apply to QE and get a post-clerkship offer, take it back to Firm A and say give me $25k more, and firm A would just pay it as a matter of course. Everyone would do that and firms would have already wised up and moved the market rate.

[ArtistOfManliness]

Interesting. As in a firm matched Quinn's 75K?

I find it hard to believe you could summer at some v20 (Firm A), clerk for a year, apply to QE and get a post-clerkship offer, take it back to Firm A and say give me $25k more, and firm A would just pay it as a matter of course. Everyone would do that and firms would have already wised up and moved the market rate.

this

[Anonymous User]

Slightly different scenario. I worked for two years, then clerked for two. I was able to get V20 firms who initially only offered $50K to match $70k as well as two boutiques.

[Anonymous User]

Slightly different scenario. I worked for two years, then clerked for two. I was able to get V20 firms who initially only offered $50K to match $70k as well as two boutiques.

I'm the original person who said he'd heard of matching. It was something along these lines. The point is, if you take an offer back to a firm they might match, or they might not. But it's not an insane thing to ask them.

[Anonymous User]

Slightly different scenario. I worked for two years, then clerked for two. I was able to get V20 firms who initially only offered $50K to match $70k as well as two boutiques.

I'm the original person who said he'd heard of matching. It was something along these lines. The point is, if you take an offer back to a firm they might match, or they might not. But it's not an insane thing to ask them.

Any update on this now that we are later in the cycle?

Seen some letters come to chambers with some pretty high bonus numbers.

[Anonymous User]

Slightly different scenario. I worked for two years, then clerked for two. I was able to get V20 firms who initially only offered $50K to match $70k as well as two boutiques.

I'm the original person who said he'd heard of matching. It was something along these lines. The point is, if you take an offer back to a firm they might match, or they might not. But it's not an insane thing to ask them.

Any update on this now that we are later in the cycle?

Seen some letters come to chambers with some pretty high bonus numbers.

The only letter we've gotten so far with high bonus numbers is from Kellogg. And the usual talk about them tends to omit the part where you don't get end of year bonus until your second full year with the firm...

[rpupkin]

Is there any wiggle room to negotiate clerkship bonuses in biglaw? For example, would a peer firm of Quinn consider matching the 75K clerkship bonus that Quinn offers? Obviously this differ firm by firm, but I'm just wondering if its worth even asking.

Clerkship bonus and class-year credit are often negotiable. It certainly doesn't hurt to try.

[Anonymous User]

Random question, but does anyone know Hueston Hennigan's clerkship bonus?

[Anonymous User]

Random question, but does anyone know Hueston Hennigan's clerkship bonus?

I think it's $10k

[Anonymous User]

Slightly different scenario. I worked for two years, then clerked for two. I was able to get V20 firms who initially only offered $50K to match $70k as well as two boutiques.

I'm the original person who said he'd heard of matching. It was something along these lines. The point is, if you take an offer back to a firm they might match, or they might not. But it's not an insane thing to ask them.

Any update on this now that we are later in the cycle?

Seen some letters come to chambers with some pretty high bonus numbers.

The only letter we've gotten so far with high bonus numbers is from Kellogg. And the usual talk about them tends to omit the part where you don't get end of year bonus until your second full year with the firm...

This is incorrect- the letters clearly state you get a partial bonus after your first full year.

[Anonymous User]

Random question, but does anyone know Hueston Hennigan's clerkship bonus?

I think it's $10k

No. It's $50K.