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With the summer quickly approaching, I am trying to figure out how to budget for summer expenses. I appreciate this can vary by firm, but how, in general, do scale-paying big law firms pay summer associates?

Are associates typically paid with full-time employees every two weeks or so? Is there a big lump sum check at the end? Some other arrangement?

In a similar vein, typically are associates paid as employees on a W-2 or as independent contractors on a 1099?

We were paid twice monthly when the other associates were paid. And we got W-2s.

I'm going to assume this is standard across biglaw firms, b/c it doesn't really make sense to do it any other way.

Every 2 weeks. W-2. At least at my firm, with a ridiculous tax deduction because ADP for some reason can't figure out that this isn't going to be my salary for rest of the year, despite filling out an expected yearly income form at the start of the summer. So I just got myself a $2.5k tax refund a couple of days ago.

Bi monthly or every two weeks. Whatever firm does.

My firm does semi monthly.

In practical terms that means you got paid on the 2 dates during the month, typically 15th and 30th.

Your summer probably won't neatly sync up with the payments, so you'll also likely get your last paycheck a week or two after you've stopped working.

Depends on your firm though. Other firms I knew got paid weekly and didn't let associates do direct deposit.

You will not be paid as a 1099, I think a W-2 is universal.