Top Law Schools

It's my understanding Jackson Lewis is opening a new office in CA. Anyone know what the starting salary would be. I know it's below market, but how much, $140k? For anyone working here, how is the culture like, are the hours still pretty reasonable or is it as rough as any other big law firm? Any other perks of working here?

1st year in smaller California location (think OC, San Diego, Sac) is $120,000.

Anonymous User wrote:1st year in smaller California location (think OC, San Diego, Sac) is $120,000.

what do you base this on? My understanding is that it is closer to $150,000.

$120,000 is based on offer I received. Was disappointed.

Anonymous User wrote:$120,000 is based on offer I received. Was disappointed.

Could you shoot me a PM.

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:1st year in smaller California location (think OC, San Diego, Sac) is $120,000.

what do you base this on? My understanding is that it is closer to $150,000.

I used to work at JL in a CA office and, unless things have changed, you're not making $150k until 5-6 years at the firm at any CA office.

OP - here's a brief list of the pros and cons in no particular order.

Pros:
-substantial responsibilities right off the bat. Associates get thrown into the deep end.
-cases are almost always staffed with one partner and one associate, so associates get to do almost everything.
-virtually impossible to get fired or pushed out (due to high associate turnover, see below).
-good, but not great hours. You won't be billing 2500 hours, but you very well may be billing 2000-2200. My office was mostly empty by 630-7pm, but I frequently worked late nights and weekends.
-most partners were pretty easygoing and reasonable
-associates were supportive of one another
-really good exit options to other higher-paying firms and going in-house.

Cons:
-really low pay
-high associate turnover because of the low pay
-as with every firm, there were some terrible partners to work for.
-high volume/heavy caseload. The firm's bread and butter is small, low-value single-plaintiff cases, which means every associate had 15-30 cases
-tons of EPLI work, which is the worst. EPLI requirements add so much inane administrative non-billable work.
-same kinds of cases over and over and over. I found the work extremely boring, formulaic, and not at all intellectually challenging 90% of the time.

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:1st year in smaller California location (think OC, San Diego, Sac) is $120,000.

what do you base this on? My understanding is that it is closer to $150,000.

I used to work at JL in a CA office and, unless things have changed, you're not making $150k until 5-6 years at the firm at any CA office.

OP - here's a brief list of the pros and cons in no particular order.

Pros:
-substantial responsibilities right off the bat. Associates get thrown into the deep end.
-cases are almost always staffed with one partner and one associate, so associates get to do almost everything.
-virtually impossible to get fired or pushed out (due to high associate turnover, see below).
-good, but not great hours. You won't be billing 2500 hours, but you very well may be billing 2000-2200. My office was mostly empty by 630-7pm, but I frequently worked late nights and weekends.
-most partners were pretty easygoing and reasonable
-associates were supportive of one another
-really good exit options to other higher-paying firms and going in-house.

Cons:
-really low pay
-high associate turnover because of the low pay
-as with every firm, there were some terrible partners to work for.
-high volume/heavy caseload. The firm's bread and butter is small, low-value single-plaintiff cases, which means every associate had 15-30 cases
-tons of EPLI work, which is the worst. EPLI requirements add so much inane administrative non-billable work.
-same kinds of cases over and over and over. I found the work extremely boring, formulaic, and not at all intellectually challenging 90% of the time.

Thanks this is really helpful. I think some of your points may be more about L&E generally than about JL specifically. There was a poster in another forum who said he was making high 200’s as a 7th year at a boutique L&E shop...I don’t know what that would be besides Litter or JL since those are the top two firms in the area.

How were bonuses like? If you did bill 2000+, does it show or not make a difference?

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:1st year in smaller California location (think OC, San Diego, Sac) is $120,000.

what do you base this on? My understanding is that it is closer to $150,000.

I used to work at JL in a CA office and, unless things have changed, you're not making $150k until 5-6 years at the firm at any CA office.

OP - here's a brief list of the pros and cons in no particular order.

Pros:
-substantial responsibilities right off the bat. Associates get thrown into the deep end.
-cases are almost always staffed with one partner and one associate, so associates get to do almost everything.
-virtually impossible to get fired or pushed out (due to high associate turnover, see below).
-good, but not great hours. You won't be billing 2500 hours, but you very well may be billing 2000-2200. My office was mostly empty by 630-7pm, but I frequently worked late nights and weekends.
-most partners were pretty easygoing and reasonable
-associates were supportive of one another
-really good exit options to other higher-paying firms and going in-house.

Cons:
-really low pay
-high associate turnover because of the low pay
-as with every firm, there were some terrible partners to work for.
-high volume/heavy caseload. The firm's bread and butter is small, low-value single-plaintiff cases, which means every associate had 15-30 cases
-tons of EPLI work, which is the worst. EPLI requirements add so much inane administrative non-billable work.
-same kinds of cases over and over and over. I found the work extremely boring, formulaic, and not at all intellectually challenging 90% of the time.

There has been a pay bump is major offices in the last 3-4 years, caused by the incentive to keep up with big law and the rise in business for L&E in CA.

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:1st year in smaller California location (think OC, San Diego, Sac) is $120,000.

what do you base this on? My understanding is that it is closer to $150,000.

I used to work at JL in a CA office and, unless things have changed, you're not making $150k until 5-6 years at the firm at any CA office.

OP - here's a brief list of the pros and cons in no particular order.

Pros:
-substantial responsibilities right off the bat. Associates get thrown into the deep end.
-cases are almost always staffed with one partner and one associate, so associates get to do almost everything.
-virtually impossible to get fired or pushed out (due to high associate turnover, see below).
-good, but not great hours. You won't be billing 2500 hours, but you very well may be billing 2000-2200. My office was mostly empty by 630-7pm, but I frequently worked late nights and weekends.
-most partners were pretty easygoing and reasonable
-associates were supportive of one another
-really good exit options to other higher-paying firms and going in-house.

Cons:
-really low pay
-high associate turnover because of the low pay
-as with every firm, there were some terrible partners to work for.
-high volume/heavy caseload. The firm's bread and butter is small, low-value single-plaintiff cases, which means every associate had 15-30 cases
-tons of EPLI work, which is the worst. EPLI requirements add so much inane administrative non-billable work.
-same kinds of cases over and over and over. I found the work extremely boring, formulaic, and not at all intellectually challenging 90% of the time.

There has been a pay bump is major offices in the last 3-4 years, caused by the incentive to keep up with big law and the rise in business for L&E in CA.

The associates at JL seem pretty happy imho.

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:1st year in smaller California location (think OC, San Diego, Sac) is $120,000.

what do you base this on? My understanding is that it is closer to $150,000.

I used to work at JL in a CA office and, unless things have changed, you're not making $150k until 5-6 years at the firm at any CA office.

OP - here's a brief list of the pros and cons in no particular order.

Pros:
-substantial responsibilities right off the bat. Associates get thrown into the deep end.
-cases are almost always staffed with one partner and one associate, so associates get to do almost everything.
-virtually impossible to get fired or pushed out (due to high associate turnover, see below).
-good, but not great hours. You won't be billing 2500 hours, but you very well may be billing 2000-2200. My office was mostly empty by 630-7pm, but I frequently worked late nights and weekends.
-most partners were pretty easygoing and reasonable
-associates were supportive of one another
-really good exit options to other higher-paying firms and going in-house.

Cons:
-really low pay
-high associate turnover because of the low pay
-as with every firm, there were some terrible partners to work for.
-high volume/heavy caseload. The firm's bread and butter is small, low-value single-plaintiff cases, which means every associate had 15-30 cases
-tons of EPLI work, which is the worst. EPLI requirements add so much inane administrative non-billable work.
-same kinds of cases over and over and over. I found the work extremely boring, formulaic, and not at all intellectually challenging 90% of the time.

Thanks this is really helpful. I think some of your points may be more about L&E generally than about JL specifically. There was a poster in another forum who said he was making high 200’s as a 7th year at a boutique L&E shop...I don’t know what that would be besides Litter or JL since those are the top two firms in the area.

How were bonuses like? If you did bill 2000+, does it show or not make a difference?

Some of my criticisms of JL certainly translate to L&E generally, but not every L&E department/firm is an EPLI mill. Several colleagues who left JL that I stayed in touch with said the biggest benefit to their new firms was less EPLI work and fewer cases.

Bonuses were mostly based on your performance reviews, but you could also get a pure hours-based performance review.

I think I know what poster you're talking about and there is no way that firm is JL. Income partners at CA offices are capped at $250k.