What is a "good raise" outside of Big Law? Forum

[Anonymous User]

I have what may be a stupid question, but one that has been bothering me for a while. Outside of Big Law on Cravath scale, what is considered a "good raise" for firms (can range from small to mid to big in the sense of Am law 200 but not "Big Law")? We talking $5k per year? $10k per year? More? Less?

[nixy]

It’s going to depend on your base salary. Whether a raise is good or not is usually measured by percentage increase in your salary.

[The Lsat Airbender]

I would argue that, once you're off Cravath scale, any sort of guaranteed annual raise at all (keeping you ahead of inflation, so not sure $5k on a $200k base would count) is a pretty solid place to be.

[Anonymous User]

I worked at a non-Cravath scale AmLaw firm and raises ranged from $5k to $25k based on practice and region.

[Anonymous User]

It’s going to depend on your base salary. Whether a raise is good or not is usually measured by percentage increase in your salary.

What would be a good percentage? I'm making $120,000 base salary currently and then I get $20,000 in bonus for billing 2,100 hours.

[2013]

It’s going to depend on your base salary. Whether a raise is good or not is usually measured by percentage increase in your salary.

What would be a good percentage? I'm making $120,000 base salary currently and then I get $20,000 in bonus for billing 2,100 hours.

Is that as a first year? I’d probably say expect between $5-7k.

[sparty99]

It’s going to depend on your base salary. Whether a raise is good or not is usually measured by percentage increase in your salary.

What would be a good percentage? I'm making $120,000 base salary currently and then I get $20,000 in bonus for billing 2,100 hours.

I would leave your firm. That sounds like an insurance defense firm. Not worth it.

[decimalsanddollars]

If you're trying to figure out what to ask for, I'd ask for $10k and settle for $5-7k if counteroffered.

[Anonymous User]

It’s going to depend on your base salary. Whether a raise is good or not is usually measured by percentage increase in your salary.

What would be a good percentage? I'm making $120,000 base salary currently and then I get $20,000 in bonus for billing 2,100 hours.

I would leave your firm. That sounds like an insurance defense firm. Not worth it.

Points to Sparty. It is an Insurance Defense firm although I do L&E. Is it harder to bill to 2,100 hours at a Big Law than and Insurance Defense firm? Are collections rate a thing that you have to worry about as a Big Law associate?

[Anonymous User]

It’s going to depend on your base salary. Whether a raise is good or not is usually measured by percentage increase in your salary.

What would be a good percentage? I'm making $120,000 base salary currently and then I get $20,000 in bonus for billing 2,100 hours.

I would leave your firm. That sounds like an insurance defense firm. Not worth it.

Points to Sparty. It is an Insurance Defense firm although I do L&E. Is it harder to bill to 2,100 hours at a Big Law than and Insurance Defense firm? Are collections rate a thing that you have to worry about as a Big Law associate?

I worked at a v100 in a secondary market and the L&E folks had it tough. On single plaintiff cases fees were often capped and the group was not seen as a huge money maker outside wage and hour.

My wife worked at ML and she never worried about how much time she put down our realization. But she ultimately left for Litller/Ogletree because like mostly did non compete, wage and hour, and commercial cases disguised as employment. She wanted single plaintiff work.

At Littler/Ogletree she has a similar problem. She’s often given a time limit for certain tasks and knows she can’t take too long on certain tasks.