Top Law Schools

How much do recruiting assistants make? Recruiting directors? Paralegals?

Haven't you ever wondered how much the people who get paid to baby sit us during the summer, bar prep and orientation make? Seems weird that they would make much less than us but plausible. Interested to hear from those who have worked in these roles or have closer experience/knowledge than glass door results.

Before going to law school, I was a legal assistant for a V20 which is sort of like a baby paralegal. I was a paralegal in every way except title because I didn't have a paralegal degree.

My salary was $45,000 + overtime. This was back when first year associates were on the $160k scale, but I doubt things have gotten much better.

WFGhallager wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 21, 2021 2:39 am

Haven't you ever wondered how much the people who get paid to baby sit us during the summer, bar prep and orientation make? Seems weird that they would make much less than us but plausible.

There's nothing weird about it. A junior associate billing 2000 hours generates around $1m in annual revenue, while recruiters generate nothing.

My understanding is that senior secretaries can earn $80-90k or more, while paralegals hired straight from college earn around $40-50k. That's why firms are laying off secretaries and replacing them with 20-somethings with different titles (e.g. "professional assistant") on a much lower payscale. No idea what the various admin/HR/IT/marketing people make.

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 21, 2021 11:19 am

WFGhallager wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 21, 2021 2:39 am

Haven't you ever wondered how much the people who get paid to baby sit us during the summer, bar prep and orientation make? Seems weird that they would make much less than us but plausible.

There's nothing weird about it. A junior associate billing 2000 hours generates around $1m in annual revenue, while recruiters generate nothing.

There is something weird about it. A junior recruiting assistant brings in 50 or more associates per year (at biglaw firms that matter), leading to around $50m or more in annual revenue, while junior associates recruit no one.

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 21, 2021 10:58 am

Before going to law school, I was a legal assistant for a V20 which is sort of like a baby paralegal. I was a paralegal in every way except title because I didn't have a paralegal degree.

My salary was $45,000 + overtime. This was back when first year associates were on the $160k scale, but I doubt things have gotten much better.

Does that include pay or would the title have made a difference?

WFGhallager wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 21, 2021 12:31 pm

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 21, 2021 11:19 am

WFGhallager wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 21, 2021 2:39 am

Haven't you ever wondered how much the people who get paid to baby sit us during the summer, bar prep and orientation make? Seems weird that they would make much less than us but plausible.

There's nothing weird about it. A junior associate billing 2000 hours generates around $1m in annual revenue, while recruiters generate nothing.

There is something weird about it. A junior recruiting assistant brings in 50 or more associates per year (at biglaw firms that matter), leading to around $50m or more in annual revenue, while junior associates recruit no one.

Lol? Are you a recruiter???

My sister-in-law is a recruiting assistant at a V50 in a secondary market. She makes roughly $60K + overtime. She generally likes the work, although a lot of the minutiae of a summer program is pretty mindless and wrangling lawyers is difficult.

I worked as a legal assistant the first year out of college at a boutique. It was a pretty good salary -- $65,000, plus overtime, good benefits, and typically a free meal each day. Firm was small-ish, but very picky in hiring its legal assistants (most went to elite undergrads).

WFGhallager wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 21, 2021 12:31 pm

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 21, 2021 11:19 am

WFGhallager wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 21, 2021 2:39 am

Haven't you ever wondered how much the people who get paid to baby sit us during the summer, bar prep and orientation make? Seems weird that they would make much less than us but plausible.

There's nothing weird about it. A junior associate billing 2000 hours generates around $1m in annual revenue, while recruiters generate nothing.

There is something weird about it. A junior recruiting assistant brings in 50 or more associates per year (at biglaw firms that matter), leading to around $50m or more in annual revenue, while junior associates recruit no one.

A junior recruiting assistant isn't "bringing in" 50 associates per year...what? Any big law firm is receiving way more resumes for SA's than they're going to hire...it's not like the recruiting assistant is going out and finding top lateral candidates and bringing them in or something like that. The marginal revenue generated by a junior recruiting assistant is pretty much $0. Not so for junior associates.

Obviously different because not recruiting, but I know people in D&I. Anon for obvious reasons.

The director allegedly makes $250k
Managers are around $150k
Coordinators are at $60k

There are positions in-between, but I have no data points.

WFGhallager wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 21, 2021 12:31 pm

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 21, 2021 11:19 am

WFGhallager wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 21, 2021 2:39 am

Haven't you ever wondered how much the people who get paid to baby sit us during the summer, bar prep and orientation make? Seems weird that they would make much less than us but plausible.

There's nothing weird about it. A junior associate billing 2000 hours generates around $1m in annual revenue, while recruiters generate nothing.

There is something weird about it. A junior recruiting assistant brings in 50 or more associates per year (at biglaw firms that matter), leading to around $50m or more in annual revenue, while junior associates recruit no one.

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 21, 2021 10:58 am

Before going to law school, I was a legal assistant for a V20 which is sort of like a baby paralegal. I was a paralegal in every way except title because I didn't have a paralegal degree.

My salary was $45,000 + overtime. This was back when first year associates were on the $160k scale, but I doubt things have gotten much better.

Does that include pay or would the title have made a difference?

I assume it's more for senior paralegals and people who have been there longer? I don't know though, I was just a 22 year old with my first job out of college.

Huge mistake though - I only took the job because I was curious about becoming a lawyer. When I quit for law school, I was on pace for 3000 hours that year and only cleared $87k. Worked every day till midnight and every friday till 3 am for a year for $87k.

I was a paralegal (title was paralegal, not legal assistant) at a biglaw firm in DC before law school. It was my first job out of undergrad. $45k base salary plus overtime - my actual income was pretty close to $45k because I almost never worked overtime. No 401(k) match, though I did get about $1200 as a one-time deposit into my account the one year I was eligible for profit sharing.

Career paralegals and legal administrative assistants got paid quite a bit more, AFAIK.

I would love to know how someone gets one of these recruiting assistant jobs. The postings I see all ask for years of experience in a law firm, so I always wonder how you're supposed to get that experience.

theswisswereright wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 22, 2021 12:34 pm

I would love to know how someone gets one of these recruiting assistant jobs. The postings I see all ask for years of experience in a law firm, so I always wonder how you're supposed to get that experience.

The entry level for this is not all that competitive, and it also pays peanuts. At the biglaw firms I am familiar with, the most junior recruiting team members are pretty much all straight out of college. You can work your way up in time, either through promotion or jumping around firms. Once you get to be senior enough, I think it’s a pretty good gig from like September through April. Then summer/OCI is a tough stretch.

Honestly, I don’t think I could do it; I would have a tough time putting on the right airs to set up summer events for 24-year-olds who are getting paid triple my salary to go drink for free while I try to wrangle them all like I’m a middle school teacher.

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 22, 2021 12:45 pm

Honestly, I don’t think I could do it; I would have a tough time putting on the right airs to set up summer events for 24-year-olds who are getting paid triple my salary to go drink for free while I try to wrangle them all like I’m a middle school teacher.

When I summered, I was always so impressed by the main recruiting person who herded us around all summer. She was perfectly suited for the job: always organized and on top of things, but presented such a chill, friendly persona that everyone loved her, even though she must've been secretly annoyed so often. My favorite moment in those two months was during the last week when a few summers got pretty drunk and overly friendly. They were asking all these overly personal questions and finally pushed her to declare that she'd still be our friend when we came back, and she just said "...no, probably not." Good for her, tbh.