Associate Life Survey: Everything (Else) You Always Wanted to Know About Starting Bonuses But Were Afraid to Ask
While responses to last week’s ATL / Lateral Link survey on summer associate programs continue to flow in (add your 2 cents here), let’s pause to consider what last year’s summer associates are going to experience over the next few months: bar exams (sorry), relocations, and sweet, sweet signing bonuses (or not).
We’ve received about a hundred comments and tips since we posted our “Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Starting Bonuses But Were Afraid To Ask” table, which aggregated the results from our ATL / Lateral Link surveys on bar stipends and reimbursements, salary advances, and signing bonuses, relocation benefits and whether you have to pay it all back when you leave.
So today, we’re updating the table to fill in some more blanks.
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The table below now shows six things for each firm:
* which bar exam expenses the firm will reimburse (send us tips to fill in the blanks),
* whether the firm pays new associates a summer stipend or a signing bonus or graduation bonus (not counting clerkship bonuses, which are discussed elsewhere),
* whether the firm provides salary advances (i.e., loans) in any particular amounts,
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* whether the firm provides any particular relocation benefits,
* whether the firm provides a pro-rated bonus (a “stub bonus”) for the period between your start date and the end of the year first year, and
* whether the firm will make you pay it all back if you leave. As a general rule, payback requirements will apply to everything but a stub bonus, and will include clerkship bonuses.
And now, that introduction aside, read on to see the aggregated table of bar reimbursements, stipends and bonuses, salary advances, moving expenses, stub bonuses, and payback requirements. Check it out, after the jump.
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As always, please send us a tip if any of the details about your firm are missing or wrong or fraught with nuance. In particular, we’ve left blanks where we either haven’t yet received responses or tips, or where data provided struck us as less than credible.
Bar Expenses, Starting Bonuses, Advances, Relocation Benefits, and Payback Policies, By Firm
| Firm | Bar Exam Reimbursements | Bar Stipend or Signing / Graduation Bonus | Salary Advance | Relocation Benefits | Stub Bonus | Payback Required? |
| Akin Gump – DC | BarBri PMBR Exam fees |
$7,500 stipend | None. | Up to $5,000 reimbursement Firm has direct billing with preferred movers |
$1,000 | |
| Akin Gump – Houston | BarBri PMBR Exam fees |
$11,000 | None. | Up to $2,000 reimbursement | None. | |
| Allen & Overy | Bar review course Exam expenses |
None. | $12,000 | Up to $3,000 reimbursement The firm will cover apartment broker fees. |
$8,750* | |
| Alston & Bird | BarBri (direct billing) Exam fees Hotel |
None. | $7,500 | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers Relocation benefit includes moving your car. Firm provides storage fees in addition to moving fees. |
None. | Full payback required if associate leaves within 12 months |
| Armstrong Teasdale | Bar review course Exam expenses |
$3,000 | None. | None. | ||
| Andrews Kurth | Bar review course Exam expenses |
$7,500 | Reimburse all reasonable expenses | $1,000 | ||
| Arnold & Porter | $6,000 to $12,000 stipend | $0 to $7,000 | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers Arnold and Porter insures most valuables. |
None. | ||
| Baker & Hostetler | $5,000 | None. | None. | |||
| Baker & McKenzie – Dallas | BarBri PMBR Exam fees |
$15,000 (part stipend, part bonus) | None. | None. | Full payback required if associate leaves within 12 months | |
| Baker & McKenzie – NY | BarBri PMBR Exam fees |
$5,000 stipend | $5,000 | $8,000 | Full payback required if associate leaves within 12 months | |
| Baker & McKenzie – Palo Alto | BarBri PMBR Exam fees |
$15,000 stipend | None. | None. | Full payback required if associate leaves within 12 months | |
| Baker Botts | BarBri PMBR Exam fees Hotel |
$5,500 signing bonus $5,000 graduation bonus |
None. | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers Relocation benefit includes moving your car. The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters. Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders. Firm covers gas mileage if you drive, or plane tickets if you fly out. |
None. | |
| Baker Hostetler | Up to $3,000 for bar expenses | $5,000 | Up to $5,000 reimbursement | |||
| Balch & Bingham | $5,000 | $10,000 | None. | |||
| Ballard Spahr | $5,000 stipend | None. | None. | Full payback required if associate leaves within 12 months | ||
| Berenbaum, Weinshienk & Eason | None. | None. | None. | |||
| Bingham | BarBri (direct billing) | None. | $10,000 | None. | ||
| Blank Rome – NY | $6,000 stipend | None. | None. | |||
| Blank Rome – Philadelphia | $5,000 to $8,000 stipend | None. | None. | |||
| Boies, Schiller and Flexner | BarBri (direct billing) Exam expenses |
None. | $10,000 | None. | ||
| Bracewell & Giuliani | Bar review course Exam expenses |
$10,000 | None. | Up to $3,000 reimbursement | None. | |
| Bryan Cave | None. | $10,000 | None. | |||
| Buchanan Ingersoll | $7,000 | None. | None. | |||
| Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft | Bar review course Exam expenses Travel |
None. | $7,000 to $10,000 | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers Relocation benefit includes moving your car. The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters. Preferred brokers will offer discounts on closing costs and fees |
$0 to $18,000* | Full payback required if associate leaves within 12 months |
| Cahill Gordon & Reindel | Bar review course Exam expenses Travel |
None. | $7,000 to $10,000 | $0 to $11,000 | ||
| Chadbourne & Parke | Bar review course Exam expenses Travel Hotel |
None. | $10,000 | $9,400* | ||
| Chapman and Cutler | $12,000 stipend | $3,000 | None. | |||
| Choate Hall and Stewart | Up to $2,000 reimbursement | |||||
| Christensen, Glaser, Fink, Jacobs, Weil & Shapiro | Up to $3,000 reimbursement Relocation benefit includes moving your car. |
|||||
| Cleary Gottlieb | Bar review course Exam expenses Travel |
None. | $10,000 | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers The firm will cover apartment broker fees. |
$10,000*** | Full payback required if associate leaves within 12 months |
| Clifford Chance | Bar review course Exam expenses Travel |
None. | $10,000 | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers $10,000 stipend |
$0 to 5,000 | |
| Cole, Scott & Kissane | None. | None. | None. | |||
| Cooley Godward | Bar review course PMBR Exam expenses Hotel |
$18,461.54 stipend** | case by case | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers Relocation benefit includes moving your car. Firm provides 2 months storage and multiple trips to transport your belongings |
None. | Full payback required if associate leaves within 12 months |
| Covington & Burling | $8,000 stipend | None. | Reasonable expenses reimbursed | None. | ||
| Cravath, Swaine & Moore | Bar review course Exam expenses Travel |
$3,000 | $7,000 to 8,000 | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers The firm will cover closing costs on a new home. The firm will cover apartment broker fees. |
$7,500 to $10,000 | |
| Crowell & Moring | Bar review course Exam expenses |
None. | $10,000 | None. | ||
| Cullen and Dykman | None. | |||||
| Davis Polk & Wardwell | Bar review course Exam expenses Travel |
None. | $7,000 to $8,000 | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers Relocation benefit includes moving your car. The firm will cover apartment broker fees. The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters. Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders. Firm provides storage costs for up to 3 months. |
$0 to $13,000* | No. |
| Day Pitney | $5,000 stipend | |||||
| Debevoise | Bar review course Exam expenses |
None. | $10,000 | $0 to $12,000 | ||
| Dechert – NJ | $8,000 stipend | None. | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers | $3,000 | Full payback required if associate leaves within 12 months | |
| Dechert – NY & DC | $5,000 stipend | $0 to $10,000 | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers | $10,000 | Full payback required if associate leaves within 12 months | |
| Dechert – PA | $11,000 to $12,000 stipend | None. | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers | $0 to $3,000 | Full payback required if associate leaves within 12 months | |
| Dewey & LeBoeuf | BarBri or Pieper (direct billing) PMBR (direct billing) Bar and MPRE expenses Travel |
None. | $0 to $10,000 | Up to $3,000 reimbursement The firm will cover apartment broker fees. The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters. Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders and brokers. |
$10,000* | |
| Dickinson Dees | None. | $5,000 | None. | |||
| Dickstein Shapiro | BarBri PMBR Exam fees |
None. | $5,000 | None. | ||
| DLA Piper – CA | Bar review course Exam expenses |
$15,000 | None. | None. | Full payback required if associate leaves within 18 months | |
| DLA Piper – Chicago | Bar review course PMBR $700 for exam application |
$7,500 (post-tax)*** | None. | None. | Full payback required if associate leaves within 18 months | |
| DLA Piper – NY | Bar review course PMBR Exam expenses Travel |
None. | $10,000 | None. | Full payback required if associate leaves within 18 months | |
| DLA Piper – Seattle | Bar review course PMBR Exam expenses |
$12,000 stipend | None. | None. | Full payback required if associate leaves within 18 months | |
| Dorsey & Whitney | Bar review course Exam expenses |
$5,000 | $5,000 | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers Relocation benefit includes moving your car. |
None. | |
| Dow Lohnes | $5,000 stipend | $5,000 | None. | |||
| Drinker Biddle & Reath | bar-related expenses | $10,000 stipend | None. | $2,000 stipend | $0 to $5,000 | |
| Duane Morris | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers (up to $2,500) | |||||
| Ellenoff Grossman & Schole | None. | |||||
| Faegre & Benson | Bar review course Exam fees MPRE |
None. | up to $10,000 | None. | ||
| Finnegan Henderson | Bar review course Exam fees |
$18,461 stipend (6 weeks salary) | None. | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers Relocation benefit includes moving your car. The firm will cover closing costs on a new home. The firm will cover apartment broker fees. The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters. The firm will provide temporary furnished housing during search for new home. |
None. | |
| Fish & Richardson | Bar review course Patent bar review course Exam fees |
$9,230 (3 weeks pay) | $10,000 | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers Relocation benefit includes moving your car. Firm covers travel for visit and home search |
None. | |
| Foley & Lardner | Bar review course Exam expenses |
None. | $10,000 | Up to $5,000 reimbursement Relocation benefit includes moving your car. Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders. The firm guarantees a down payment loan. |
None. | No. |
| Fox Rothschild | $5,000 | None. | None. | |||
| Freshfields | Bar review course Exam fees |
$10,000 | $10,000 or more | Pro-rated bonus | ||
| Fried Frank | Bar review course PMBR Exam fees |
$3,000 | $10,000 | $2,000 stipend | Pro-rated bonus* | |
| Fulbright & Jaworski | $10,000 | up to $10,000 | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers | None. | ||
| Gardere | $5,000 | None. | None. | |||
| Gibson Dunn – NY | Bar review course Exam fees |
None. | $10,000 | $0 to $9,000 | Full payback required if associate leaves within 12 months | |
| Gibson Dunn – other offices | Bar review course Exam fees |
$12,000 to $13,333 stipend | None. | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers Relocation benefit includes moving your car. |
$0 to $9,000 | Full payback required if associate leaves within 12 months |
| Goodwin Procter | Bar review course PMBR Exam fees |
None. | $5,000 | Up to $3,500 reimbursement in Boston and New York Firm has direct billing with preferred movers in DC |
$8,750 | No. |
| Greenberg Traurig – DC | None. | None. | None. | |||
| Greenberg Traurig – Denver | $5,000 | None. | None. | |||
| Greenberg Traurig – Miami | $5,000 stipend | None. | Pro-rated bonus | |||
| Haynes and Boone | Bar review course Exam fees |
$10,500 (part bonus, part stipend) | None. | Up to $2,000 reimbursement | None. | Pro rata payback required if associate leaves within 12 months |
| Heller Ehrman | Bar review course Exam fees |
$12,000 stipend | None. | Pro-rated bonus (if any) | Full payback required if associate leaves within 12 months | |
| Hodgson Russ | $5,000 stipend | None. | $0 to $3,000 | |||
| Hogan & Hartson | BarBri PMBR Exam fees |
$2,000 to $6,000 stipend | None. | Up to $5,000 reimbursement in New York Firm has direct billing with preferred movers in DC and Denver Relocation benefit includes moving your car. |
None. | No. |
| Holland & Knight | Bar review course Exam expenses |
$5,000 | None. | Up to $3,000 reimbursement Relocation benefit includes moving your car. Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders. |
None. | |
| Holme Roberts & Owen | $5,000 stipend | None. | None. | |||
| Howrey | $12,000 stipend | $10,000 | None. | |||
| Hughes Hubbard | Bar review course PMBR Exam fees |
None. | $10,000 | None. | ||
| Hunton & Williams | Bar review course PMBR Exam expenses |
$3,000 | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers Relocation benefit includes moving your car. Firm covers part of closing costs. |
None. | ||
| Irell & Manella | Bar review course Exam fees |
$15,000 stipend (5 weeks pay) | case by case | Up to $3,500 reimbursement Firm has direct billing with preferred movers |
Pro-rated bonus* | |
| Jenner & Block | Bar review course PMBR MPRE Prep Exam expenses |
$13,000 stipend | None. | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters. Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders. |
None. | Full payback required if associate leaves within 12 months |
| Jones Day – Dallas & DC | Bar review course Exam fees |
$10,000 | None. | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers | None. | Pro rata payback required if associate leaves within 12 months |
| Jones Day – NY | Bar review course Exam fees |
$6,000 to $8,000 stipend | $6,000 to $7,000 | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers | $0 to $8,000 | Pro rata payback required if associate leaves within 12 months |
| Jones Walker | $3,000 stipend | $5,000 | None. | |||
| K&L Gates – NY | BarBri Exam Expenses |
None. | $5,000 | Up to $5,000 reimbursement The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters. |
None. | |
| K&L Gates – Pittsburgh | BarBri Exam Expenses |
$6,000 stipend | Up to $5,000 reimbursement | |||
| K&L Gates – Seattle | BarBri Exam Expenses |
$4,000 to $10,000 | None. | Up to $5,000 reimbursement The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters. |
None. | |
| Kasowitz Benson | Bar review course Exam fees |
None. | $5,000 to $10,000 | $10,000 | ||
| Katten Muchin Rosenman | BarBri (direct billing) Exam fees Travel |
$9,000 stipend*** | None. | None. | Full payback required if associate leaves within 12 months | |
| Kaye Scholer | Bar review course PMBR Exam fees |
None. | Up to $7,500 | Reasonable moving expenses | Pro-rated bonus (up to $10,000) | |
| Keker & Van Nest | Bar review course Exam fees |
$10,000 stipend | None. | Pro-rated bonus | ||
| Kelly, Hart & Hallman | $10,000 | None. | $5,000 | |||
| Kenyon & Kenyon | Bar review course PMBR Patent bar review course Exam fees |
None. | $5,000 to $10,000 | None. | ||
| Kilpatrick Stockton | $5,000 to $10,000 | None. | None. | |||
| King & Spalding – Atlanta | $10,000 | None. | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers | None. | Full payback required if associate leaves within 12 months | |
| King & Spalding – DC | $3,000 stipend | $5,000 | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers | None. | Full payback required if associate leaves within 12 months | |
| Kirkland & Ellis | Bar review course Exam fees |
$10,000 bonus*** | None. | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers Relocation benefit includes moving your car. The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters. Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders. The firm will cover apartment broker fees. The firm covers storage for furniture for up to 6 months. The firm covers one trip to look for housing. |
Full bonus (based on August year-end) | Pro rata payback required if associate leaves within 12 months |
| Latham & Watkins | Bar review course Exam expenses |
$13,333 stipend (4 weeks pay) | None. | Up to $6,000 reimbursement Relocation benefit includes moving your car. The firm will provide temporary furnished housing during search for new home. Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders. The firm will cover apartment broker fees. The firm will reimburse airline travel or driving expenses. |
None. | No. |
| Linklaters | BarBri (direct billing) PMBR (direct billing) Exam fees Travel Hotel |
None. | $5,000 to $10,000 | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers Relocation benefit includes moving your car. The firm will cover apartment broker fees. The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters. The firm will provide temporary furnished housing during search for new home. Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders. The firm also provides a stipend and salary advance. |
Pro-rated bonus | No. |
| Littler Mendelson | Bar review course | $10,000 | None. | 5000 | None. | |
| Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell | BarBri (direct billing) Exam expenses |
$15,000 stipend | None. | None. | ||
| Lovells | Bar review course Exam expenses |
$10,000 | None. | Up to $3,000 reimbursement Relocation benefit includes moving your car. The firm will provide temporary furnished housing during search for new home. |
None. | |
| Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps | $12,000 stipend | None. | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers | None. | ||
| Mayer Brown | Bar review course Exam expenses MPRE |
$0 to $10,000*** | Up to $10,000 | Up to $3,000 reimbursement Relocation benefit includes moving your car. Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders. Firm reimburses expenses incurred in a pre-move visit. |
$0 to $9,000 | |
| McDermott, Will & Emery – DC | BarBri (direct billing) PMBR Exam fees |
$6,000 stipend | None. | Up to $3,000 reimbursement | None. | Pro rata payback required if associate leaves within 12 months |
| McDermott, Will & Emery – NY | BarBri (direct billing) PMBR Exam fees |
$3,000 stipend | None. | Up to $3,000 reimbursement | None. | Pro rata payback required if associate leaves within 12 months |
| McDermott, Will & Emery – other offices | BarBri (direct billing) PMBR Exam fees |
$8,500 or $9,500 stipend | None. | Up to $3,000 reimbursement | None. | Pro rata payback required if associate leaves within 12 months |
| McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter | $0 to $5,000 | None. | None. | No. | ||
| McGuireWoods | BarBri PMBR Exam fees |
$5,000 signing bonus | None. | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers Relocation benefit includes moving your car. Travel expenses for one house-hunting trip. |
None. | Full payback required if associate leaves within 12 months |
| McKee Nelson | Bar review course PMBR Exam expenses Travel |
$13,333 (one month’s pay) | None. | Up to $5,000 reimbursement | $10,000 | No. |
| Merchant & Gould | $2,000 stipend | None. | None. | Full payback required if associate leaves within 3 years | ||
| Milbank Tweed | BarBri (direct billing) PMBR (direct billing) Exam fees Hotel Travel |
None. | $10,000 | $9,000 | ||
| Miller & Chevalier | $6,000 stipend | None. | None. | |||
| Moore & Van Allen | $0 to $2,000 stipend | None. | None. | |||
| Morgan, Lewis & Bockius | Bar review course Exam expenses |
$10,000 stipend ($5,000 in DC) |
cbc | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers Relocation benefit includes moving your car. Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders. Reimbursed moving expenses do not include packing costs. |
Pro-rated bonus (NY only?) | Full payback required if associate leaves within 12 months |
| Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell | BarBri PMBR Exam fees |
$5,000 stipend | None. | Up to $3,000 reimbursement Relocation benefit includes moving your car. The firm will cover closing costs on a new home. The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters. Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders. |
None. | |
| Morrison & Foerster | $15,000 stipend | cbc | None. | |||
| Munger Tolles & Olson | BarBri PMBR Exam fees |
$10,000 to $12,000 stipend | None. | Up to $5,000 reimbursement Relocation benefit includes moving your car. The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters. |
None. | |
| O’Melveny & Myers | BarBri (direct billing) PMBR (direct billing) MPRE Exam expenses |
$10,000 stipend | up to $5,000 | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters. Firm will cover 3 months paid storage. Firm will cover airfare. |
$0 to $7,500 | Full payback required if associate leaves within 12 months |
| Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe | Two bar review courses Exam expenses Hotel Travel |
$10,000 stipend | None. | Up to $5,000 reimbursement The firm will provide temporary furnished housing in some markets during search for new home. The firm will pay 20% of broker fee in some markets. |
None. | Full payback of bar stipend required if associate leaves within 3 years, and pro rata reimbursement of everything else if associate leaves within 12 months |
| Parker Poe | None. | Full payback required if associate leaves within 24 months | ||||
| Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler | Bar review course Exam fees Travel |
None. | up to $10,000 | Up to $3,000 reimbursement | None. | Need to pay back any outstanding amount owed on salary advance. |
| Patton Boggs | $8,000 stipend | None. | None. | |||
| Paul Hastings | $12,000 to $17,000 stipend | None. | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers Relocation benefit includes moving your car. Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders. |
None. | Full payback required if associate leaves within 12 months | |
| Paul Weiss | Bar review course Exam expenses |
None. | $10,000 | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers | Pro-rated bonus* | |
| Pepper Hamilton | $8,000 stipend | None. | None. | Full payback required if associate leaves within 12 months | ||
| Perkins Coie | Bar review course Exam expenses Hotel |
$10,000 stipend | None. | None. | Full payback required if associate leaves within 12 months | |
| Pillsbury | BarBri (direct billing) Exam fees |
None. | $10,000 | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers Relocation benefit includes moving your car. Firm will cover cost of airfare. |
$0 to $4,000 (New York only) | No. |
| Porter & Hedges | $10,000 | None. | None. | |||
| Post & Schell, P.C. | None. | |||||
| Powell Goldstein | Up to $5,000 reimbursement | |||||
| Proskauer Rose | Bar review course PMBR Exam fees MPRE Hotel Travel |
$3,000 to $10,000 stipend | $10,000 | Up to $3,000 reimbursement The firm will cover apartment broker fees. |
$10,000 (New York only) | |
| Quarles & Brady | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers The firm will cover closing costs on a new home. |
Full payback required if associate leaves within 12 months | ||||
| Quinn Emanuel | BarBri PMBR Exam fees |
$10,000 stipend | None. | Up to $10,000 reimbursement Firm has direct billing with preferred movers Relocation benefit includes moving your car. The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters. Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders. |
None. | Full payback required if associate leaves within 12 months |
| Reed Smith | BarBri PMBR Exam fees |
$7,000 stipend | None. | Up to $3,000 reimbursement | Pro-rated bonus | Full payback required if associate leaves within 12 months |
| Ropes & Gray | BarBri PMBR Exam fees |
None. | $10,000 | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers | Pro-rated bonus (generally $8K to $9K) | No. |
| Saul Ewing | $3,000 stipend | None. | None. | |||
| Schulte Roth & Zabel | BarBri PMBR Exam fees |
None. | $5,000 | Firm reimburses “reasonable expenses” | $9,000 | |
| Schwartz Cooper | Bar review course Exam fees |
$10,000 | None. | None. | ||
| Seward & Kissel | None. | |||||
| Seyfarth Shaw | Bar review course Exam expenses |
$12,000 stipend | None. | None. | ||
| Shearman & Sterling | BarBri (direct billing) PMBR (direct billing) Exam fees MPRE Travel |
None. | $7,000 | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers Relocation benefit includes moving your car. The firm will cover closing costs on a new home. The firm will cover up to $1,500 in apartment broker fees. The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters. The firm will provide temporary furnished housing during search for new home. |
Pro-rated bonus* | |
| Sheppard Mullin | Bar review course Exam expenses Travel |
$8,000 stipend | None. | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers | None. | Full payback required if associate leaves within 12 months |
| Shook Hardy & Bacon | $6,000 | None. | None. | |||
| Sidley Austin | Bar review course PMBR Exam fees |
$10,000 stipend*** | up to $10,000 | Up to $3,500 reimbursement in Chicago, $5,000 reimbursement in NY, and $2,500 reimbursement in DC. Relocation benefit includes moving your car. The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters. Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders. The firm will represent employees in purchase of new home. The firm pays for one round trip ticket for both the associate and spouse for house hunting. |
$10,000 | No. |
| Simpson Thacher & Bartlett | Bar review course PMBR Exam fees MPRE Hotel Travel |
None. | $15,000 | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers Relocation benefit includes moving your car. The firm will cover closing costs on a new home. The firm will cover apartment broker fees. |
Pro-rated bonus* | |
| Skadden | Bar review course PMBR Exam fees MPRE Hotel Travel |
None. | $10,000 | $3,000 to $4,000 reimbursement The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters. Firm will cover two nights at a hotel for house-hunting trip. |
Pro-rated bonus | Full payback required if associate leaves within 12 months (4 months in the case of moving expenses) |
| Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal | Bar review course Exam expenses |
$5,000 | up to $5,000 | None. | Full payback required if associate leaves within 12 months | |
| Stearns Weaver | None. | None. | None. | |||
| Steptoe & Johnson | $8,000 stipend | None. | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers Relocation benefit includes moving your car. |
None. | ||
| Stoll Keenon Ogden PLLC | $4,000 stipend | None. | None. | |||
| Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth | $12,000 bonus $6,000 stipend |
None. | Up to $4,000 reimbursement Relocation benefit includes moving your car. |
None. | ||
| Sullivan & Cromwell | Bar review course PMBR Exam fees MPRE Hotel Travel |
None. | $7,000 to $10,000 | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers Relocation benefit includes moving your car. The firm will cover closing costs on a new home. The firm will cover apartment broker fees. The firm will provide consulting services from professional house or apartment hunters. The firm will provide temporary furnished housing during search for new home.. The firm will provide up to 3 months storage. Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders. |
Pro-rated bonus ($5,000 to $12,000) | |
| Sutherland Asbill & Brennan | $10,000 | $3,000 | None. | |||
| Thacher Proffitt & Wood | BarBri PMBR Exam fees Travel |
None. | $10,000 | None. | ||
| Thelen Reid – NY | BarBri PMBR Exam expenses MPRE |
None. | $10,000 | None. | ||
| Thelen Reid – SF | BarBri PMBR Exam expenses MPRE |
$12,000 stipend | None. | None. | ||
| Thompson Hine | $6,000 | None. | Up to $5,000 reimbursement Relocation benefit includes moving your car. |
None. | ||
| Troutman Sanders | Bar review course Exam expenses |
None. | $5,000 | $1,500 stipend | None. | Full payback required if associate leaves within 12 months |
| Ulmer & Berne | $7,000 | None. | None. | |||
| Venable | Bar review course Exam expenses |
None. | $5,000 | None. | ||
| Vinson & Elkins | Bar review course Exam expenses |
$3,000 | $10,000 | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders. |
$10,000 (New York only) | |
| Vorys Sater Seymour and Pease | No. | |||||
| Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz | $3,000 stipend | $20,000 | $1,000 stipend | Pro-rated bonus | ||
| Weil, Gotshal & Manges | Bar review course PMBR Exam fees MPRE Hotel Travel |
None. | $10,000 | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers Relocation benefit includes moving your car. Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders. |
Pro-rated bonus | No. |
| White & Case – non-NY | Bar review course PMBR Exam fees |
None. | up to $7,500 | Pro-rated bonus | ||
| White & Case – NY | Bar review course PMBR Exam fees Travel |
$4,000 stipend | up to $8,000 | Pro-rated bonus | ||
| Wiggin & Dana | $3,000 stipend | $7,000 | None. | |||
| Wiley Rein | Bar review course PMBR Exam fees Hotel Travel |
$5,000 stipend | None. | None. | ||
| Williams & Connolly | Bar review course Exam expenses |
None. | cbc | Reasonable expenses up to a cap. | None. | |
| Willkie Farr & Gallagher | Bar review course Exam fees |
None. | $10,000 | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers Relocation benefit includes moving your car. |
Pro-rated bonus | |
| WilmerHale | Bar review course PMBR Exam fees (up to two states) Travel Hotel |
$5,000 | Up to $10,000 | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers Relocation benefit includes moving your car. |
Pro-rated bonus* | |
| Wilson Sonsini | $17,500 stipend | None. | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers Relocation benefit includes moving your car. Employees receive preferred treatment from specific lenders. |
$0 to $3,000 | Pro rata payback required if associate leaves within 12 months | |
| Winston & Strawn | Bar review course PMBR Exam fees |
$10,000 stipend | None. | $10,000 (New York only) | ||
| Womble Carlyle | Firm has direct billing with preferred movers The firm will cover closing costs on a new home. The firm will provide temporary furnished housing during search for new home. |
|||||
| Young Conaway | $5,000 stipend | None. | None. |
*Allen & Overy, Paul Weiss, Shearman & Sterling, Simpson Thacher and WilmerHale pay a pro-rated bonus, which was based on a $35,000 annual bonus last year (which would usually work out to $8,750 based on a 1/4 proration).
Chadbourne & Parke pays a pro-rated bonus which would usually work out to $9,400.
Cleary Gottleib and Cadwalader pay a pro-rated “market” bonus which would usually work out to $10,000 at Cleary and ranges up to $18K at Cadwalader (which appears to pay NY market in all offices).
Davis Polk pays a pro-rated bonus based on a $30,000 to $35,000 annual bonus.
Dewey & LeBoeuf pays a pro-rated annual bonus which works out to $5K to $10K in most offices.
Fried Frank pays a pro-rated annual bonus which generally worked out to $10K last year.
Irell & Manella pays a pro-rated bonus based on a $47,500 annual bonus (which would work out to about $12K based on a 1/4 proration).
** Cooley Godward pays “six weeks” salary. This either means $18,461.54 ($160K * 6/52) or $20,000 (three semi-monthly installments of $6,666.67.) Since most people clicked on “$18,000” or wrote in a 6/52 calculation, we’re putting $18,461.54 in the table for now.
*** Katten, Kirkland, Mayer Brown, Sidley Austin, and DLA Piper associates in Chicago may receive more under a PILI fellowship. At Katten, the associates participating in a PILI fellowship will receive an additional $7,000 stipend in May. At Kirkland and Mayer Brown, Chicago associates may opt to take 13 or 10 weeks pay, respectively, under a PILI fellowship instead of the $10,000 signing bonus (which works out to over $30,000). Note that Kirkland’s 13 weeks includes 5 weeks at part-time. On the non-PILI front, Mayer Brown associates in New York, Palo Alto, and DC do not appear to receive a stipend (other than for relocation expenses), and the stipend for incoming associates in the Charlotte office is $5,000.
The DLA Piper stipend is about $11,000 pre-tax.
Please let us know if we missed something or got something wrong, or if you can help fill in the blanks. Send tips here.
—
Justin Bernold is a Director at Lateral Link, the sponsor of this Associate Life Survey.
