CLERKSHIP BONUSES (as of 5/25/07):

The $50k List (* denotes $50k/$70k):
2. Cravath*
3. SullCrom*
4. Skadden*
5. Davis Polk
6. STB
7. Cleary
9. Weil*
12. Paul Weiss*
13. Debevoise
21. White & Case
25. Ropes & Gray (NY only)*
54. LeBoeuf*
55. Cahill
NR. Patterson Belknap

The "List of Shame":
1. Wachtell ($0)
8. Latham ($35k)
10. Kirkland ($35k)
11. Covington ($35k)
14. Wilmer ($35k)
15. Shearman ($15k)
16. Sidely ($35k)
17. Williams & Connolly ($25k)
18. Gibson ($35k)
19. Arnold ($15k)
20. OMM ($35k)
22. Jones Day (?)
23. MoFo (?)
24. Hogan (?)
25. Ropes & Gray ($35K outside NY but $70K for 2yr clerkship)

Is there going to be ANY movement on this from non-NYC-based firms?

No. Get back to work.

1:28 - we got a glimmer of hope from Ropes. Although they only increased their NY office, it's a good start.

Interesting move by Paul, Weiss. I thought this thing was in stasis. Somebody said the "nice" elite firms would stay at 50K and the "hardass" elites would do the 70/50 thing. What now for DPW/Cleary/Debevoise/Simpson?

Anything on DLA for bonuses?

Is it just my firm or do people who have clerked have their heads farther up their asses than normal first years?

Very good point 1:37(a).

I think Debevoise will have to match Paul Weiss, and then Cleary will have to match Debevoise, and then DPW will need to match Cleary. The dominos are in motion...

Surprised people really care about this clerkship bonus stuff. Most of these firms are dying for corporate midlevels and above. They should have bonuses for those laterals.

Quit your whining about 50/70 when you are already at 50. That is just ridiculous. Some of us are getting cheap $15K bonuses and there you are bitching about your 50k not being raised to 70k. Grow up!

And then Shearman! They're always good about following on bonuses/ salary...

Where is Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati?

Nice point 1:37. But I'd count Paul Weiss among the "hardass" places (based on what I've heard about what it's like to work there).

LA's big three better step it up.

1:43 - that would just encourage people to leave the firm and lateral to another firm.

True dat, 1:48, but Cleary is the same. Image matters in recruiting; reality less so.

CLERKSHIP BONUSES (as of 5/25/07) (with updates to round out the top 25):

The $50k List (* denotes $50k/$70k):
2. Cravath*
3. SullCrom*
4. Skadden*
5. Davis Polk
6. STB
7. Cleary
9. Weil*
12. Paul Weiss*
13. Debevoise
21. White & Case
25. Ropes & Gray (NY only)*
54. LeBoeuf*
55. Cahill
NR. Patterson Belknap

The "List of Shame":
1. Wachtell ($0)
8. Latham ($35k)
10. Kirkland ($35k)
11. Covington ($35k)
14. Wilmer ($35k)
15. Shearman ($15k)
16. Sidely ($35k)
17. Williams & Connolly ($25k)
18. Gibson ($35k)
19. Arnold ($15k)
20. OMM ($35k)
22. Jones Day ($35K)
23. MoFo ($35K)
24. Hogan ($35K)
25. Ropes & Gray ($35K outside NY but $70K for 2yr clerkship)

The NYC firms at 15k HAVE TO MATCH. They are going to lose a bunch of applicants next year, if not people this year.

The NYC firms at 15k need to get up to 35k at least. It's gonna lose them a lot of 2L's with an inkiling to clerk in the next go round of apps, and, consequently, a downgrade in the overall calibre of 2L applying

For the list of same:

29. Fried Frank ($15K)
37. Willkie Farr ($15K)

For the list of shame:

29. Fried Frank ($15K)
37. Willkie Farr ($15K)

I really don't understand the differential between NY and non-NY firms. Paying associates different salaries depending on region can be justified given varying costs of living, but the "merit" of having completed a clerkship is the same regardless of locale.

Now that associate pay is for the most part the same (160 for first-years) in the largest legal markets, it only makes sense that the clerkship bonus structure be the same.

The Ropes & Gray announcement is especially disconcerting -- if I were a clerk going to a non-NY R&G office, I'd feel like a second-class citizen. It simply makes no sense.

3:08 - I will never grow tired of commenters misspelling words in posts about the relative "calibre" [sic] of candidates, associates, etc.

W&C is allegedly paying the top end of market rate ($70K) to Fed. Cir. clerks. I don't know about non-Fed. Cir., but it's a sign that perhaps they shouldn't be on the clerkship-bonus "List of Shame."

3:49 --- Are you sure they mis-spelled it? Perhaps, they mistyped it -- transposing the e and r without even noticing. It wasn't my post, but it seems judging an anonymous comment by such an error when the author probably has limited time on their hands seems a bit pedantic.

3:49 - "Calibre" is just a variant (chiefly British & Commonwealth). It's no more a misspelling than "colour."

This 70K lagging from Davis Polk, Cleary, et al. is a bunch of bullshit.

I, for one, did not kill myself working in law school and for my judge only to watch fellow clerks at Paul Weiss, Cravath, Skadden, S&C, and Weil, not to mention ROPES and LEBOEUF, for fuck's sake, get 70K to my 50K.

If my firm doesn't up to 70K, I'm reneging on my acceptance.

It's not the money, but the principle: if they don't appreciate me as a two year clerk for whatever reason, I'd just as rather work somewhere else.

I guess it might be bitterness and sour grapes talking but it's the fucking truth.

Any more word on the rumor that Simpson Thacher said they were at 70K?

"Somebody said the 'nice' elite firms would stay at 50K and the 'hardass' elites would do the 70/50 thing."

That may have been me, but that was only random theorizing on my part, not the product of any kind of actual knowledge.

I figured it seemed that there was a divide between the "mean" elite clustered at 70K and the "nice" ones clustered at 50K, and one could argue the meanies compete together while the "nice ones" compete together.

But, with Paul Weiss raising today (often grouped in with the "nice" firms in law student thinking, however true in fact), as well as lower-ranked firms like Weil, LeBoeuf (which apparently is doing stellar, stellar business recently), and Ropes, that theory is blown to hell.

3:54: Pedantic it may be, but I still enjoy the irony. Such mistakes happen all the time on this site, seemingly more often than not in posts about one's caliber or how one deserves a raise. Such errors make me smile -- nothing more. And, for what it's worth, I have little doubt it was a typo -- but, as we all know, one little typo can force you out of the law and into the bowling alley. See Ed.

"The Ropes & Gray announcement is especially disconcerting -- if I were a clerk going to a non-NY R&G office, I'd feel like a second-class citizen. It simply makes no sense."

But isn't only NYC firms at 50K?

Well, 4:33, YOU forgot double spaces after periods and the rule that you never use just one em-dash in a sentence.

Ok so the 70K firms are:

Cravath*
SullCrom*
Skadden*
Weil*
Paul Weiss*
LeBoeuf*
Ropes & Gray (NY only)*

While the following firms are at only 50K:

Davis Polk
STB
Cleary
Debevoise
White & Case
Cahill

So ... does this make any sense to anyone? Can anyone theorize a reason for all this crazy NYC bonus disparity? It doesn't seem to break along Vault ranking lines. What gives?

4:34 - Yes, the NY firms are the only ones at $50k, but they pay $50k to incoming clerks, regardless of which office they are going to (i.e., New York, Los Angeles, Chicago).

With Paul Weiss raising, more firms are at 70/50 than firms at 50 alone.

70/50 is now the new market standard.

O "Big 3," where art thou?

"Big 3"?

YOU FORGOT TO ADD AKIN GUMP TO YOUR LIST OF LOWBALL SHAME! 30K REGARDLESS. THIS CANNOT STAND.

Since Ropes raised in Boston and DC, WilmerHale will likely have to raise in Boston and DC. This will prompt the other three or four DC heavy weights to raise clerkship bonuses as well, hopefully.

If not, then why did I clerk?

**COVINGTON IS NOT AT $35 flat IN NYC**

NYC clerkship bonus at Cov is still $15k per year.

I can't imagine that this NYC disparity will last into August recruiting season.

Are there any 2Ls who have completely ruled out clerking who aren't going to be concerned that at Paul Weiss they get a 70K bonus, but at Covington they only get a 15K bonus?

add to list of shame

76 - Schulte Roth & Zabel - flat 15K
78 - Stroock & Stroock - 10K