First

can someone get me an interview there?

Seyfarth isn't raising for a while. They put on a fair amount of debt redoing the Chicago offices and they've seemed pretty strapped since doing so. They're not TTT, but they're not one of the top firms either. They are what they are, and it's better that they admit it and not try to do something stupid to try to prove that they are one of the big boys.

Why don't they simply parrot a Thelen or Howrey style "dual tier" compensation scheme? Seyfarth is probably in that same class of firms and it seems to be an easy way of rewarding and attempting to retain the gunners while simultaneously paying the slackers less accordingly. Sure people on this site will still mock them but at least internally they could save face with those itching to jump ship for greener cash/pastures...

2:56 me too! I will work for less than $160k! Truthfully, I would probably work for half of that.

Seyfarth does not have a Howrey- or Thelen-like client base, and frankly the associates there can't really expect to get paid on a 160 scale, even with compression. I am not saying that they should be "happy with what they get" or whatever, but the reality is that it's not even really a Biglaw firm in the normal sense (client base and type of work).

In July of 2006, I mailed resumes to the biggest 30 offices in Chicago (including Seyfarth). I got a handful of screening interviews (on campus, in office, and telephonic) and a few callbacks. I got an offer from one of the better of the 30 (which now pays $160k), summered there and enjoyed it, and will return after graduation (keep your chin up Loyola 2L!).

If memory serves, it was January or February when I finally received a rejection letter from Seyfarth, by which time I was already receiving information (and gifts!) from my summer firm.

Out of respect for what I'm sure are the many hardworking, decent, and intelligent associates at Seyfarth, I won't chalk this (i.e. Seyfarth's tough times and abysmal pay) up to cosmic justice. I'll simply count my own lucky stars.

Steve "Poor" = Bad Sign

Lat -- you're attempted play on words doesnt work since Seyfarth is not pronounced "Say-farth", but rather, "Sigh-farth" (you get my point).

And for those of you who think Seyfarth is TTT, just look at the client base -- they represent a majority of Fortune 100.

And as for working there, everyone I know actually enjoys their job and is doing a lot more substantive work than those of us who review documents for 3 years. I'd take a few dollars less (yes, after taxes it is only a few dollars) to like my job and do interesting and substantive work.

Seyfart is is pronounced Sayfart

4:30

How did the Seyfarth Kool-Aid taste?

I dont work there. All I know is that the people there seem much happier than the people at my firm, and I suspect, are much happier than you are at your so-called top tier firm.

Labor law, no matter how well it is practiced, fails to generate the kind of revenue required to pay competitive associate salaries.

I guess this no 160 thing is just about the chicago office??? They pay 160 in NY.

There are more than a few associates at Seyfarth who have left the likes of Latham, Gibson, Winston, Proskauer, etc. However, this poster is unaware of anyone leaving Seyfarth for one of the so-called first-tier firms.

The "first-tier" places may well pay the most, but the quality of life trade off is hardly worth the money.

Don't forget that in addition to getting Steve Poor a new crib in Chicago last year, this year Seyfarth's New York office moved to a new space. As the partners say, it's been a "capital intensive" two years.

The video was funny and loaded full of in-jokes, including gags with the Chicago office managing partner in the men's room and a few jabs at members of the Executive Committee. I thought it was very well done and even included special effects like Steve Poor "beaming out" of one of the conference rooms. Sorry, though, it's not like there's a copy of the video floating around on the portal.

To 5:06, don't forget that even though Seyfarth's chewy center is labor law, Seyfarth has other practice groups, too. Rumor has it that the billing rate pressures faced by the labor group are things that are being "discussed". I don't think anyone is surprised that the practice groups have different levels of profitability.

What this means for associate compensation across practice groups, who knows.

Is Baker Hostetler still on the list of shame?

To touch on what 6:29 was saying -- I do think that the capital expenditures may play some role -- NYC (whose Seyfarth associates are at 160k) just got nice new offices this year and I believe DC is next year and LA/SFO after that. This is obviously a pretty big investment and may play a role in the decision to raise salaries.

I also agree that Seyfarth is no longer a "labor law" firm anymore. While that was unquestionably the case years ago and they continue to be in the Top 3 for L/E firms in the country, the firm as a whole has diversified quite nicely in last 10 years, bringing on new practice groups in all offices, taking on more high-value work (class actions, etc), and has increased gross revenues (400mill?) quite nicely year after year.

I do think they are not up there with the big boys in terms of compensation (particularly for partners) but there is certainly a quality of life difference too. Most Seyfarth associates I know rarely work weekends and go home before 7 or 8pm. More importantly, since the cases are typically staffed pretty leanly, even junior associates get to do real substantive work and have client contact.

Just my two cents....

Nice try with the whole substantive work gimmick. If you haven't already noticed, no one on this site gives a shit about the type of work, only the amount of money. Sad but true. Otherwise everyone would be running for government jobs where you are actually an attorney from day one, not an overpaid paralegal in training pants.

9:21 -- you are a dipshit. Anyone who cares solely about money and not about substantive work does not want to be in this business for longer than 2-3 years. That is exactly what the "more presitigous" firms bank on, why you will never make partner at one of those firms, and why everyone leaves after 2 years. Doing substantive work rather than shit work makes going to the office(even if for a few thousand less per year) a lot easier and more enjoyable.

Finally -- you may make a few more thousand for the first couple of years at another firm, but when you get passed up for partner you wont be making shit, while those at firms like Seyfarth, where partnership is possible, will be making a lot of money and probably sleeping with your poor-ass college student daughter (who had to take out loans because you didnt make partner)

Still think I'm the head of Seyfarth HR, dickhead?

4:30--are are a dipshit who can't read or comprehend and who uses big cuss words to compensate for his small penis size.

If you could read or comprehend, you would have easily noticed that I was refering to the people on this site and that I followed my statement with "Sad but true."

I don't work at "one of those other firms" nor would I want to. I started out working for the SEC (again, the ability to read would have helped you with this) and now practice in a small shop doing secured transactions work. I AM a partner (who is the dipshit now?) and have no billable hour requirements because we are paid a % of the deal.

I make plenty of money and have never worked a weekend since I left the SEC. I have been in practice for 11 years and I don't envy anyone in the legal world.

Also, I don't have a college age daughter, or any age daughter for that matter, but I think everyone reading your posts can feel the pain you must be feeling (I am guessing child sexual abuse, are you Catholic?).

My advice to you, poor poor 4:30, is to get back on the meds, put down the pistol, and get ready for Civ Pro. You don't want to look foolish in class for being unprepared.

9:21 -- I seemed to have hit a nerve. I notice it only took you 3 hours to come up with a good backstory, almost sounds believable.

Even if true, I imagine it must have been really hard making partner at your dad's firm (er, i mean, small shop). Sounds like you couldnt hack it at the SEC (it's not easy to get fired from a government job, but you made it look that way -- and by the way, where did you say on here that you worked at the SEC? You say that if I could read i would know that.) or at a firm outside of your family.

You are clearly an idiot, a half-ass lawyer, and a d-bag. Don't even bother responding to this -- your dad might catch you on this site instead of getting him coffee and pickng up his dry cleaning. Dipshit.

It seems as though a couple of people (aka 4:30 and 9:21) might need a timeout. Not sure how either of your posts relate to the article, but I guess I would just say...to each his own. People can be happy doing legal aid work or working at Skadden. The world needs both and as long as they are happy, so be it.

So to Daddy's Boy 9:21--although I would have loved that setup-- and to Half-Dick Law Student 4:30--although I would love to be back in law school and care free-- let's all just have a drink and relax!