A quick word of thanks to this week’s advertisers on Above the Law:

• Assara Laser

• The Atlantic

• Cypress Recruiting Group

• Harvard Business School

• Kinney Recruiting

• Lateral Link

• LexisNexis

• The Tikvah Center at NYU School of Law

• The Red Cross

• University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Isenberg School of Management

If you’re interested in advertising on Above the Law or any other site in the Breaking Media network, download our media kits, or email advertising@breakingmedia.com. Thanks!

Our recent Career Center survey asked about compensation structure for salaries and bonuses at your firms.  The results reveal that reports of the death of lockstep compensation have been greatly exaggerated: a large majority of respondents — over 75% — say their firm still pays base salaries on a lockstep scale.  And despite the tough economy, over 96% of respondents expect a bonus this year.   

Check out the full survey results after the jump — and visit the Career Center, powered by Lateral Link — for more on which firm has announced an end-of-year salary freeze, the latest firm to join the hybrid-lockstep compensation bandwagon, and which firm is now rescinding offers to new associates.

Full survey results, after the jump.

A quick word of thanks to this week’s advertisers on Above the Law:

• Assara Laser

• The Atlantic

• Harvard Business School

• Kinney Recruiting

• Lateral Link

• LexisNexis

• The Tikvah Center at NYU School of Law

• The Red Cross

• University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Isenberg School of Management

If you’re interested in advertising on Above the Law or any other site in the Breaking Media network, download our media kits, or email advertising@breakingmedia.com. Thanks!

With most associates just trying to avoid joining the growing ranks of unemployed attorneys, partnership prospects might seem like part of a distant and unfathomable future.  But in what might be a surprise to associates who have been laid off or suffered salary cuts, many law firms are making a healthy number of new partners. The National Law Journal reports that the overall number of partners nationwide in 2009 is actually higher than in 2008. 

Visit the Career Center, powered by Lateral Link, for more on which firm has a five-year non-equity partner track, which firm does not require capital contributions from new partners, and which firm went from promoting 34 attorneys to partner in 2008 to promoting 0 in 2009. 

If you are a mid-level associate in Los Angeles and you really want the inside scoop on how to grab that brass ring, come to the Career Center Professional Development panel on November 17, hosted by Lateral Link and Proskauer Rose, for a discussion on long-term career planning, partnership prospects and in-house careers. Panelists include Morgan Chu of Irell & Manella, Mike Woronoff of Proskauer, and Vivian Yang, GC at Citysearch. Attendees will receive 1.25 CLE credit hours.  Click here to learn more or to register.

Did you just pass the bar in Texas? Congratulations! Maybe now is a great time to find a job.

The Job of the Week, brought to you by Lateral Link, is with a stellar boutique that is looking for a superstar associate to join its growing ranks. Even in a strong economy, great opportunities like this one don’t come along very often.

Title: Litigation Associate

Location: Houston

Description: A high-end litigation boutique is seeking a 2007 or 2008 grad with general commercial or IP litigation experience. The firm requires stellar academic credentials and writing skills, and the ability to manage cases by yourself. Clerkships are preferred but not required. The firm is open to relocators.

For more information about this position, please contact Lateral Link’s Texas Director, Gary Cohen. Current Lateral Link members can also view Position #5397 on Lateral Link. Membership in Lateral Link is free and you can apply at www.laterallink.com.

In addition, we are still collecting salary data for the Career Center so please take a minute to tell us about compensation at your law firm — AFTER THE JUMP.

Lately, Big Law firms have been changing their salary structures more often than associates can keep up with. With an increasing number of firms abandoning lockstep compensation, associates have been left in the dark about what compensation levels actually are.

This week, our ATL / Lateral Link survey asks for your help to track the latest changes to starting salaries and the salary ranges for firms that have moved away from lock-step compensation. We’ll use the information to update the ATL Career Center and bring you the results next week.

If you have information about your firm that you want to share with other Career Center users, please email us at careercenter@abovethelaw.com.

A quick word of thanks to this week’s advertisers on Above the Law:

Although Halloween is just around the corner, things are looking less scary in the Bay Area. With tech stocks soaring, start-ups and emerging companies are doing more deals and looking to grow.

Time for more lawyers! The Job of the Week, brought to you by Lateral Link, is with a prominent firm that’s back on the prowl for the best and the brightest corporate lawyers to handle these deals.

Title: Corporate Associate

Location: Bay Area

Bonus: This position qualifies for Lateral Link’s $10,000 placement bonus.

Description: A top-tier firm is seeking a mid-level corporate associate with 3 to 4 years of strong corporate experience at a reputable law firm, and excellent academic credentials. Experience should include public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, private equity, venture capital investments, and/or technology transactions. Candidates with strong experience representing emerging companies are preferred. California bar is required.

For more information about this position, please view Position #5440 on Lateral Link. Membership in Lateral Link is free, and you can apply at www.laterallink.com.

Earlier: Prior Job of the Week listings

A quick word of thanks to this week’s advertisers on Above the Law:

• American Bar Association

• The Atlantic

• Kinney Recruiting

• Lateral Link

• LexisNexis

• Soul Calibur 4 PSP

• University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Isenberg School of Management

• WesCary3D

If you’re interested in advertising on Above the Law or any other site in the Breaking Media network, download our media kits, or email advertising@breakingmedia.com. Thanks!

The 2009 billable year hasn’t even ended at most firms yet, but October has been full of announcements from Big Law firms across the country about major changes to associate compensation.  Check out the ATL Career Center, powered by Lateral Link , for the latest information from the legal markets and updates from users about who is paying what when.  In the last week, we have updated the firm snapshots for Schulte Roth & Zabel, Katten Muchin Rosenman, Morrison & Foerster, DLA Piper, Fenwick & West, Bingham McCutchen, Dorsey & Whitney, Foley & Lardner, and Nixon Peabody.  Below are some recent nuggets of golden and not-so-golden news about compensation from the Career Center’s firm snapshots:

• This firm announced that, in January 2010, it will move away from a lockstep compensation system to one that emphasizes merit-based factors as a more significant component of compensation decisions.  The firm says the combination of base pay and discretionary and productivity bonuses will keep overall compensation at or above current levels, but associates worry they may see significantly less pay if they don’t achieve the necessary merit marks.

• This firm has confirmed that it will be paying bonuses in early 2010, an announcement associates can only hope is the first of many.  Although the firm anticipates the amounts will be less than previous years, bonuses are still predicted to range from $5,000 to $50,000.

• This firm recently cut starting salaries to $145,000 in all of its offices (other than New York and Asia). The firm has indicated it will continue to monitor the situation and may re-adjust salaries (up or down) in light of legal market trends if necessary.

• This firm is also taking the merit-based compensation route: although it plans to retain a lockstep scale for base salaries, the firm has announced that its practice group leaders will now have greater discretion in awarding year-end bonuses.  Billable hours will continue to factor into bonus determinations, but so will qualitative and quantitative factors, such as financial productivity, profitability and teamwork.

Use the Career Center’s firm snapshots and comparison tool to find out what other bonus and salary changes firms across the country are making.  And as always, we encourage you to send information about your law firm experience to careercenter@abovethelaw.com.