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The results of the NAP Partner Salary Survey — A Historical Perspective 1996-2001 (NAP Bulletin, September 2001) — Changes in the way law firms determine employee eligibility for bonuses and, of course, starting salaries are evident from the NAP reports of the Partners` Salary Survey from 1996 to 2001. The magnitude of wage increases over the past five years is also evident, with an increase of almost 60% in the largest companies. Median starting salaries in private practice for the class of 2011 fall as jobs in private practice continue to erode (Press Release, July 12, 2012) – The median starting salary of new graduates from the 2011 Law School of 2011 class has fallen by 5% from 2010 and has fallen by nearly 17% since 2009. The average wage has decreased by 6.5% compared to 2010 and, since 2009, the average has decreased by almost 16%. Employee salaries in the first year increase at large law firms (press release dated May 22, 2019) – The 2019 nalp Partner Salary Survey report shows that the median total salary in the first year ended January 1, 2019 was $155,000, an increase of $20,000 (14.8%) compared to 2017, the year of the last previous survey. The increase comes at the same time as Big Law announced its most successful earnings cycle ever. Law firms with more than 251 lawyers accounted for about 70% of responses. Employee salaries are rising in some markets, but the national median remains unchanged (news release dated June 1, 2017) – The median total salary for the first year ended January 1, 2017 was $135,000, the same salary as in 2015, the year of the last previous survey. Lawyers` starting salaries are remarkably stable (press release of 8.

August 2005) – The median salary of employees in the first year ranged from $67,500 in law firms with 2 to 25 lawyers to $125,000 in law firms with more than 500 lawyers, with a median of $100,000 in the first year for all participating law firms. A comparison with figures reported over the past five years shows that first-year salaries in law firms with 251 or more lawyers remained stable over this period, with a median of about $110,000. This is in stark contrast to a 30% increase in the median from April 1999 to April 2000.On September 8, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP announced increases to its partner compensation network in Toronto. The salary of first-year employees at Cassels has now increased from $110,000 to $130,000, with corresponding increases for older employees. The amendments came into force on October 1. Commenting on Ultra Vires, the company said the pay increases “reflect our appreciation for the work of employees and our contribution to the continued success of the company.” See www.zsa.ca/salary-guide/ for a rough idea Most Bay Street businesses paid their employees $110,000 in the first year. Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP and Bennett Jones LLP dominated the field with $135,000 and $130,000 respectively. With the recent wage increase, several companies are now keeping pace with Bennett Jones. When Bennett Jones was asked to comment, he said he “has not yet made any salary changes and is currently investigating the market before making any further decisions.” Salaries of new lawyers: How did we get here? (NALP Bulletin, January 2008) – The range of salaries earned by new faculty graduates has been known and documented for many years. While students and the media have tended to focus on the top of the ladder, Career Services offices have seen and conveyed the bigger picture. The annual NALP Graduate Employment Survey documents this salary picture in a variety of ways each year.

The salaries shown are average values for each city. Within each city, there can be large differences in salaries depending on the company or organization. These salary tables are provided for informational purposes only. Salaries in the largest companies continue to rise rapidly (press release of 14. September 2007) – According to the 2007 Partner Salary Survey just released by the NALP, the median and even most prevalent salary of employees in law firms has risen from more than 501 lawyers to $145,000 as of April 1, 2007, an increase of $10,000 in just one year. The median starting salary for firms of all sizes was $113,000, a moderate increase from the median of $105,000 in 2006 and mainly due to growth at the upper end of the scale. No decision has yet been made at McMillan LLP or Aird & Berlis LLP. McMillan is currently reviewing the salaries of its employees nationally and remains committed to remaining competitive in the marketplace.

Aird & Berlis is also in the midst of its annual review of employee salaries, commenting: “[We] are committed to being competitive in the market and will announce any changes to our employee salary scale in the coming weeks.” The market for law graduates is changing with the recession: the class of 2009 faced new challenges (press release of July 22, 2010) – The national median salary for the 2009 category, based on those who work full-time and report a salary, was $72,000, unchanged from the class of 2008, and the national average was $93,454. However, with some salaries from large law firms accumulating in the $160,000 range, while many other salaries ranged from $40,000 to $65,000, relatively few salaries were actually close to the median or average, as reported by jobs & JDs. The median national salary in law firms, based on those who reported a salary, was $130,000, compared to $125,000 the previous year, and the national average for law firms was $115,254. Although they are all very large companies and have common qualities. However, every business has different things to offer you. You should research each company and focus on things like work-life balance, salary, bonuses, additional benefits, and growth opportunities. What do new lawyers gain? Looking back 15 years 1994-2008 (NALP Bulletin, August 2009) — Two results are remarkable. First, during this period, the law firm`s average starting salary more than doubled, from $50,000 to $125,000. This reflects the increase in wages in general, especially in large companies, and a general increase in the proportion of jobs filled in large companies where wage coverage is more comprehensive. Second, although wage coverage for jobs in large companies is more comprehensive, comparisons between firm sizes are still valid, and it is true that wages in larger firms have increased the most in percentage terms, more than doubling over the period. Results of the 2017 Associate Salary Survey (NNAP Bulletin, June 2017) – The 2017 NNAP Partner Salary Survey report shows that the median total salary for the first year to January 1, 2017 was $135,000, the same as in 2015, the year of the last previous survey. What about all the $180,000 for the first year announced over several months in 2016? Among the more than 500 survey respondents, there were not enough offices reporting a salary of $180,000 to bring the median to this level.

A 1,000-word image (Jobs & JD`s – Class of 2006) – For a different perspective on 2006 class salaries, see A 1,000-word image that includes the bimodal pay table. “This increase reflects our appreciation for the work of our employees and the contribution to the company`s continued success,” said Peter Wismath, Director of Marketing at Cassels. The salaries of employees of law firms have hardly changed compared to the previous year (press release, 8. Recent research by NALP shows that employee salaries remained largely unchanged in 2011 compared to 2010, with the $160,000 salary of first-year employees still prevalent in large companies in a number of markets. What do new law graduates gain when they enter private practice? A 25-year retrospective (NALP Bulletin, October 2018) – Just look at the table below to see that starting salaries have increased much more in larger law firms than in small businesses.