By Brenda Barnes How to slice up the compensation pie has long been a problem for many law firms. The first question you may ask yourself is whether you have a well-developed compensation plan for your firm. After the announcement by Big Law that entry-level associates would start at over $200,000 per year, competition for talent has become even more fierce. So, what do small … [Read more...] about Fair compensation for lawyers in a competitive environment
Working with lawyers
What law firms have learned about working remotely
When the pandemic first hit, the professional world shifted to remote working in an instant, but many people viewed the transition as temporary. Two years later, it’s clear that working from home is here to stay. The more time we’ve spent working remotely, the more we’ve learned—and like everything else in life, our process continues to evolve. According to Cosmolex, a company … [Read more...] about What law firms have learned about working remotely
Salaries and employment strong for Class of 2020, despite pandemic
Overall median salaries rose and private practice employment stayed strong for the Class of 2020, even as other key employment metrics declined due to the pandemic. The National Association for Law Placement, Inc. (NALP) has released its Employment for the Class of 2020 — Selected Findings, a synopsis of key findings from the upcoming annual Jobs & JDs: Employment and … [Read more...] about Salaries and employment strong for Class of 2020, despite pandemic
Overall lateral hiring plummets in 2020, lateral associate hiring saw greatest declines
After remaining relatively steady in 2019, lateral hiring fell by more than 30% overall in 2020, driven in large part by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on recruiting. This steep fall-off in 2020 was experienced across all firm sizes, regions, and cities included in NALP’s analysis of the Survey of Legal Employers on Recruiting from 2020-21, although some offices saw larger … [Read more...] about Overall lateral hiring plummets in 2020, lateral associate hiring saw greatest declines
First-year associate salaries rise in spite of pandemic pay cuts
Salaries for first-year associates are rising in spite of last year's pay reductions. The National Association for Law Placement (NALP) has released its 2021 Associate Salary Survey report, showing that the overall median first-year associate base salary as of Jan. 1, 2021 was $165,000, up $10,000 (6.5%) from 2019, the year of the last survey administration. Law firms of more … [Read more...] about First-year associate salaries rise in spite of pandemic pay cuts
Use your high performers to engage the rest of the team
Among the goals of any manager is to create and maintain a high-performance organization. That means you have created a machine that operates at top efficiency, and your employees are engaged. Some organizations don’t believe this really applies to them. Research has suggested that only 25 percent of the typical workforce is engaged. This means that only a fraction of your … [Read more...] about Use your high performers to engage the rest of the team
5 people problems and how to solve them
By Lynne Curry bio We can’t guess all the challenges facing us as office managers in this new year, but we can assume that we will be dealing with an old one: people and their personalities. Whether working together virtually or in-person, chances are good you will be dealing with people problems. Here are five common problems and strategies for dealing with them. Stopping … [Read more...] about 5 people problems and how to solve them
Professionals working remotely clock long and weekend hours
A new study by global staffing firm Robert Half shows employees are working around the clock while at home. More than half (55 per cent) of professionals who transitioned to a remote setup as a result of the pandemic said they work on the weekend. In addition, one-third (34 per cent) of remote employees reported regularly putting in more than eight hours a day. “Despite the … [Read more...] about Professionals working remotely clock long and weekend hours
Technical issues and too many participants are biggest virtual meeting pet peeves
Have you had about enough of video meetings? If so, you're not alone. A new study by global staffing firm Robert Half shows video calls may be wearing on workers. Almost three-quarters of professionals surveyed (72 per cent) said they participate in virtual meetings. Those respondents reported spending about a quarter of their workday (24 per cent) on camera with business … [Read more...] about Technical issues and too many participants are biggest virtual meeting pet peeves
Class of 2019 is the most employed since the Great Recession
The Class of 2019 experienced the highest employment rate in the dozen years since the start of the Great Recession, according to the National Association for Law Placement, Inc. NALP has released its Employment for the Class of 2019 — Selected Findings, a synopsis of key findings from the upcoming annual Jobs & JDs: Employment and Salaries of New Law School Graduates. The … [Read more...] about Class of 2019 is the most employed since the Great Recession