Biglaw Partner Explains Why His Firm Doesn’t Have A Unified Associate Pay Structure

Chicago is different than Cincinnati. Los Angeles is different than Cleveland. Because we have such disparate geographies, we think compensating at an appropriate market rate is the way to go. Some firms, their offices are primarily in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, and it might be an easier decision there [to have a unified pay setup] because those markets are similar.

— Josh Lorentz, chair of Dinsmore & Shohl’s finance committee, commenting on the firm’s salary structure during an interview with the American Lawyer. Dinsmore’s first-year associate salary structure ranges from $100,000 to $175,000, based largely on the market where its offices are located. The firm believes that rather than unifying its pay across the country, different market settings must be taken into consideration to fairly compensate its attorneys.

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Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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2022 Associate Salary Increase, Biglaw, Bonus News Alerts, Bonuses, Money, Quote of the Day