Salary Demands

[filmlaw09]

I am meeting with my employer soon to talk about transitioning from an intern to a paid associate and am trying to figure out what my salary demands should be.  I work for a an entertainment law firm that also works in film production.  The companies are separate but headed by the same person.  The production company is still pretty upstart, the law firm is small but established.  I have talked to people who work at other film companies and it sounds like they get paid roughly $15 an hour.  What are the typical salaries of 2Ls working at small firms in Los Angeles?  I figure my living expenses are about $2000 a month (over half of that is rent) so $15 an hour is doable, but I feel like it is not comparable to the work that I do.  Any suggestions of a figure I should go into the meeting with?  Thanks!!

[Jumboshrimps]

I'm confused. Are you going to be a lawyer or some grunt film worker? No lawyer practicing private law gets only $15 an hour, and no Los Angeles Lawyer gets as little as twice that.

[filmlaw09]

Well I work for both companies.  I know I should make a lot more than a PA, but my question is how much should I be asking for?  I know I can find numbers for summer associates at big law firms but what about 2Ls at small law firms when I'm not doing just legal work?  Sorry for the confusion; it's a bit of a different position than the usual straight legal work.

[craven]

I assume you're not an attorney (?).  I'm not sure why a 2L summer associate salary would have anything to do with what you should make, but if you're still curious, do some NALP searches and they'll give you an idea of what people are getting paid.

[filmlaw09]

I am a 2L, which is why other 2L salaries would be relevant but I'm not sure if I should adjust my demands because I am not doing just legal work.

[thorc954]

I only know one person that works at a small firm, we live in a comparable city (our big firm summers make the same as yours).  Anyway, he is a 2L and makes somewhere between 12-13 dollars an hour.

[Ad oculos]

I worked at a small/mid-size firm in a less expensive market my 1L year.  They paid ~$25/hr.

[xferlawstudent]

I worked in government in Tallahassee, FL for $22; I'd say you should get $25-30/hr in LA small firm

[StevePirates]

Another factor to take into consideration is whether you plan on staying with this firm, and whether you think this firm will grow, and increase your salary as it does.

Small businesses, be they restaurants or law firms, often offer as much in the way of growth potential as they do in current compensation.

[AnneBoleyn]

Ad oculos, hat is considered small or mid-size for you?