The "Happiest" Law Firms: Rankings

[UMichLaw]

You can find the average weekly hours by taking the average salary, dividing it by the hourly rate then dividing that by 52.

I know that...its just a hassle.  Also, 52 weeks is inaccurate, I'd use 50 or 48. 

Sorry about the hassle.  I'll get to it after finals.  Anyway, in the meantime, the formula I use to calculate hourly pay is ((salary + bonus) / 52) / hours worked.  These numbers are as reported by middle-level associates (3rd, 4th & 5th years) directly not as reported by the firms.  Maybe a junior associate will work more hours but from what I've heard you generally work about the same from day one until you become partner (and then you're so used to the schedule you just keep doing it).

[BigRig]

While a different issue, it is worth noting that the highest paying jobs are not necessarily the ones will create wealth most quickly. One needs to adjust for differences in cost of living to make the list meaningful (e.g. median home price, regional tax structure, etc.). This helps to explain why an associate at an NYC firm who's making a high wage/hr. (although these hours seem deflated to me) will still likely be unhappy because cost of living is so exorbitantly high that you have nothing to show for your time (however well paid it is relative to other firms around the country).

[HippieLawChick]

I wonder how much of those survey responses can be influenced by external factors?  For instance: if there are people complaining that they work too much (and those people are workaholics anyway), would an associate who hears them respond that people work too many hours at their firm? 

I find a lot of these surveys suspect, especailly since not all lawyers in a firm, or all firms in a region participate.

[Angelina1]

While a different issue, it is worth noting that the highest paying jobs are not necessarily the ones will create wealth most quickly. One needs to adjust for differences in cost of living to make the list meaningful (e.g. median home price, regional tax structure, etc.). This helps to explain why an associate at an NYC firm who's making a high wage/hr. (although these hours seem deflated to me) will still likely be unhappy because cost of living is so exorbitantly high that you have nothing to show for your time (however well paid it is relative to other firms around the country).

This is absolutely true. "Wealth" is a relative term. When you live in NYC and you're working 80 hours a week (which is the more realistic #, based on the people I know who work/have worked in the highest-paying firms) doing something you probably don't even find meaningful or interesting, $150k starts looking like alot less money...especially after you pay your $1000 of loan payments every month and $2k per month for a decent apartment. Of course, you never have any time to spend any "discretionary" income, so it may even out.

[chillindave]

I think the title of these rankings is an oxymoron.

[Ever]

I love seeing Dallas on there so much.

[UMichLaw]

I just came across this survey online, and I decided to post it because I thought some people might think it was interesting.  Apparently, they do.  I'm sure there are other surveys out there.  Its not like I'm upset or shocked to hear that there is a 'better' survey at law.com.  Its not like it was my goal to post the best survey possible, ever, in the whole entire history of lawyer satisfaction surveys... 

Just to reiterate, this IS the law.com survey - I just reworked the data to make it easier to get some type of picture of firms.  They just give you the totals of the responses and a big list of firms.  It's very hard to see anything comparatively.

Also, I do list the total number of midlevel associates (3-5 years, not all associates) vs. how many took the survey so you can judge for yourself how accurate the results are.  Only firms with 10 or more surveys were included by law.com.

[omake_don]

Not to sh!t in your corn flakes , but there's a better survey of associates at www.law.com

I just came across this survey online, and I decided to post it because I thought some people might think it was interesting.  Apparently, they do.  I'm sure there are other surveys out there.  Its not like I'm upset or shocked to hear that there is a 'better' survey at law.com.  Its not like it was my goal to post the best survey possible, ever, in the whole entire history of lawyer satisfaction surveys... 

sh*t in my cornflakes?  What the @#!* kind of response is this?  This is a prime example of law students being socially inept...

Its like someone giving you a piece of candy... and you saying, "Not to sh*t in your cornflakes buddy, but there's better candy out there..."

ummmmm candy from strangers... yum..


very good site. thank you.

[UMichLaw]

ummmmm candy from strangers... yum..

very good site. thank you.

No problem.  It actually generates no money (it costs) so it's just a public service.

[UMichLaw]

Okay.  I finally got my lazy (ie. overworked) butt in gear and put the requested hours-worked on the Shortest Hour Law Firm ranking.  As a refresher, my ranking is based on survey data from 5,600 midlevel associates at firms around the world.  One of the survey questions was how many hours each worked and billed.  I've totalled it all up and made it easy to see who's working the most hours. 

http://www.averyindex.com