What's the Best Firm for Midlevel Big Law Associates in DC?
Homegrown D.C. firms fared worse than out-of-town offices in a survey of associate satisfaction.
September 03, 2019 at 03:58 PM
3 minute read
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Where's the best place to work as a Big Law associate in Washington, D.C.?
It depends who you ask and how you judge their firm.
According to the results of The American Lawyer's Midlevel Associate Satisfaction Survey, the D.C. associates of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft rated their firm most highly overall.
Firms were graded across 12 categories on a 5-point scale, and the average for D.C.-based midlevel associates was 4.288, which was slightly below the industrywide average for midlevel associates of 4.293. Cadwalader's handful of midlevel D.C. associate respondents scored the firm at 4.933.
Among firms with more than a dozen respondents, however, O'Melveny & Myers and Paul Hastings took top marks of 4.897 and 4.859, respectively. Latham & Watkins and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius' D.C.-based midlevel associates followed closely behind, grading their firms at 4.662 and 4.654 respectively.
Early career associate salary raises have attracted headlines lately, especially after big increases last summer. But the survey results highlight other factors rivaling compensation for associate satisfaction as lawyers rise through the ranks.
Among firms with more than a dozen D.C.-based midlevel associate respondents, Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson's benefits and compensation package earned top marks at 4.906, closely followed by O'Melveny at 4.846. The firm whose D.C.-based midlevel associates scored their benefits and compensation lowest was Vinson & Elkins, at 3.286.
It's not all about the cash, however, as associates' satisfaction with their work can lead to better attorney retention in the future. O'Melveny and Paul Hastings' work satisfaction ranked first and second among firms in D.C., with more than a dozen respondents at 4.923 and 4.875. Crowell & Moring's D.C.-based midlevel associates similarly approved of the work they do, giving their firm a 4.833 score. The firm whose D.C.-based midlevel associates scored their work satisfaction lowest come from Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo.
In the industrywide rankings, only four D.C.-based firms ranked on this year's list, including Williams & Connolly, Covington & Burling. Crowell & Moring. and Steptoe & Johnson. Some firms with large D.C. footprints—such as Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld—are defined as national firms for the purposes of the survey.
Williams & Connolly came in tops among D.C.-based firms ranking 16, falling five places from 11 last year. Akin Gump fell out of the top 10, from 7th place last year to 15th this year.
Read More
Midlevel Associates Are Feeling the Burn From All That Work
Which Firms Keep Midlevel Associates Happiest? The 2019 National Rankings
Drinker Biddle, Blank Rome Excel in Associate Satisfaction as Phila. Beats Average
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