Salaries, Numbers up for Pittsburgh's Summer Associates

BY niki kapsambelis Pittsburgh Correspondent





Pittsburgh – Rising interest rates notwithstanding, the economy is red hot right now, and that means Pittsburgh’s largest law firms are paying more for their summer help.





Seven of the nine firms that responded to a recent survey conducted by the Pennsylvania Law Weekly reported increases to the weekly salaries they are offering summer associates this year versus what they offered in 1999.



An eighth firm, Tucker Arensberg, declined to say how much it was offering this year, though its 1999 weekly salary for summer associates was $1,000. Klett Rooney Lieber & Schorling, which hired five summer associates this year, did not hire any in 1999.



One remaining firm solicited for the survey, Dickie McCamey & Chilcote, declined to respond at all.

Numbers, Salaries Up

Reed Smith Shaw & McClay led the pack with its increase in summer hiring by six new associates – totaling 23, up from 17 in 1999. That makes Reed Smith number two for total summer associates, behind Pittsburgh’s largest firm, Kirkpatrick & Lockhart. That firm still tops the charts with its total number of summer associates at 34, up from 31 last year.



Following close behind Reed Smith is Buchanan Ingersoll, with 20 summer associates this year, up from 15 in 1999. The remaining firms ranged from two at Tucker Arensberg to nine at Doepken Keevican & Weiss.



Along with increases in staffing, most firms increased their salaries as well.



Cohen & Grigsby had the biggest jump in salary over the past year, up to $1,875 from $1,500 in 1999. And that matches the salaries offered by the significantly larger Buchanan & Ingersoll and Reed Smith. In addition, Cohen & Grigsby, with 80 total attorneys, exceeded the salaries of firms of similar size – Thorp Reed & Armstrong and Doepken Keevican – by at least $300.



Of course, Cohen & Grigsby’s increase was offset by the fact that the firm hired just four summer associates this year, down from six in 1999. Eckert Seamans also hired fewer summer associates this year – five, down from seven in 1999, while Tucker Arensberg held steady at two.



Summer associate salaries tend to be based on the pay scale for entry-level associates, which, like the rest of the salaries in the U.S. economy, are on the rise nationwide.



“Everybody says it’s the dot-coms, it’s Silicon Valley. Your competitors are increasing your salaries, so you do,” said Kristin Gaybosh, recruiting coordinator for Eckert Seamans, which is paying its summer associates $1,500 this year, up from $1,450 last year. “Even if your salary wasn’t based on those trends, now you have to react to your competitors. It’s going to be difficult for a lot of firms.”



Gaybosh said Eckert Seamans is taking on fewer summer associates this year after all six of those who were offered positions for the fall of 2000 accepted.



“We don’t play numbers games with our summer program,” said Gaybosh, meaning the firm only offers as many positions as are actually available. “We didn’t want to do anything to change our philosophy.”



At Tucker Arensberg as well, 100 percent of the summer associates offered positions accepted.



Three of the firms surveyed offered full-time positions to 100 percent of their summer associates – Cohen & Grigsby, Doepken Keevican and Reed Smith. Acceptance rates at those firms were 67 percent, 89 percent and 80 percent, respectively.



Kirkpatrick & Lockhart offered positions to 81 percent of its 1999 summer associates; 94 percent – all but one person – accepted, and that individual deferred the offer while pursuing a clerkship.



Buchanan Ingersoll offered 85 percent of the 1999 summer recruits full-time positions, and 91 percent of those accepted, and again, the remainder deferred while pursuing clerkships.

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