Author: TSA Press

Grades
in
law
school
are
extremely
important
since
they
are
the
most
critical
factor
when
law
graduates
search
for
jobs
upon
entering
the
legal
profession. Most
law
schools
have
grading
curves,
which
can
be
unforgiving,
as
a
law
student’s
grade
is
often
dependent
on
their
performance
on
a
single
final
exam. At
certain
law
schools,
however,
law
students
can
employ
certain
strategies
to
earn
higher
grades
and
boost
their
GPAs. Most
of
these
strategies
are
only
available
to
wealthier
students,
since
such
tactics
may
require
law
students
to
spend
more
money
than
they
normally
would
pursuing
a
law
degree.

At
some
law
schools,
summer
classes,
or
perhaps
classes
between
semesters,
are
a
solid
way
to
boost
one’s
GPA.
Some
law
schools
do
not
apply
the
law
school
curve
to
classes
that
contain
a
small
number
of
students. The
reasoning
behind
this
policy
may
involve
the
difficulty
in
comparing
the
smaller
numbers
of
law
students
in
classes
offered
during
the
summer
or
between
semesters. In
addition,
during
such
times,
law
students
may
have
fewer
classes,
so
they
can
devote
more
time
to
their
studies
and
obtain
a
higher
grade.
Since
the
grading
curve
does
not
apply
to
such
classes,
and
fewer
students
are
in
such
classes,
professors
may
be
more
likely
to
award
higher
grades
in
such
classes.

However,
law
students
usually
need
to
spend
extra
money
to
take
classes
or
courses
offered
between
semesters. Some
law
students
might
have
a
difficult
time
paying
for
credits
during
the
normal
academic
term
and
are
unable
to
devote
more
money.
Financial
aid
and
scholarships
may
also
not
cover
classes
that
are
taken
outside
of
the
normal
academic
term.
Also,
taking
classes
during
the
summer
may
take
law
students
away
from
internships
and
other
job
opportunities
that
might
be
important
to
include
on
a
resume
when
looking
for
employment
opportunities
after
graduation.
If
law
students
have
the
financial
resources
and
scheduling
flexibility
to
take
such
classes,
they
can
have
a
better
chance
at
earning
higher
grades
and
boost
their
GPA.

Some
law
schools
offer
study-abroad
programs
through
which
law
students
can
take
classes
at
foreign
universities.
I
have
little
familiarity
with
such
programs,
but
I
have
heard
that
such
courses
might
not
be
graded
on
a
curve
in
the
same
way
as
ordinary
law
school
courses,
and
in
some
instances,
such
grades
might
be
reflected
on
a
law
student’s
GPA.
Even
if
the
grades
from
study-abroad
courses
are
not
reflected
in
GPAs,
they
can
help
students
earn
academic
credits
without
hurting
their
GPAs
with
poor
grades.

However,
the
opportunity
of
studying
abroad
during
law
school
is
more
available
to
wealthy
students. Such
programs
are
also
not
typically
covered
by
financial
aid
or
scholarships,
and
law
students
usually
need
to
go
out
of
pocket
or
take
on
onerous
loans
to
pursue
study-abroad
opportunities
if
they
cannot
pay
out
of
pocket. Moreover,
travel
costs
and
living
expenses
in
a
foreign
country
might
be
more
than
a
law
student
might
need
to
spend
attending
ordinary
law
school
classes. As
a
result,
if
the
conditions
are
right,
such
programs
might
offer
the
ability
to
boost
a
law
student’s
GPA
if
a
law
student
can
afford
the
opportunity.

Law
students
often
present
themselves
as
committed
to
ensuring
that
law
students
have
a
fair
chance
to
succeed
in
their
studies
and
attain
the
highest
possible
GPA. However,
some
opportunities
can
help
students
boost
their
GPAs,
and
such
programs
may
be
more
readily
available
to
wealthier
students. Law
schools
should
carefully
review
programs
that
might
be
more
available
to
wealthier
students
to
ensure
that
resourced
students
do
not
have
an
unfair
ability
to
boost
their
law
school
GPAs.

---

Jordan
Rothman
is
a
partner
of The
Rothman
Law
Firm,
a
full-service
New
York
and
New
Jersey
law
firm.
He
is
also
the
founder
of Student
Debt
Diaries,
a
website
discussing
how
he
paid
off
his
student
loans.
You
can
reach
Jordan
through
email
at jordan@rothman.law.

Ed.
note:
Welcome
to
our
daily
feature,

Quote
of
the
Day.

There
are
a
few
very
desirable
people
with
these
practices,
and
they
say
they’re
getting
a
massive
amount
of
calls
right
now.

—
Sabina
Lippman,
managing
partner
of
legal
recruiter
CenterPeak,
in
comments
given
to
the

Sports
Business
Journal,
concerning
the
number
of
veteran
sports
deal
lawyers with
connections
to
the
Big
Five
sports
leagues.
Lippmann
says
the
total
number
of
these
experienced
attorneys
may
be
“as
few
as
seven,”
and
these
trusted
partners
are
commanding
substantial
salaries
from
Biglaw
firms.

---

Staci
Zaretsky is
the
managing
editor
of
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 Bluesky, X/Twitter,
and Threads, or
connect
with
her
on LinkedIn.

Corporate
counsel
are
increasingly
looking
beyond
Biglaw
to
handle
some
of
their
matters,
according
to
a
recent
Above
the
Law
survey.

In
a
survey
of
more
than
500
in-house
attorneys
about
their
outside
counsel,
80%
of
respondents
said
they
regularly
engage
midsize
or
regional
law
firms
(as
opposed
to
Am
Law
200
or
other
large
law
firms)
for
certain
kinds
of
work,
particularly
routine
matters
and
“cost-efficient,
bulk
tasks.”
Nearly
half
(48%)
also
turn
to
midsize
and
regional
firms
for
“high-value,
complex
matters.”

Moreover,
35%
of
in-house
counsel
said
they
have
shifted
work
from
large
firms
to
midsize
or
smaller
firms
in
the
last
year,
and
32%
expect
to
move
work
from
large
firms
over
the
next
year.

Reasons
for
turning
to
smaller
firms
include
that
they
are
more
cost-effective
(87%),
more
agile
and
responsive
(48%),
and
they
offer
more
personalized
attention
(45%).

Stay
tuned
for
more
results
from
our
2025
Outside
Counsel
Survey
in
the
coming
weeks.

Another
Biglaw
firm
has
joined
the
bonus
train,
and
this
time
it’s
Skadden!
The
top
tier
law
firm
reported
$3,669,042,000
gross
revenue
in
2024
gross
revenue
and
profits
per
equity
partner
of
$6,049,000
according
to
the
most
recent
Am
Law
100.
When
you’re
making
that
much
cash,
its
easy
to
spread
the
wealth
around!
Here’s
the
scale:

All
of
the
firm’s
United
States
associates
can
expect
the
bonus
money
to
be
paid
on
December
15th.
That
still
gives
you
enough
time
to
buy
some
nice
Subway
gift
cards
as
stocking
stuffers
before
the
holidays
roll
around.
If
you
aren’t
interested
in
going
the
sandwich
route,
maybe
you
can
buy
them

a
nonfiction
book
from
our
nicely
curated
list
instead?
Whether
it’s
food
for
thought
or
food
for
food,
it
should
be
the
thought
that
counts
at
the
end
of
the
day.

We
like
hearing
about
bonuses
almost
as
much
as
you
enjoy
spending
them.
As
soon
as
your
firm’s
memo
comes
out,
please email
it
to
us
(subject
line:
“[Firm
Name]
Bonus”)
or
text
us
(646-820-8477).
Please
include
the
memo
if
available.
You
can
take
a
photo
of
the
memo
and
send
it
via
text
or
email
if
you
don’t
want
to
forward
the
original
PDF
or
Word
file.

And
if
you’d
like
to
sign
up
for
ATL’s
Salary
&
Bonus
Alerts,
please
scroll
down
and
enter
your
email
address
in
the
box
below
this
post.
If
you
previously
signed
up
for
the
bonus
alerts,
you
don’t
need
to
do
anything.
You’ll
receive
an
email
notification
within
minutes
of
each
bonus
announcement
that
we
publish.

---

Chris
Williams
became
a
social
media
manager
and
assistant
editor
for
Above
the
Law
in
June
2021.
Prior
to
joining
the
staff,
he
moonlighted
as
a
minor
Memelord™
in
the
Facebook
group Law
School
Memes
for
Edgy
T14s
.
 He
endured
Missouri
long
enough
to
graduate
from
Washington
University
in
St.
Louis
School
of
Law.
He
is
a
former
boatbuilder
who
is
learning
to
swim, is
interested
in
critical
race
theory,
philosophy,
and
humor,
and
has
a
love
for
cycling
that
occasionally
annoys
his
peers.
You
can
reach
him
by
email
at [email protected]
and
by
tweet
at @WritesForRent.

In
this
episode,
I
chat
with

Farid
Yaghoubtil,
founding
partner
of
DTLA
Law
Group.
Discover
Farid’s
journey
from
fleeing
Iran
to
empowering
the
underrepresented
through
law.
His
passion
for
justice,
client-focused
approach,
and
the
challenges
of
balancing
ideals
with
firm
management
make
it
a
must-listen
for
aspiring
lawyers
and
entrepreneurs.
Tune
in
to
catch
Farid’s
inspiring
stories
and
insightful
advice
on
staying
true
to
your
mission.

Episode
Highlights

• Decision
  to
  pursue
  law
  due
  to
  childhood
  injustice.
• Balancing
  ideals
  and
  legal
  system
  realities.
• Motivation
  behind
  starting
  a
  law
  firm.
• Challenges
  of
  running
  a
  legal
  business.
• Importance
  of
  organization
  and
  hiring
  in
  business
  success.
• Leading
  with
  empathy
  in
  law
  practice.
• Avoiding
  burnout
  through
  gratitude
  and
  meaningful
  connections.
• Inspiring
  story:
  Helping
  a
  child
  in
  a
  lead
  exposure
  case.
• The
  value
  of
  listening
  to
  clients.
• A
  personal
  approach
  over
  transactional
  lawyering.
• Building
  client
  relationships
  for
  sustained
  growth.

The
Jabot
podcast
is
an
offshoot
of
the
Above
the
Law
brand
focused
on
the
challenges
women,
people
of
color,
LGBTQIA,
and
other
diverse
populations
face
in
the
legal
industry.
Our
name
comes
from
none
other
than
the
Notorious
Ruth
Bader
Ginsburg
and
the
jabot
(decorative
collar)
she
wore
when
delivering
dissents
from
the
bench.
It’s
a
reminder
that
even
when
we
aren’t
winning,
we’re
still
a
powerful
force
to
be
reckoned
with.

Happy
listening!

---

Kathryn
Rubino
is
a
Senior
Editor
at
Above
the
Law,
host
of

The
Jabot
podcast,
and
co-host
of

Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer.
AtL
tipsters
are
the
best,
so
please
connect
with
her.
Feel
free
to
email

her
with
any
tips,
questions,
or
comments
and
follow
her
on
Twitter

@Kathryn1 or
Mastodon

@[email protected].

Ken
Paxton’s bullshit
lawsuit against
the
makers
of
Tylenol,
built
on
Trump
and
RFK
Jr.’s
bullshit
press
conference
in
which
they
pretended
that
science
says
acetaminophen
causes
autism,
is
off
to
a
predictably
bad
start.
I
had
a
bit
of
a
laugh
shortly
after
this
turd
was
filed,
mainly
because
Kennedy
himself
came
out
after
the
lawsuit
was
filed
to
walk
back
the
claims
made
in
the
press
conference
and
acknowledged
that
all
that
science
he
and
Trump
cited
“is
not
sufficient
to
say
it
definitely
causes
autism.”
And,
while
Trump
repeatedly
instructed
women
to
not
take
Tylenol
while
pregnant,
a
stance
medical
professionals
overwhelmingly
disagree
with,
Kennedy
instead
said
women
should
consult
with
their
doctors
on
its
use.

Well,
it’s
early
on
in
this
nonsense,
but Paxton
has
already
lost
on
two
requests he
made
as
part
of
it.

A
Texas
Judge
has
rejected a
request from
Texas
Attorney
General
Ken
Paxton
to
issue
a
temporary
order
barring
Tylenol’s
maker,
Kenvue,
from
claiming
amid
litigation
that
the
pain
and
fever
medication
is
safe
for
pregnant
women
and
children,
according
to
court
documents.

In
records
filed
Friday,
District
Judge
LeAnn
Rafferty,
in
Panola
County,
also
rejected
Paxton’s
unusual
request
to
block
Kenvue
from
distributing
$400
million
in
dividends
to
shareholders
later
this
month.

Now,
it’s
important
to
acknowledge
that
Paxton
is
simply
doing
performative
MAGA
bullshit
with
this
lawsuit.
He’s
running
for
the
Senate
seat
currently
held
by
John
Cornyn,
who
is
also
seeking
reelection.
Wesley
Hunt
joins
them
to
compete
in
the
Republican
primary
for
the
seat.
All
of
these
men
are
simply
attempting
to
out-MAGA
one
another.

The
TRO
request
to
keep
Kenvue,
current
makers
of
the
Tylenol
brand,
from
stating
that
its
product
is
safe
for
use
by
pregnant
women
and
children,
was
always
absurd.
But
it
was
made
all
the
more
so
when
Kennedy
walked
back
his
press
conference
claims.
Judge
Rafferty
noted
that
she:

…denied
the
marketing
claim,
which
even
the
Trump
administration
is
not
standing
by.
The
day
after
Paxton
filed
his
lawsuit, Kennedy
said that
“the
causative
association…
between
Tylenol
given
in
pregnancy
and
the
perinatal
periods
is
not
sufficient
to
say
it
definitely
causes
autism.”

Like
I
said
in
my
previous
post
on
this:
very
funny.

As
for
the
dividend
disbursement,
for
which
Paxton
relies
on
a
Texas
law
preventing
companies
giving
out
such
funds
if
they
are
about
to
become
financially
insolvent,
the
court
simply
didn’t
have
jurisdiction
to
issue
any
such
order.

According
to
Reuters,
one
of
Kenvue’s
lawyers,
Kim
Bueno,
explained
that
the
problem
with
the
state
of
Texas
making
this
request
is
that
Kenvue
is
based
in
New
Jersey
and
incorporated
in
Delaware.
“There
was
no
jurisdiction
to
challenge
that,”
she
said.

All
this
flailing
about
would
be
merely
unbecoming,
except
that
Paxton
is
a
damned
state
AG.
He
should,
and
likely
does,
know
better
than
all
of
this.
As
I
said
before,
this
is
performative
nonsense
designed
to
do
nothing
more
than
gain
primary
votes
in
a
Senate
race.

But
in
today’s
political
climate,
you
can
see
just
how
much
chaos
can
be
generated
by
an
ignoramus
like
RFK
Jr.

Ken
Paxton’s
Tylenol
Lawsuit
Is
Off
To
A
Terrible
Start

More
Law-Related
Stories
from
Techdirt:

Trump
Attacks
Leave
U.S.
Cybersecurity
Agencies
Hollowed
Out
And
Managed
By
Useless
Zealots

Trump’s
Own
Judges
Easily
Reject
His
Bonkers
Lawsuit
Against
CNN
For
Calling
His
Big
Lie
A
‘Big
Lie’

Cities
Shut
Down
Flock
Camera
Networks
Following
Improper
Access
By
Federal
Agencies

One
by
one,
Biglaw
firms
continue
to
fall
in
line
to
match
what’s
now
been
recognized
as
the

market
bonus
scale
as
blessed
by
Cravath.

The
latest
firm
to
do
so
is
none
other
than
Debevoise
&
Plimpton,
which
brought
in
$1,623,000,000
gross
revenue
in
2024,
and
it’s
a
straight
match.

“On
behalf
of
all
of
the
partners,
thank
you
for
your
dedication
to
our
clients
and
the
Firm,
your
outstanding
client
service,
and
your
commitment
to
impactful
pro
bono
work
that
has
benefited
our
communities
and
society,”
presiding
partner
Peter
Furci
and
deputy
presiding
partner
Nicole
Mesard
wrote
in
a
memo
to
all
attorneys
at
the
firm.
“You
represent
Debevoise
at
its
finest.”

Take
a
look
at
what
the
scale
looks
like
at
the
firm:

	Year-end bonus	Special bonus
Class of 2025	$15,000 (pro rated)	$6,000 (pro rated)
Class of 2024	$20,000	$6,000
Class of 2023	$30,000	$10,000
Class of 2022	$57,500	$15,000
Class of 2021	$75,000	$20,000
Class of 2020	$90,000	$25,000
Class of 2019	$105,000	$25,000
Class of 2018 and senior	$115,000	$25,000

Congratulations
to
everyone
at
Debevoise!

Remember
everyone,
we
depend
on
your
tips
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on
top
of
compensation
updates,
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Thanks
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help!

---

Staci
Zaretsky is
the
managing
editor
of
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 Bluesky, X/Twitter,
and Threads, or
connect
with
her
on Lin

Ed.
Note:

A
weekly
roundup
of
just
a
few
items
from
Howard
Bashman’s

How
Appealing
blog,
the
Web’s
first
blog
devoted
to
appellate
litigation.
Check
out
these
stories
and
more
at
How
Appealing.

“An
immigration
court
error
6
years
ago
could
lead
to
release
of
Kilmar
Abrego
Garcia;
A
judge
said
the
Trump
administration’s
bid
to
deport
the
Salvadoran
man
could
be
tripped
up
by
2019
‘mistake’”: Josh
Gerstein
of
Politico
has this
report.

“Home
inseminations
and
gray
market
sperm:
Florida
Supreme
Court
case
meets
DIY
fertility;
Daunted
by
costs,
some
hopeful
parents
are
stepping
into
a
fertility
world
with
few
guardrails.” Christopher
Spata
of
The
Tampa
Bay
Times
has this
report.

“Appeals
Court
Blocks
Release
of
Hundreds
of
Chicago-Area
Immigration
Detainees;
The
order
temporarily
halts
a
federal
judge’s
call
to
release
several
hundred
people
arrested
during
the
Trump
administration’s
immigration
crackdown
in
Illinois”: Mitch
Smith
of
The
New
York
Times
has this
report.

“Trump’s
Texas
Gerrymander
Backfire:
A
GOP
plan
to
flip
five
House
seats
loses
in
court;
Now
Democrats
could
come
out
ahead
in
redistricting
nationwide.” This
editorial will
appear
in
Friday’s
edition
of
The
Wall
Street
Journal.

“Judge
Boasberg
to
resume
contempt
proceedings
over
Alien
Enemies
Act
deportations;
Boasberg
said
he
intends
to
receive
testimony
from
a
DOJ
attorney
who
was
fired
in
April
and
has
since
accused
his
superiors
of
flouting
court
orders
related
to
the
deportation
flights”: Kyle
Cheney
and
Josh
Gerstein
of
Politico
have this
report.

“Congratulations
To
The
2026
Bristow
Fellows:
Harvard
and
Stanford
Law
continue
to
excel
at
sending
their
graduates
into
these
prestigious
fellowships
at
the
Office
of
the
Solicitor
General.” David
Lat
has this
post at
his
“Original
Jurisdiction”
Substack
site.

One
of
the
keys
to
surviving
law
school
is
getting
really
good
at
time
management
skills.
If
you
can
squeeze
more
than
eating,
sleeping,
and
studying
into
your
schedule,
you’re
just
asking
for
a
reality
check.
In
an
extreme
example
of
a
law
student
having
too
much
damned
time
on
her
hands,
her
extracurricular
activities
have
her
facing
criminal
charges.

Remember:
the
first
rule
of
false
flagging
is
that
if
you
think
you’re
smart
enough
to
get
away
with
it,
you
probably
haven’t
been
studying
Crim
Law
hard
enough.

New
Jersey
Globe
has
coverage:

A
26-year-old
Ocean
City
woman
who
claimed
she
was
brutally
assaulted
because
she
worked
for
Rep.
Jeff
Van
Drew
(R-Ocean
City)
instead
orchestrated
the
entire
incident
—
paying
a
scarification
artist
to
wound
her
and
staging
the
scene
with
zip
ties
and
“Trump
Whore”
written
on
her
stomach
and
“Van
Drew
is
a
racist”
on
her
back,
federal
prosecutors
alleged
today.

Natalie
Greene,
a
Rutgers
law
student,
allegedly
concocted
the
hoax
in
July,
with
an
accomplice
making
a
late-night
911
call
to
report
that
she
had
been
ambushed
by
three
men
on
a
nature
trail
in
Egg
Harbor
Township. 
Police
officers
found
Greene
bound
with
black
zip
ties,
her
shirt
pulled
over
her
head,
and
the
political
slurs
scrawled
across
her
torso. 
She
told
police
that
her
supposed
attackers
had
a
gun
and
threatened
to
shoot
her,
and
struck
her
in
the
head.

Prosecutors
say
nearly
every
detail
was
fabricated.

Oh
look,
she
did
the
thing!

If
there
was
any
risk
that
she
was
actually
attacked,
I’d
avoid
posting
the
photos
but
I
think
that
it’s
fair
game
to
see
the
lengths
she
was
willing
to
go
to
now
that
there’s
strong
evidence
that
she
was
just
LARPing:

Natalie
Greene,
a
Rutgers
law
student
who
had
worked
for
Republican
New
Jersey
congressman
Jeff
van
Drew,
has
been
federally
charged
in
New
Jersey
for
allegedly
orchestrating
an
elaborate
hoax
where
she
was
cut
up,
hog-tied
and
had
“Trump
whore”
written
on
her.

Greene
allegedly…

pic.twitter.com/em67weo43B

—
Andy
Ngo
(@MrAndyNgo)

November
20,
2025

Investigators
should
have
realized
something
was
off
once
they
noticed
that
the
attacker’s
wounds
looked
like
they
were
made
by
a
cat
with
a
strong
fascination
with
symmetrical
lines.
I
mean
really,
an
extended
knife
attack
with

no
stab
wounds
or
deep
gashes?
The
only
way
something
like
this
would
happen
without
being
staged
is
if
you
pissed
off
a
pit
master
who
just
got
finished
prepping
his
pulled
pork.

Wait,
I
probably
shouldn’t
be
giving
people
any

bear
claw
fraud
ideas.

After
the
investigation
started,
they
found
extra
matching
zip
ties
in
the
“victim’s”
car,
along
with
video
footage
of
her
going
to
buy
zip
ties
from
a
dollar
store.
It
also
didn’t
help
that
her
stories
didn’t
match
up
with
her
co-conspirator.
You’d
think
a
law
student
and
her
accomplice
would
be
better
about
memorizing
the
details
of
a
fact
pattern
before
the
big
cold
call.

Greene
was
charged
with
one
count
of
conspiracy
to
convey
false
statements
and
hoaxes
and
one
count
of
making
false
statements
to
federal
law
enforcement.
And
while
I’m
no
doctor,
I
hope
that
she
gets
whatever
mental
health
issues
addressed
that
made
her
think
doing
this
was
a
good
idea
—
there
have
to
be
better
ways
of
explaining
away
a
regrettable
$500
body
modification
than
going
full
Jussie
Smollett.

Ex-Van
Drew
Staffer
Staged
Fake
Attack,
Writing
‘Trump
Whore’
Across
Her
Stomach
And
Alleging
Men
Held
Her
Down
And
Cut
Her
Body
[New
Jersey
Globe]

---

Chris
Williams
became
a
social
media
manager
and
assistant
editor
for
Above
the
Law
in
June
2021.
Prior
to
joining
the
staff,
he
moonlighted
as
a
minor
Memelord™
in
the
Facebook
group Law
School
Memes
for
Edgy
T14s
.
 He
endured
Missouri
long
enough
to
graduate
from
Washington
University
in
St.
Louis
School
of
Law.
He
is
a
former
boatbuilder
who
is
learning
to
swim, is
interested
in
critical
race
theory,
philosophy,
and
humor,
and
has
a
love
for
cycling
that
occasionally
annoys
his
peers.
You
can
reach
him
by
email
at [email protected]
and
by
tweet
at @WritesForRent.

White
&
Case
has
announced
it’s
matching
the
market
on
both
year-end
and
special
bonuses
for
its
US
associates
and
counsel.

The
firm
—
9th
on
the
Am
Law
100
with
over
$3.3
billion
in
gross
revenue
—
is
joining
the
market
consensus
and
handing
out
the
standard
Cravath-scale
year-end
bonuses
alongside
the
Milbank
summer
special
bonuses.
While
boutique
firms
remain

willing
to
blow
the
top
off
the
bonus
structure,
it’s
looking
like
the
biggest
firms
are
all
falling
into
line.

Is
there
any
hope
for
a
firm
to
buck
the
trend?
Time
will
tell.

Here’s
the
breakdown:

For
those
keeping
score
at
home,
that’s
a
combined
$140,000
for
the
most
senior
associates.
Not
too
shabby.

The
bonuses
will
be
paid
on
February
13,
2026
—
just
in
time
for
associates
to
make
that
big,
romantic
purchase
for
the
Valentine’s
Day
that
they’ll
miss
while
reviewing
and
revising
choice
of
law
clauses
all
weekend.

The
good
news
is
that
White
&
Case
associates
can
now
plan
accordingly.
The
bad
news
is
that
February
is
still
three
months
away,
which
is
an
eternity
in
Biglaw
billing
cycles.

Congratulations
to
everyone
at
White
&
Case.
May
your
billable
hours
be
high
and
your
bonus
eligibility
requirements
be
easily
met.

Remember
everyone,
we
depend
on
your
tips
to
stay
on
top
of
this
stuff.
So
when
your
firm
matches,
please
text
us
(646-820-8477)
or email
us (subject
line:
“[Firm
Name]
Matches”).
Please
include
the
memo
if
available.
You
can
take
a
photo
of
the
memo
and
send
it
via
text
or
email
if
you
don’t
want
to
forward
the
original
PDF
or
Word
file.

And
if
you’d
like
to
sign
up
for
ATL’s
Bonus
Alerts
(which
is
the
alert
list
we’ll
also
use
for
salary
announcements),
please
scroll
down
and
enter
your
email
address
in
the
box
below
this
post.
If
you
previously
signed
up
for
the
bonus
alerts,
you
don’t
need
to
do
anything.
You’ll
receive
an
email
notification
within
minutes
of
each
bonus
announcement
that
we
publish.

<em>You
can
see
the
full
memo
on
the
next
page.</em>

---

Joe
Patrice is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law
and
co-host
of

Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer.
Feel
free
to email
any
tips,
questions,
or
comments.
Follow
him
on Twitter or

Bluesky
if
you’re
interested
in
law,
politics,
and
a
healthy
dose
of
college
sports
news.
Joe
also
serves
as
a

Managing
Director
at
RPN
Executive
Search.