First Year Legal Associates: What to Expect

Your first year in legal practice can be a whole new world, with both risk and opportunity. Here’s what that first year looks like, including some challenges and successes.

How Long it Takes to Get Hired

Of course there are no guarantees when it comes to securing a job after law school. But according to a recent report from the American Bar Association (ABA), the prospects are quite good. In 2021, 83% of law school grads found employment where passing the bar was a requirement or advantage. The jobs were secured within 10 months of graduating law school.

How Much You Make

Starting salaries for first year law firm associates vary widely, depending on the size of the firm and the area of the country. Let’s take two examples: the salary range for a first year lawyer in Los Angeles is $103,818 to $165,715. In Minneapolis, the salary ranges from $48,020 to $180,073.

What Type of Work You Perform

It’s common to hear the term “grunt work” to describe first-year associate duties. This is largely a research position, where you have to look into complex issues and write briefs for senior attorneys. You might have to summarize documents, including contracts, and identify key areas for revision or review. You might also participate in due diligence for pending contracts and mergers, and work on discovery for litigation.

Some Common Challenges

There are a few hurdles almost every first year legal associate faces. They are the kinds of challenges you are less likely to experience outside of the firm environment, and they can have a big impact on your career. 

Billable hours

Although you likely won’t lead any files in your first year, you will be required to bill a certain number of hours. It’s typical for firms to expect you to bill 1,500 to 2,000 hours over those 12 months. 

That might sound doable, but remember not all of your duties are billable. Your workload might also vary significantly over the year as senior partners have other priorities or go on vacation. You might have to be aggressive in asking for assignments, so you can make that billable hour target and be invited back as a second year associate.

Deadlines

Deadlines aren’t new to first year legal associates; deadlines were a constant presence throughout their academic careers. What is new is the serious impact of missing a deadline in legal practice. 

A missed court deadline can impact the rights of the client and open the lawyer up to a malpractice claim. Although a first year associate is unlikely to be the attorney of record for a court filing, they very likely have to prepare documents for the attorney who is. 

When someone gives you a deadline, it’s important to meet it. Extra tip: double check external deadlines you hear second hand from someone else. You don’t want to think you have 10 days to complete a brief based on another associate’s word, when the court needs it in five.

Ethics

Sometimes situations arise that make you uncomfortable, which can put you in a difficult situation as an associate. Remember to document what happened and to raise your concerns. If you want outside advice, consider contacting a confidential source at your local bar association.

Some Great Successes

On the flipside of those big first year hurdles are the opportunities for great success in your new role. If you build trust with partners, they can come back to you again with new work. When you spot potential problems, point them out with a proposed solution. Keep your humility intact and know your solution might be shot down, but you’ve shown your ability to strive for excellence in legal work.  

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