US law, after graduation
The first-year BigLaw associate: pay, hours and how the year works
You took the offer at the end of your 2L summer. This guide covers what comes next: the bar exam, the first weeks of training, how work reaches you, the hours firms expect and what the first year pays.
Overview
What this path is, and why it matters
A first-year associate is a new lawyer in the first year at a firm. Most start in the fall after graduation, once the July bar exam is behind them: for the class of 2027, the New York bar runs on Jul 27 and 28, 2027, and Wachtell runs a week-long orientation for the new associates who start in the fall. Most arrive through the firm's own summer program. For 2L programs in summer 2025, 97% of summer associates got a full-time offer.
Skadden expects to pay first-year associates a starting base of $225,000. That figure is the most common one, not the median: NALP's 2025 survey found it at 32% of offices and 45% of offices in firms of more than 700 lawyers, with a median of $200,000 across all firms as of Jan 1, 2025. In June 2026, Milbank raised first-year pay to $235,000 from Jul 1, 2026, and several firms matched.
How work reaches you depends on the firm. Latham leaves first-years unassigned for the first year and Sullivan & Cromwell for two. Kirkland uses an open assignment system. Corporate associates at Davis Polk, Simpson Thacher and Paul, Weiss rotate through groups before they settle, and Skadden's new associates join their practice areas once its training program ends.
The cycle
The full recruiting timeline
Most firms assess on a rolling basis and fill places before the stated deadline. Apply early. Verify exact dates on each firm's site.
- 01
Return offer
End of the 2L summerFor 2L programs in summer 2025, 97% of summer associates got an offer to return, and 89.4% of those offers were accepted.
- 02
Bar exam application
Mar 1 to 31, 2027 (July 2027 bar)New York takes applications for the July 2027 exam from Mar 1 to 31, 2027. Other states set their own windows.
- 03
Bar exam
Jul 27 and 28, 2027New York holds its bar exam on the last Tuesday and Wednesday of February and July. For the class of 2027, that is Jul 27 and 28, 2027.
- 04
Start and training
Fall 2027 (class of 2027)Wachtell's fall starters do a week-long orientation and training program. Skadden's new associates usually go to a retreat in New York and take its ACE skills program. Latham enrolls associates in Latham & Watkins University within two months of joining, and Davis Polk brings all first-years to New York for Lawyering 101.
- 05
First year-end bonus
Nov to Dec (each year)In 2025, firms on the market scale paid the class of 2024 a year-end bonus of $20,000 plus $6,000, and the class of 2025, who had just started, prorated amounts. Skadden, Davis Polk, Paul, Weiss and Cleary matched on Nov 21, 2025, Simpson Thacher on Nov 24 and Sullivan & Cromwell on Dec 10.
The process
The selection stages, explained
Orientation and training
Every firm starts with formal training: a week-long orientation at Wachtell, a New York retreat and the ACE program at Skadden, Latham & Watkins University at Latham, and weeklong workshops at Davis Polk that include Lawyering 101.
Getting staffed
At Kirkland, new associates get their first assignments with help from a dedicated team, then find work through relationships under the open assignment system. Sullivan & Cromwell and Latham use central staffing that takes account of your stated interests.
Choosing a group
Latham associates are unassigned in year one, join a general department in year two and pick a specific practice by year three. Sullivan & Cromwell juniors are unassigned for two years, as the firm trains its lawyers as generalists within broad practice areas. Corporate associates at Simpson Thacher pick two groups and spend six months in each; at Paul, Weiss they rotate twice in the first year and specialize in the second; at Davis Polk they usually do two six-month rotations.
Mentors
Wachtell gives each new associate an associate mentor, a partner mentor and a class dean. Skadden pairs new associates with two mentors for their first three years, and Simpson Thacher gives an associate and a partner mentor for each rotation. At Sullivan & Cromwell you choose your own partner mentors after six to nine months in litigation, or two years in general practice.
Hours
Targets vary. Skadden sets 1,800 billable hours with unlimited pro bono counted, Latham 1,900, and Cleary a 1,800-hour client minimum inside an all-in target of 1,950 to 2,150. Sullivan & Cromwell, Davis Polk, Simpson Thacher and Kirkland have no billable hour requirement.
The bar
What this path demands
Passing the bar
Your first months overlap with bar results. Apply in the March window and sit the July exam: Jul 27 and 28, 2027 in New York.
Finding your own work
Under open assignment, and once an unassigned period ends, work follows relationships. At Sullivan & Cromwell the best way to get work after the unassigned years is to ask people you work well with.
Patience with detail work
Due diligence is a large part of what new corporate associates do at Davis Polk, and Latham juniors start on smaller tasks such as reviewing ancillary documents before drafting.
Stamina
Davis Polk juniors put a normal week at around 60 hours. Cleary associates bill 40 to 50 hours a week on average, with late nights in busy periods.
The money
What this path pays
Base pay at the large New York firms is lockstep: everyone in a class year earns the same. These are the published figures, with dates.
| Level | Pay | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| First-year base, most top firms | $225,000 | Skadden's expected starting base, and the annual rate Paul, Weiss uses for summer pay. NALP's 2025 survey found $225,000 at 45% of offices in firms of more than 700 lawyers. |
| First-year base, Milbank scale | $235,000 | Milbank's raise took effect on Jul 1, 2026, with the most senior associates at up to $455,000. McDermott Will & Schulte and Quinn Emanuel were among the firms that followed. |
| Median first-year, all firms | $200,000 | NALP, as of Jan 1, 2025. The median was $215,000 at firms of more than 700 lawyers. |
| Year-end bonus, 2025 | $20,000 + $6,000 | Paid to the class of 2024 at firms on the market scale. The class of 2025 got prorated amounts. |
Indicative ranges for orientation, not an offer. Pay varies by firm, group, location and year.
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The reality
Hours, culture and the honest experience
The first year is mostly support work. At Davis Polk, due diligence on M&A deals is a large part of a new associate's week, and responsibility grows to drafting and client calls as trust builds. At Latham, juniors start on smaller matters and move up to fee letters and issues lists once they have shown they are reliable.
The hours are long and uneven. Davis Polk juniors describe about 60 hours a week as the norm, and Cleary associates average 40 to 50 billed hours a week, with late nights when deals are busy.
Bonuses do not always hang on hitting a number. At Cleary the market bonus is not tied to the billable target as long as you are in good standing, and Davis Polk pays the bonus to everyone who works full time.
Where it leads
Exit options
A practice of your own
Most first-years settle into a practice in year two or three: a general department in year two and a specific practice by year three at Latham, one corporate group in year two at Paul, Weiss.
Partnership
Kirkland associates describe a defined six-year path to income partnership.
Clerkships and in-house roles
Kirkland has an alumni network and career support for associates who leave to clerk or move in-house.
How to get in
The moves that win offers
Practical steps for this path, built from the firms' own pages and law school career offices.
Convert the 2L summer
Nearly every first-year associate job starts as a summer associate offer: 97% of 2L summer associates got one in summer 2025. Our summer associate guide covers that step.
Apply for the bar on time
For New York, the July 2027 exam takes applications from Mar 1 to 31, 2027. Missing the window pushes you to February.
Use the unassigned time
Latham associates advise juniors to try specialist areas they did not know about while they are still unassigned.
Ask for the work you want
Kirkland's open assignment system lets you reach out to partners and senior associates for work, and Sullivan & Cromwell juniors get most work by asking people they work well with once the unassigned period ends.
Choose mentors on purpose
Where the firm lets you pick, as Sullivan & Cromwell does after six to nine months in litigation or two years in general practice, choose partners whose work you want to do.
What costs candidates offers
Common mistakes to avoid
- 1
Assuming one pay number
The NALP median was $200,000 as of Jan 1, 2025, $225,000 is the most common figure at large firms, and Milbank moved to $235,000 in July 2026. Check what your own firm pays.
- 2
Not reading the hours policy
What counts differs: Skadden counts unlimited pro bono toward its 1,800 hours, while Cleary sets a client minimum inside a larger all-in target.
- 3
Picking a lane too early
Unassigned years exist so you can try areas before you commit. Use them.
- 4
Waiting to be staffed
Under open assignment and after unassigned periods, work follows relationships. Reach out.
The firms
Firms hiring on this path
Each links to a dedicated firm guide: the application process, the interview stages, salary and what they look for.
Firms marked Pack ready have afull Intervyo prep Pack: firm-specific online test practice, live AI mock interviews, resume review and process intelligence.
How first-years get hired: the summer program, firm by firm
The associate job starts with the summer associate application. Each guide covers dates, documents and a resume check.
Prep for it
The Intervyo tools that matter most here
The prep features most relevant to this path. Each is free to try.
FAQ
Law First-Year Associate questions, answered
How much does a first-year BigLaw associate make?
Skadden expects a starting base of $225,000, the most common figure at large firms in NALP's 2025 survey. Milbank moved first-years to $235,000 from Jul 1, 2026. The NALP median across all firms was $200,000 as of Jan 1, 2025.
When do first-year associates start?
Usually in the fall after graduation, once the July bar exam is done. For the class of 2027, the New York bar is on Jul 27 and 28, 2027, and Wachtell runs its orientation for fall starters.
What is the billable hour requirement for first-years?
It depends on the firm. Skadden sets 1,800 hours, Latham 1,900 and Cleary a 1,800-hour client minimum within an all-in target of 1,950 to 2,150. Sullivan & Cromwell, Davis Polk, Simpson Thacher and Kirkland have no requirement.
Do first-year associates choose a practice group?
Not always straight away. Latham associates are unassigned in year one and Sullivan & Cromwell juniors for two years. Corporate associates at Simpson Thacher and Paul, Weiss rotate first. Skadden's new associates join their practice areas after its training program.
What year-end bonus do first-year associates get?
In 2025, firms on the market scale paid the class of 2024 $20,000 plus $6,000 and gave the class of 2025, who started that fall, prorated amounts.
How do first-year associates get work?
Through central staffing at firms like Sullivan & Cromwell and Latham, which takes account of your interests, or through relationships under Kirkland's open assignment system.
Keep exploring
Related guides and sectors
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Sources
Firm pages first, then dated reports. Last checked Nov 5, 2026.
- 1Skadden: United States: Law Students and Graduates
- 2Paul, Weiss: 2L Summer Program
- 3Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz: Associates
- 4Kirkland & Ellis: Open Assignment System
- 5Sullivan & Cromwell: Careers in New York
- 6NALP: Despite Expectations, $225,000 Entry Associate Salaries Lag at Large Law Firms (May 2025) · press
- 7Above the Law: ALERT: Milbank Does It Again, Associate Salaries Are Going Up (Jun 2026) · press
- 8ABA Journal: Firms take associate salaries higher despite looming AI threats (Jun 2026) · press
- 9Above the Law: Associate Compensation Scorecard: Biglaw's 2025 Bonus Blitz (Nov 2025) · press
- 10Chambers Associate: Sullivan & Cromwell firm profile · prep site
- 11Chambers Associate: Latham & Watkins firm profile · prep site
- 12Chambers Associate: Davis Polk & Wardwell firm profile · prep site
- 13Chambers Associate: Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom firm profile · prep site
- 14Chambers Associate: Simpson Thacher & Bartlett firm profile · prep site
- 15Chambers Associate: Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton firm profile · prep site
- 16Chambers Associate: Kirkland & Ellis firm profile · prep site
- 17Chambers Associate: Paul, Weiss firm profile · prep site
- 18New York State Board of Law Examiners: Bar exam dates and application filing periods · press
- 19NALP: Law Student Recruiting Moves Earlier as Employer-Sponsored Hiring Expands, New Report Finds (Jan 2026) · press