Robert Half Legal Releases 2008 Salary Guide: Starting Salaries for Attorneys and Other Legal Professionals Projected to Increase

    MENLO PARK, Calif., Oct. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Average starting salaries
 for legal professionals in the United States are projected to rise 4.2
 percent, according to the just-released Robert Half Legal 2008 Salary
 Guide. The largest increases in base compensation are expected for first
 year associates and attorneys with one to three years of experience at
 large law firms.
     Robert Half Legal is a leading staffing service specializing in the
 placement of attorneys, paralegals and other highly skilled legal
 professionals. The company's annual Salary Guide is based on extensive
 research, as well as local and national employment data gathered from
 Robert Half Legal offices throughout the United States. Robert Half Legal
 offers online job search services at http://www.roberthalflegal.com.
     "Across the United States, hiring activity has increased as many law
 firms continue to build up practice areas and corporate legal departments
 address growing workloads and regulatory compliance issues," said Charles
 Volkert, executive director for Robert Half Legal.
     "The need for professionals with specialized expertise, coupled with a
 declining supply of law school graduates, has created a competitive hiring
 environment. As a result, many law offices are willing to pay higher
 salaries for in-demand skill sets," Volkert said. "Job seekers will see the
 greatest gains in compensation at large law firms, many of which are
 intensifying their recruiting and retention efforts."
     Positions in Demand
     According to Robert Half Legal research, average starting salaries for
 attorneys are expected to rise 5.4 percent in 2008. First year associates
 at large law firms (75+ attorneys) will see the greatest gain in
 compensation. Average base compensation for this role is expected to rise
 9.1 percent, to the range of $111,750 to $137,000 annually. Licensed
 attorneys with one to three years of experience at large law firms will
 earn between $114,000 and $147,500 per year, an 8.2 percent increase over
 2007 projections. Senior attorneys with 10 or more years of experience at
 large firms will see starting salaries rise 7.9 percent, to the range of
 $167,500 to $234,000 annually.
     Paralegals can expect average starting salaries to rise 3.4 percent in
 2008. The base compensation of midlevel paralegals with four to six years
 of experience at large law firms is expected to increase 4.4 percent, to
 between $48,000 and $64,500 annually. Senior executive legal secretaries
 with 12 or more years of experience at large firms will see starting
 salaries in the range of $55,750 to $69,500, a 6.1 percent increase over
 2007 levels.
     Average starting salaries for legal administrators and office managers
 in large law firms are expected to increase 4.2 percent, to the range of
 $84,750 to $130,500.
     Corporate Attorneys
     In-house attorneys will see average gains of 3.8 percent over 2007
 levels. First year associates can expect annual base compensation to rise
 4.9 percent to between $63,750 and $91,000. Average starting salaries for
 licensed attorneys with 10 or more years of experience will rise 4.1
 percent, to the range of $126,000 to $210,750 annually.
     Other key findings from the Robert Half Legal 2008 Salary Guide include:
 
     --  Automated litigation support managers will see average starting
         salaries increase 5.7 percent, to the range of $52,500 to $85,750 per
         year.
     --  Salaries for librarians are projected to rise 5.6 percent, to between
         $43,000 and $69,500.
     --  Compensation for contract administrators with four or more years of
         experience is anticipated to increase 5.3 percent, with starting
         salaries averaging $55,500 to $88,250.
     --  In-house midlevel paralegals with four to six years of experience will
         see average base compensation increase 5.1 percent, to the range of
         $47,000 to $61,500.
     --  In corporate legal departments, starting salaries for senior executive
         legal secretaries with seven or more years of experience are projected
         to rise 5.1 percent, to between $48,250 and $64,250.
     About the Robert Half Legal Salary Guide
     Information in the Robert Half Legal 2008 Salary Guide is derived from
 the thousands of job orders and placements handled nationwide by account
 executives with Robert Half Legal. Continuing or ongoing salaries are not
 reported as many factors -- such as seniority, performance, work ethic and
 training, among others -- impact the compensation of full-time legal
 professionals as employment histories develop.
     The Robert Half Legal 2008 Salary Guide is used extensively by law
 firms and corporate legal departments nationwide to determine appropriate
 compensation levels for employees. In addition, government agencies and
 educational institutions rely on the guide for current data on salaries and
 trends in the legal field. The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor
 Statistics references the Robert Half Legal Salary Guide in preparing its
 best-selling Occupational Outlook Handbook.
     EDITOR'S NOTE: Your readers can order a free copy of the Robert Half
 Legal 2008 Salary Guide by visiting http://www.roberthalflegal.com or
 calling 1-800-870-8367. Media requests should be directed to Lisa Hamilton
 at (650) 234-6234.
     Visit Robert Half Legal's Press Room for additional press releases and
 survey findings at http://www.roberthalflegal.com/PressRoom.
 
 

SOURCE Robert Half Legal