A university was kind enough to send me an invitation, via Twitter, to a ‘Clerkship Networking Evening’, promoted as providing “an invaluable opportunity … to allow students to ascertain which firms they will target … Similarly, it allows the representatives from each firm to identify potential employees and interact with candidates in … free-flowing discussion.”
I thought I would test just how freely the discussion would flow when I, posing as a cocky young law student, approached the law firms with one question in mind: “So, who pays the most?”
The woman from HR was confused.
“As in, which clients pay the most?”
“Who cares about clients – I’m talking about me! Who do I see to get the most money?”
“Well, the partners are generally the ones who get paid the most.”
“No, no, no, you’re not getting it. I want to make money before I make partner. Which firm has the most lucrative clerkships?”
“Oh. I see.”
I waited for a response.
“So?”
“I really don’t know,” she said. “Perhaps talk to someone from the top tier.”
I did, and button-holed a graduate lawyer.
“I’m not sure who pays the most to their grads,” he said. “I think there’s a range of about $60,000 to $75,000.”
“Don’t you compare salaries with your friends?”
“It’s impolite to ask.”
“What are you getting paid?”
“In the range of $60,000 to $75,000.”
I tried another large firm, and another HR manager.
“I don’t know who pays the most.”
“Oh, come on,” I said. “But you’re in HR. You HR people must talk to each other. You must have some idea.”
“All the top-tier firms give our salary details to Mercer. They aggregate the data and tell each of the firms which percentile they’re in.”
“And which percentile is your firm in?”
“I don’t know. I’m in recruitment, not remuneration.”
“Oh, all right then, tell me about your firm culture …”
After withstanding a soulless set-piece about extended hours in the form of regular sporting and social events, I returned to the fray. I think the word had begun to spread that I might not be quite the ideal candidate for every firm.
“No, not him,” I overheard someone whisper to a colleague, as I extended a hand to their turning backs.
Then, I struck on a HR manager who bit hard at my question.
“Why is it all about money?” she said.
“Why do you have billing targets?”
Silence. We studied each other. In another dimension, she slapped me in the face.
“Is money important to you?”
“Isn’t it important to you?”
“That’s not the issue.”
“In my experience, money’s always an issue.”
“And you think you’re going to have a career in law, do you?”
“Yes, I would think so,” I said helping myself to her firm’s brochures as she glared at me with poisonous eyes, “did you have any more questions to ask me?”
She just stood with crossed arms.
“Well, thanks for everything,” I said. “I’ll be in touch to let you know my decision.”
I extracted an unwilling handshake, turned, and, with the heat of her hate-filled glare on my back, strode to what would be my last firm of the night.
“So, who pays the most?”
“We do,” said the young lawyer.
“What? You’re the first person to have said that!”
“That’s because I’m the only one who can say it,” he said. “I asked the same question at my interview and was told that our firm tries to pay top salaries.”
I surveyed the room strewn with empty beer bottles and HR managers under fluorescent lights. The glarer was still at it – perhaps aware I had fulfilled my mission. I swapped cards with the lawyer and told him a few truths of my own. He promised to look out for my report in the Journal.
And I am pleased to announce the firm that chose, on that evening, to lay claim to the mantle of having salaries at the toppest top end of the range: Gilbert + Tobin.