First-year associate hiring is increasing at the biggest law firms across the country, NALP has reported, but the trend has yet to manifest itself at many of New Jersey’s largest firms and branches.

The June 19 report said that firms with 500 or more attorneys accounted for 20.6 percent of firm jobs taken by law school class of 2013 graduates—compared with 19.1 percent for 2012 grads and 16.2 percent for 2011 grads.