When it comes to budgeting for a fresh crop of first-year associates, it’s not all about paying for rising salaries and expanding benefits. Law firms are dedicating big money and devoting ongoing resources to training and development for their young lawyers, even when the lawyers are less likely to stick around than they used to be.
Firms are spending an average of $12,000 recruiting and training each first-year associate they hire, while larger firms spend $62,000 on average, according to a recent survey by the legal staffing agency Robert Half Legal that focused on expectations for new associate hiring.
