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IP Hiring and Salary Gossip
First Year Salaries at Skadden Arps
While associates IP salaries around the country are comparable, there can be some regional differences depending on local cost of living and demand for lawyers. Skadden Arps, one of the country’s leading law firms, posts on its Web pages hiring information for associates at its offices around the country. Here is a table of first year associates salaries.
| City Office | Salary (2025) |
|---|---|
| Boston | $225,000 |
| Chicago | $225,000 |
First Year Salaries in Silicon Valley
A Bay Area legal newspaper, The Recorder, publishes associates salaries in law firms in the Bay Area. Here is a brief summary of their recent findings.
| Law Firm | Salary (2025) | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Cooley Godward | $225,000 | 1900 |
| DLA PIPER | $225,000 | 2000 |
| Fenwick & West | $215,000/225 | 1800/1950 |