Get ready for a summer of Biglaw raises! Milbank, our beloved Thrillbank, the firm that has done more to move Biglaw salaries upward than any other, has announced yet another round of associate compensation increases.
That’s right, folks. Milbank has once again done the Lord’s work and announced another round of associate salary increases. Raises range from $10,000 to $20,000 depending on class year, with the more senior associates landing the bigger bumps. And because Milbank has a generous heart, summer associates are also getting a piece of the pie. The new scale is effective July 1, 2026.
Peep the new scale below.
For those keeping score at home (and you know we are) this is very much on brand for a firm that has essentially made leading the Biglaw compensation wars its second job. Milbank kicked off the modern salary era back in 2016, then did it again in 2018, again in 2021, again in January 2022, and yet again at the end of 2023. At this point, Milbank announcing salary increases is as reliable as death, taxes, and law firm press releases touting “record-breaking” financials.
The $10K-to-$20K range follows the familiar Milbank playbook: junior associates get the floor bump, while mid-levels and seniors see the bigger $20K jump. It’s a structure we’ve seen before, most notably in January 2022 when the firm “boosted the salary scale across the board with $10K raises for the four most junior classes and $20K raises for the mid-levels and seniors.” Some things are classics for a reason.
Now, the question on everyone’s mind: who matches first? We’ve seen this movie before. Cadwalader moved within hours of Milbank’s 2022 announcement. Cravath came in over the top after the 2023 raise. The dominoes always fall. The only real question is the order.
So, Biglaw associates everywhere: your refresh finger is going to get a workout this week. And to our tipsters — you are the lifeblood of this operation. When your firm matches, you know what to do: text us at 646-820-8477 or email us with the subject line “[Firm Name] Matches.” Memo preferred, but a photo works just fine.
Congrats to Milbank associates, and… probably a whole lot of associates at other firms real soon.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Bluesky @Kathryn1
