For Susman Godfrey, 2026 has been anything but business as usual. The elite litigation firm spent much of the last year battling the Trump administration in court over an executive order targeting the firm, further cementing its reputation as one of the legal profession’s most outspoken defenders of the rule of law. Now, apparently not content with making headlines in the courtroom, Susman is making waves on the compensation front as well. Long known for handing out eye-popping bonuses, the firm has become one of the first to push associate salaries beyond the new market scale set by Milbank just last week.
As reflected on the careers section of the firm’s website, Susman is raising associate salaries above the new Milbank scale. Take a look at the firm’s updated salary grid below.
Grad/Comp YearSalary2025240,0002024250,0002023275,0002022325,0002021395,0002020420,0002019450,000
Susman is paying above market across the board, with associates earning between $5,000 and $10,000 more than their peers at firms following the Milbank scale. At a time when most Biglaw firms are still deciding whether to match the new market rate, Susman has already moved past it. Couple these salaries with the firm’s enormous year-end bonuses, and you’ve got a compensation package that helps explain why Susman never seems to have trouble attracting top talent.
Congratulations to everyone at Susman!
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Staci Zaretsky is the managing editor of Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.
