Here we go again.  In early June, Cravath, Swaine & Moore announced that it was increasing starting salaries for associates from $160,000 to $180,000, the first material hike in almost a decade.  (The last time law firms made significant changes to the associate compensation scale was in 2007, and before that it was 1999.) Predictably, Cravath’s move triggered similar raises with firms announcing matching compensation scales. As the legal market continues to evolve, the consequences of the pay increases remain unsettled, including their impact on minimum billable hour requirements. Whatever actions law firms take, it is critically important that they

Traditionally, economic theory has treated people as wholly rational actors – when presented with a choice, we choose the utility-maximizing option, regardless of what the default or status quo might be. Recent social science research has shown that real people don’t always act so rationally; we are influenced by social pressures. One of the most powerful norms that drive behavior are default rules. As Cass Sunstein describes them, defaults are invisible “nudges.” They don’t force us to choose one way or another, but they can make us lean in a particular direction. The impact that defaults can have on individual decision-making

More than 50 firms have already become Law Firm Pro Bono Project Members for 2016-2017. These firms have publicly demonstrated their leadership and commitment to pro bono service, and we are grateful for their support. Submit your enrollment form before September 1 to receive a 10 percent discount. As a Member Firm, you have free access to the Law Firm Project’s Resource Clearinghouse, which is a one-stop destination for publications, best practices, model policies, and other materials related to law firm pro bono. Member Firms can also download items from the Members-only section of the Resource Clearinghouse. The growing catalog

PBI’s Law Firm Pro Bono Project recently released its annual Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge® Report, which examines the pro bono activities of Challenge Signatories. We’ve previously written about attorney pro bono participation and pro bono time devoted to those of limited means. Another notable highlight from 2015 was the increase in charitable giving to legal services organizations. The average firm donation last year was $460,660, which represents a 27.2 percent increase over the average firm donation in 2014, which was $362,217. We applaud those firms and attorneys who not only gave their time but also contributed their dollars to local