Pay rise for law grads

Western Australian law graduates are being offered salaries to rival those of their counterparts in resource-related fields, with a number of top-tier firms significantly increasing their salaries for articled clerks next year.

Blake Dawson Waldron will take on 10 clerks in 2008 on a salary of $63,000. This is a big increase on the $50,000 that the firm intended to pay earlier in the year, according to BDW learning and career consultant, Charissa Maxwell.

“[Our offer] was initially much lower than that. We reviewed it in light of market changes we were made aware of,” she said.

Ms Maxwell said articled clerk salaries usually increased by about $2,000 with each intake.

Freehills, which WA Business News understands is also paying at the top end of the market, said in a statement that its salary was indicative of the market rate and its clerk intake reflected WA’s boom economy.

Corrs Chambers Westgarth will take on seven clerks next year, up from four this year. The firm has not set its salary level for articled clerks as yet, preferring to wait until closer to commencement.

Bill Keane, recruitment partner for the Perth office, said graduates were looking beyond salary to other benefits, such as opportunities for international experience.

He said he was aware of increases in the market rate for salary. “We have heard anecdotal information about that, but we’re likely to be a bit more disciplined about it.”

Clayton Utz will similarly hold off on setting a salary for the 16 articled clerks joining the firm next year, pending the release of national market information later this month.

The firm’s human resources advisor, Natalie Coxon, said clerks were offered a minimum salary of between $50,000 and $60,000, with a commitment that the final figure will be set according to market rate.

M&A firm Franklyn Legal has offered salaries of nearly $70,000 to its two articled clerks commencing in 2008. The firm employed its first clerk this year.

Partner Russell Philip said the firm had received more than 100 applications. “The market is competitive and we wanted to make sure we paid accordingly.”