Susman Godfrey Pays Associates $5,000 to $10,000 Above Milbank Scale

Susman Godfrey is paying its associates $5,000 to $10,000 more than the new Biglaw market scale that Milbank set on June 2, 2026. The litigation boutique’s updated salary grid, posted to its careers page, places first-year associates at $240,000, $5,000 above the $235,000 floor that Milbank and roughly a dozen peer firms have already matched. Above the Law first reported the new grid in a June 11, 2026 write-up by managing editor Staci Zaretsky.

The raise is the second half of a pay story the firm is telling this year. In a separate announcement, Susman said it would hand out year-end bonuses ranging from $140,000 to $360,000, with median bonuses of $150,000 for first-year associates and $350,000 at the most-senior tier. The package lands in a summer when most Biglaw firms are still deciding whether to match Milbank’s reset, and a small handful of boutiques are pushing past it.

The Susman Salary Grid

The new Susman grid, reproduced below, runs from $240,000 for the class of 2025 to $450,000 for the class of 2019. Every rung is above the new Milbank scale, and the firm is the only entry on the Above the Law 2026 salary scorecard to clear the new line by exactly that margin.

• Class of 2025: $240,000
• Class of 2024: $250,000
• Class of 2023: $275,000
• Class of 2022: $325,000
• Class of 2021: $395,000
• Class of 2020: $420,000
• Class of 2019: $450,000

The firm posts the grid on its associate hiring and benefits page. Most firms on the scorecard attach a 2,000-hour minimum to the bonus. Susman lists none, a pattern it has used in past bonus cycles, and one that lifts the effective rate for any associate short of a billable target. The new grid was first reported by Above the Law managing editor Staci Zaretsky.

Milbank Set the New Floor on June 2

The reset Susman is now beating began on June 2, 2026, when Milbank set a new associate base scale. The new Milbank scale runs from $235,000 for the class of 2026/2025 to $455,000 for the class of 2018. McDermott Will & Schulte matched Milbank the same day, along with litigation boutique Hueston Hennigan.

Quinn Emanuel, Katten, and Groom Law Group matched within three days. By the time Susman’s grid appeared on the scorecard on June 9, 2026, eight firms had matched Milbank’s $235,000 first-year rate. The matches were nearly uniform, with first-years at $235,000 and most-senior associates at $455,000. The list of matches through June 11, 2026 spans both Am Law 100 firms and litigation-only boutiques.

Two boutique-style firms posted higher numbers in narrow class years. Desmarais listed $255,000 for the class of 2026, $20,000 above Milbank’s first-year rate. Kellogg Hansen posted $275,000 for first-year and $505,000 for seventh-year associates, putting the firm above the new line in two specific rungs.

Seward & Kissel matched Milbank exactly on June 9, 2026, the same day Susman posted its above-market grid. The pair of moves, a match and a beat, hit the scorecard within hours of each other. As of June 11, 2026, the running list spans both choices, with Am Law 100 firms and litigation-only boutiques appearing on both sides. The full list is being updated daily through the rest of the summer, per Above the Law’s scorecard page.

Bonuses That Triple the Top of the Market

The salary grid is only half of what Susman is putting on the table. In a separate announcement posted to its website, the firm said it would pay year-end bonuses ranging from $140,000 to $360,000, with the median topping $350,000 for the most-senior tier. That is more than triple the New York market scale at its highest rung.

We are in a truly extraordinary moment in the 40-plus year history of the firm, with our highest-ever revenue and a record number of cases tried over the last year and a half.

And the bonus pool is broader than the salary grid suggests. Susman said it would pay special bonuses, on top of its traditional year-end bonuses, to every one of its 270 employees, including 131 non-attorney staff. The firm also elected to partner all six members of its 2023 class, adding new equity partners in Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, and Houston. The bonuses and special payouts cover the firm’s full roster, from associates to support staff.

The full set of pay decisions is summarized below. The figures come from the firm’s bonus and salary announcement.

Susman 2026 Bonus Snapshot

• Top year-end bonus: $360,000
• First-year median bonus: $150,000
• Most-senior median bonus: $350,000
• Employees receiving a special bonus: 270
• Non-attorney staff receiving a special bonus: 131

The Courtroom Win That Set the Tone

The compensation story is playing out against a courtroom backdrop the firm is still working through. The Trump administration issued an executive order targeting Susman Godfrey, suspending security clearances held by the firm’s lawyers and restricting their access to federal buildings. Susman sued in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The lawsuit argued the order was unconstitutional retaliation for the firm’s representation of clients the administration opposed.

On June 27, 2025, U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan declared the executive order unconstitutional and permanently enjoined its enforcement. In a statement after the ruling, Susman called the decision “a resounding victory for the rule of law.” The permanent injunction in the executive order case is on Munger, Tolles & Olson’s site. The Susman ruling was the fourth successful constitutional challenge to firm-targeting executive orders, per a 2025 Law.com headline.

Where the Rest of the Scorecard Stands

For associates weighing a lateral move, the practical question is which of the matching firms will pay above the line, and which will hold at $235,000. The Above the Law scorecard, updated daily through the summer, is the live tracker. As of June 11, 2026, four firms have posted salaries above the Milbank scale in at least one class year: Susman (the full visible scale), Desmarais (the first-year rung), Kellogg Hansen (the first-year and seventh-year rungs), and AZA (which is paying $10,000 raises on top of $235,000 for first-through-fourth-years).

The other ten firms on the scorecard have matched Milbank exactly. They include McDermott Will & Schulte and Quinn Emanuel, two of the largest U.S. firms by headcount, alongside litigation boutiques Hueston Hennigan and Wilkinson Stekloff. The list of matches through June 11, 2026 spans both Am Law 100 firms and litigation-only boutiques. Most matches require a 2,000-hour minimum for the bonus, while a few attach no hours threshold.

But the question of whether peers follow Susman’s grid, or hold at the Milbank floor, will shape how the firm staffs up over the next associate hiring cycle. Above the Law is collecting tip lines for both salary and bonus memos through the rest of the summer. The pay decisions logged on the scorecard through June 11, 2026 include both exact Milbank matches and above-the-line beats. New entries are being added daily. The scorecard’s running list spans from above-the-line beats at Susman to exact Milbank matches at the largest U.S. firms.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Susman Godfrey pay first-year associates in 2026?

Susman pays first-year associates, the class of 2025, $240,000, $5,000 above the $235,000 Milbank market scale, per the firm’s careers page and Above the Law’s June 11, 2026 report.

What is the new Milbank associate salary scale for 2026?

Milbank’s June 2, 2026 scale runs from $235,000 for the class of 2026/2025 to $455,000 for the class of 2018. McDermott Will & Schulte and Hueston Hennigan matched the scale the same day, and the running scorecard lists eleven additional matches through June 10, 2026.

Did Susman Godfrey win its court fight against the Trump executive order?

Yes. On June 27, 2025, U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan declared the executive order unconstitutional and permanently enjoined its enforcement. Susman called the ruling “a resounding victory for the rule of law.” The permanent injunction is on Munger, Tolles & Olson’s site.

When did Susman Godfrey announce the new salary scale?

Above the Law first reported the new Susman grid on June 11, 2026. The grid appeared on the Above the Law scorecard on June 9, 2026, the same day Seward & Kissel matched Milbank exactly.

How much are Susman Godfrey bonuses in 2026?

Susman said it would pay year-end bonuses ranging from $140,000 to $360,000, with median bonuses of $150,000 for first-year associates and $350,000 for the most-senior tier. The firm is also paying special bonuses to all 270 employees, including 131 non-attorney staff.