High salaries mean longer hours, warns US law school dean

US law firms expect 'a lot more time and intensity' from newly qualified lawyers in return for salaries of $125,000 (89,000) plus benefits, a US law school dean has warned.

Ellen Wayne, dean of career services at New York's Columbia law school, told delegates at a session on recruitment that young lawyers are expected to bill even more hours in the wake of the salary war which swept the US last year, and has now hit City law firms.

She said training and pro bono had suffered because of the pay rises.

'A lot of firms have pushed training down to junior associates, destroying the bond between senior attorneys and new lawyers.'

Lawyers are now far more likely to consider a move soon after qualification, she said.

She cited figures showing it takes three-and-a-half years to recoup a $600,000 (428,000) investment in a newly qualified lawyer.

'We are seeing headhunters calling people at the six-month mark.

It has put incredible pressure on law firms.'

Anne Mizzi