Salaries at the firm are not lock-step and are based on a merit system, with factors such as hours billed, quality of work, pro bono, business development, and overall contribution being considered in salary determinations.  The firm does not award lump-sum bonuses separate from salaries; it instead spaces out bonus amounts over the course of the year by incorporating them into associates' salaries.   Lateral Link Members differ in their take on the unusual compensation system, with some saying it allows for the "possibility of significantly above-market salaries," while others say it is a "black-box compensation system" and that there appears to be "no correlation to hours billed or quality of that year's review and the [salary] amount received."

The firm offers formal in-house and external training opportunities, as well as an Associate Development Program in which associates meet with practice group leaders to discuss career development.  Lateral Link Members say that while "there is a lot of [formal] training available," the bulk of training comes on the job and through informal mentoring.  Although Jones Day has a work assignment coordinator, Lateral Link Members report that "work is rarely assigned through this system" and associates get the bulk of their work through a free-market system.  Lateral Link Members praise the opportunity the firm provides for "excellent client contact early on."  Associates in their first year are unassigned and free to work in any practice group.  At the end of their first year, associates choose a practice group.   Lateral Link Members report that litigation is a "generalist department," although some associates do specialize, while corporate departments "appear very specialized."  According to Lateral Link Members, morale at the firm is "fairly low" due to "small raises" and "no bonuses after implementing them for the first time a year ago."

Jones Day expects associates to bill a minimum of 2,000 hours annually, which includes client billables and pro bono work.  Lateral Link Members report that the consequences of not reaching the billable minimum possibly include a reduction in class-year salary increase or a reduction in bonus amount.  One Lateral Link Member notes that while "there isn't a lot of pressure to work more than 2,000 [hours] in terms of consequences," there is a sense that "if you aren't above 2,100 [hours], you aren't really putting yourself in a good position" for partnership prospects.

While Lateral Link Members agree that the firm puts "very little" pressure on face time and that as long as work is getting done, "no one complains if you duck out early," they also note that "associates should not be leaving at 6:30 p.m. on a regular basis."  The firm provides four weeks of annual vacation.  Lateral Link Members report that they occasionally work on weekends or holidays. 

Lateral Link Members are not particularly impressed with the firm's pro bono efforts, with one member complaining the firm places "less focus on pro bono" than its peer firms.  Another member notes that while there are "some good programs available for people wanting to do pro bono work...most of the firm's encouragement to do so is just talk."   About 40% of associates perform some pro bono work each year.  The firm does not cap the number of pro bono hours that will be credited towards billables and salary/bonus consideration.

The firm has one partnership track, averaging nine-and-a-half years to eligibility for partner.  While Lateral Link Members agree that partnership is an attainable goal "if you put in the time," they also say the partnership track is "too long, with limited feedback on your odds of making it."

Benefits at the firm include on-site cafeterias in the firm's New York, Washington, DC, and Atlanta offices; annual firm-wide retreats; regular social gatherings; dinner and car service if working late at night; down payment assistance; and backup childcare.  In addition, entry-level associates receive payment of Bar Review and Exam Fees and a $10,000 stipend to cover living costs during the Exam.

All 14 Jones Day domestic offices have summer associate programs, and summer associate positions are also available in locations outside the U.S. In 2008, 16 J.D. students spent all or part of the summer with a Jones Day office in Asia or Europe. Summer associates are assigned work by an attorney coordinator based on their individual interest, and there is no required practice group rotation. Summer associates are expected to complete about 15 assignments over the course of the summer in various practice areas. While the firm holds weekly training sessions for summer associates, some Lateral Link Members feel that there is "not enough training or oversight" and that summer associates are exposed to a "sink or swim" environment. Jones Day does not provide summer associates with BlackBerrys. Lateral Link Members in the summer program report they typically leave the office by 6:00 p.m. and are not generally expected to work on weekends. However, one New York summer associate warns that the hours in that office can be "ridiculous" and that most summers "work every evening." Jones Day has not reduced the length of their 2009 summer program, which remains 10 to 12 weeks long, depending on office. New 2009 associates are still scheduled to begin in fall 2009. The number of attorney lunches summers can attend varies by office, as does the number of after-work social events held, with some offices hosting events several times a week and others scheduling activities every other week. Social events include baseball games, wine-tastings, and charity functions, as well as a summer associate retreat in Los Angeles that includes social and team-building events. Nine first-year associates from Columbia will be starting in fall 2009, more than from any other law school.