Base salary at the firm is a combination lock-step and merit system.  In July 2009, the firm announced that associate salaries would be cut by 10% in all offices. Bonuses vary within class years, and Lateral Link Members explain that all associates who bill 1,950 hours receive some additional compensation at the end of the year, while those who bill 2,050 hours receive an additional hours-based bonus.  Additionally, partners can nominate associates for non-hours-based discretionary bonuses.  While Lateral Link Members say the firm’s bonuses are “lackluster,” they acknowledge that the bonus structure is “straightforward,” and although associates may “get paid less in the long run,” they “know up front what to expect.” 

The firm offers a full spectrum of in-house and external training programs, as well as a formal mentoring program, which many Lateral Link Members report is “helpful,” although some say the effectiveness of associate development “varies wildly based on which partners the associate in question works with.”  The firm has a hybrid staffing system, and associates get work from an assigning partner in their practice group as well as directly through a free-market system.  Corporate associates at the firm are specialized, while litigators are generalists.  The firm has a strong track record of internal technology services; it was the only law firm named to the InformationWeek 500 list, a ranking of the nation's most innovative IT organizations.  The firm has also committed itself to furthering diversity by setting a goal of at least 20% minority hiring in each associate and summer associate class.  Although there have been no official layoffs at the firm, according to Lateral Link Members, there have been stealth layoffs and numerous partner departures throughout 2009, and a significant number of attorneys were let go in October 2009. 

Associates must bill a minimum of 1,850 billable hours plus 150 hours of investment time, although one Lateral Link Member reports that “with the economy struggling…the firm really expects us to reach 1,950.”  To be eligible for a bonus, associates must bill 1,850 hours.  Lateral Link Members say the most common consequences of not meeting the billable target is having it discussed during a review and not being raised to the next salary level. 

Although Lateral Link Members say the firm’s official message is that no face time is required, most try to be in office during standard working hours, particularly if they work for “certain partners [who] think that face time is very important.” The firm provides three weeks of annual vacation, which do not roll over.  According to Lateral Link Members, it is not common to work on holidays, but attorneys regularly work weekends, although usually from home. 

A maximum of 100 pro bono hours will be counted towards billables and bonus.  About 89% of associates do an average of 72 pro bono hours annually each.  Recently, the firm has focused its pro bono efforts on immigration and asylum law as well as civil and children's rights. 

The firm has one partnership track, averaging eight to ten years to eligibility.  Associates passed over for partner are generally reconsidered the following year.  Lateral Link Members are equally split between those who think partnership is an unattainable goal and those who think it is a realistic possibility with hard work.

Benefits at the firm include annual associate retreats, occasional social gatherings, and tickets to sporting events.  Associates receive their own office in their first year.  New associates receive relocation benefits, including up to a $5,000 reimbursement for moving expenses and reimbursement of expenses related to the bar exam and bar admission. 

Summer associates in Foley & Lardner's summer program work on an average of 15 assignments that they choose through an online database of available assignments.  In past years, the summer program was 12 weeks, but for 2010, it has been cut to 8 weeks.  Lateral Link Members say the assignments "are almost all real work assignments that are important to clients, whether pro bono or billable." In addition to the "intellectually challenging" work, Lateral Link Members in the summer program praise the firm's "extremely friendly" attorneys, who "will do whatever they can to help develop [summer associates'] legal skills." The firm does not provide summer associates with BlackBerrys, which Lateral Link Members say they are "glad" about. Members also report that summer associate hours are "extremely reasonable": Summer associates generally leave the office by 6:00 p.m., and it is uncommon to work weekends. The firm provides a $30 lunch budget for summer associates and does not limit the number of attorney lunches summer associates can attend; the firm also provides a $60 dinner budget for summer associates. Although some major events were cut in 2009 because of the economy-including the "FoleyFest" all-summer retreat-the firm still hosts weekly social events such as baseball games, surf lessons, and golf outings. After initially pushing back start dates for new associates to February 2010, Foley has announced further changes to start dates, with start dates for some first-year associates pushed up to December 2009, while start dates for others will be pushed back to September 2010.