Question re: articling and class year in big law

[RagingBull]

Hi folks, trying to wrap my head around BL salaries and determinations of seniority.

Considering that articling begins in September/October and lasts for eight/ten months, how is class year determined?

 

For example, assume one begins articling in Sept and is licensed the following year in June/whenever you become fully licensed as a lawyer. My understanding is that they then become paid as a first-year associate, paid at $130k/yr (in Toronto at least).

However, considering that articling has eaten into a good chunk of the year, I'm confused as to whether this means you will be paid the first year salary for the next 12 months, or only up until next January, when you are 'promoted' to a second-year associate.

Is it:

1. Class year 'promotions' occur in January (calendar year), or
2. Class year 'promotions' occur in in June/whenever you become fully licensed as a lawyer

Thanks in advance.

[BlockedQuebecois]

In Toronto big law, class year promotions occur in January with the first promotion in the January two years after your year of call (so approximately 16 months into practice). 

When promotions occur is market specific, though. Most of the markets out west have the first promotion in the year after your year of call. 

It’s also important to note that there is usually a delay between finishing articles and starting as an associate, with associates traditionally starting in or around September. 

[Rashabon]

Yes, roughly January-February will be when your salary is bumped to your next class. The other way to think of things is to track how many years of lawyers are beneath you. As a first year associate, you don't have a year beneath you until the September after you're called, at which point you can start to consider yourself a second year associate (though you aren't yet paid like one).

[lawfacade123]

On 12/26/2021 at 6:02 PM, BlockedQuebecois said:

Most of the markets out west have the first promotion in the year after your year of call. 

To clarify, for the Vancouver big law market, does this mean that if you are called in summer 2020 that you would receive first year associate salary from summer 2020 until Jan/Feb 2021 and then you would be bumped to second year salary?