Milbank resets the BigLaw salary scale: $235,000 for first-years, $455,000 for eighth-years, effective July 1

On June 2, 2026, Milbank raised associate base salaries by $10,000 for first-through-fourth-year associates and $20,000 for fifth-through-eighth-year associates, effective July 1. The new market scale runs from $235,000 (first year) to $455,000 (eighth year), with total compensation for eighth-year associates reaching approximately $595,000 including bonuses. McDermott Will & Schulte was first reported to have matched. The lockstep structure is intact; every class year moved up a step. For Am Law 100–200 firms that do not follow Cravath alignment, the structural gap is now $155,000 in base salary by year eight, widening to $150,000–$200,000 in total compensation.