New Jersey Paralegals Paid Less

07/21/06

New Jersey paralegals paid less

According to a new survey on paralegal compensation, New Jersey pays paralegal less than the national average. The survey results indicated that the highest-paid paralegals are in Los Angeles, California.



Based on data printed by the New Jersey Law Journal, paralegals in Newark, New Jersey, earn an average total annual salary of $53,909. Other mid-Atlantic cities, such as Boston, Philadelphia, and DC, pay in the high $50,000 range. New York, Atlanta, and Boston pay, on average, upwards of $65,000 per year. Chicago and Los Angeles pay over $70,000 per year.

Apart from regional differences, the survey highlighted other developments in paralegal employment which included rises in compensation nationwide despite a drop in the average number of hours billed.

American Bar Association appoints attorney to review judicial nominations
The Federal Judiciary Committee of the American Bar Association has appointed attorney Leonard H. Gilbert to review presidential judicial nominees.

Gilbert is currently a partner with Holland & Knight. Previously, he served as President of the Florida Bar. He will be accountable for assessing the professional qualifications of persons nominated for appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court, circuit courts of appeals, district courts, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the Court of International Trade.

According to the Committee, questions of judicial philosophies and ideologies will not be considered when making their evaluations.

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker strengthens finance and restructuring practice
Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP has strengthened its global finance and restructuring practice by recruiting Kevin Fisher of White & Case LLP in New York. He will assist in matters pertaining to corporate transactions and will also serve global clients in different financial centers, including London and Hong Kong.

With 20 years' experience in the legal profession, Fisher specializes in finance and restructuring transactions, including high-leveraged transactions, acquisition finance transactions, and syndicated deals. In 2005, International Financial Law Review rated Fisher as one of the leading insolvency and restructuring attorneys in the U.S.

Kilpatrick Stockton solidifies Native American affairs team
Kilpatrick Stockton's addition of well-known litigator Keith Harper as partner in the Washington, DC, office is expected to bolster its Native American affairs practice.

As a recipient of the Skadden Arps Fellowship, Keith was selected to work with the Native American Rights Fund as staff attorney. He is also actively involved in the class-action lawsuit Cobell v. Kempthorne, representing over a half a million Native Americans.