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Recent Graduates and Lateral Attorneys 

In addition to the collegial work environment at Stroud, Willink & Howard, LLC, we have endeavored to develop a competitive and rewarding compensation system to attract and retain the highest level attorneys available. We encourage you to review this summary of our benefits and expectations for more information on our program. The salary information provided below is for new graduates; compensation for laterals is set on a case-by-case basis and is commensurate with experience and skills.

If you would like to explore these possibilities further, please send a cover letter and resume to the address at the left, addressed to our Hiring Partner.

We will be conducting on-campus interviews for the 2009 summer program at the University of Wisconsin Law School on August 27, 2008.  Please check with the UW Law School recruiting office for more information.

Expectations

Any opportunities, of course, must come with some expectations. Our goal is that each attorney we hire will become a member of our law firm. We have never hired an associate on any other basis. For new law school graduates, the partnership track is typically about six years, dependent upon the firm and the associate attaining mutual success. Work quality, demonstrated legal ability and skills, work habits, client confidence, client generation and retention, and the ability to work well with other lawyers in the firm drive any decision of advancement.

With respect to our billable hour expectation, we expect all of the lawyers to spend whatever time is required for them to complete their work on a timely basis with a high degree of professional skill. Our associates record about 150 billable hours in a typical month. We review hours periodically and believe that less than 135 billable hours a month is a symptom of a difficulty.

Associate Benefits

Any discussion of benefits for our attorneys would have to begin with the nature of our practice at Stroud, Willink & Howard. We pride ourselves in maintaining a collegial atmosphere, opting for an "open-door policy" to foster communication and camaraderie. We enjoy practicing law, and we enjoy practicing law together. We do not divide our firm into rigid departments, but instead expect each of our attorneys to maintain a diverse base of experience and knowledge so that we each can effectively answer a wide variety of legal questions. It is this diversity of practice that we consider to be one of the prime benefits of working at our firm.

Another significant benefit that bears mentioning is our community. In recent years, Madison has been listed as one of the best places to live in America on one list or another, including a stint as the number one city in America, according to Money Magazine. Madison is the capital of Wisconsin, the home of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and a city with a booming economy. We take pride in our community and consider it to be a fantastic place to practice law. In fact, our firm played a significant professional role in the Frank Lloyd Wright Monona Terrace Convention Center and in the Overture Foundation for the Arts.

As for the nuts and bolts of the benefits available at our firm, we have set forth below a brief summary of our compensation policies for new associates. This summary is intended for general information only and is qualified by the terms of any policies referred to below and the specific terms of any offer made by our firm. You also should note that Stroud, Willink & Howard, LLC, is an equal opportunity employer. 

We endeavor to set associate salaries so that they are at or near the top of the salary range for Madison-based law firms. After one year of service, associates are eligible to make voluntary contributions to the firm's 401(k) plan. At that same time, new associates also become eligible for the firm's profit sharing plan maintained for all of its employees. Although discretionary and subject to change, our profit-sharing contribution to each employee's 401(k) account in recent years has equaled 10% of each employee's annual salary. Associates also receive health and disability insurance benefits, out-of-town moving expenses (up to $2,000), bar registration and review expenses, and state bar dues  We also reimburse associates for reasonable CLE costs and expenses incurred to fulfill the State Bar of Wisconsin requirements.

We believe the benefits of practicing law at our established firm in the fine City of Madison, coupled with a generous package of salary and benefits, offer a unique and rewarding opportunity.