Many BigLaw associates underestimate how much leverage sits between your third and fifth year.
This remains the highest-value window to lateral — and both compensation data and market behaviour keep proving it.
Salary acceleration peaks at mid-level
On the 2025 Cravath scale, the contrast is salary development is significant.
- 3rd Year→ 5th Year: +$105,000 increase
- 6th Year→ 8th Year: +$50,000 increase
The fastest salary growth occurs when associates are most portable — and when firms are most motivated to keep future stars from being poached.
We highlighted this leverage window back in 2022 in this article: What's the 'Best' Level to Move as a Private Practice Lawyer. What’s changed since then, is simply the intensity of it.
Why this matters for long-term trajectory
The plateau post-Year 6 makes one thing very clear: by that stage, you must be in the right team, with the right support, inside the right structure — otherwise growth slows down fast.
By the senior associate stage, partnership dynamics and internal politics become the dominant drivers of advancement — and lateral mobility naturally narrows. Firms expect you to already operate at near-partner level, so there’s far less room to “re-fit” your practice or learn a new area. Senior laterals can also disrupt existing succession pipelines, which is why firms tend to move more cautiously and often want a two-to-four year runway before supporting someone for partnership. If you arrive too late, you simply don’t have enough time to build the wide base of partner sponsorship needed to make it through.
A significant proportion of your cohort won’t still be in private practice by 10PQE. Those who are, usually made very good mid-career decisions — and they’re now earning the very big bucks at partner level.
You may already be positioned well. But you still need to pressure-test it.
How to know if you're in the right team?
Ask yourself:
- What are the partners telling you about your promotion prospects right now?
- Are senior partners genuinely giving you meaningful work — or protecting client ownership?
- Are the senior associates ahead of you actually moving forward?
- Could your value translate just as cleanly outside this firm?
- Could you realistically stay here long-term from a culture and lifestyle standpoint?
- And finally — what is your gut telling you?
Hiring trends
Most of the lateral energy in BigLaw continues to cluster at the mid-level — particularly across M&A/PE, Funds, Finance and Disputes. Recent movement data shows the highest volume of lateral moves in the AmLaw 100 sits within Class Years 3–5.
At the same time, there is far more foundational work occurring at the junior end — training, knowledge systems, and tech implementation — which has pushed the experience level higher when firms eventually do go external. By the time lateral hiring occurs, they want talent who can contribute impact quickly.
After Year 6, opportunity naturally narrows until partnership level — as firms transition from hiring “impact-ready” associates to prioritising the development of their internal partner pipeline.
The market is simply gravitating toward where the potential — and upside — is strongest.
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If you're Class Year 3–5 — start here:
- Define where you want to be in three years — not just post-bonus
- Pressure-test your value externally, even if you plan to stay
- Treat this period as a trajectory decision
Bottom line
Your strongest negotiating power often arrives before you feel fully “ready” to use it.
After your 6th year in practice your bargaining power begins to wane as you move through towards becoming 10PQE. You are more at the mercy of the market and the 'live' vacancies. It's better for you to explore the market when there are more vacancies to be explored.
Acting strategically during this window can shape the next decade of your career.
If you’re in this leverage window and want to pressure-test whether you’re in the right place — or whether a move could create more long-term upside — we’re here to help you make that call.
