Years Out of Law School *

Year

Adjustmt
Factor**

Paralegal/
Law Clerk

1-3

4-7

8-10

11-19

20 +
6/01/12- 5/31/13
1.0258
$170
 $312 $383 $554 $625 $753
6/01/11- 5/31/12
1.0352
$166
 $305 $374 $540 $609 $734
6/01/10- 5/31/11
1.0337
$161
 $294 $361 $522 $589 $709
6/01/09- 5/31/10
1.0220
$155
 $285 $349 $505 $569 $686
6/01/08- 5/31/09
1.0399
$152
 $279 $342 $494 $557 $671

6/01/07-5/31/08
1.0516
$146
$268
$329
$475
$536
$645

6/01/06-5/31/07
1.0256
$139
$255
$313
$452
$509
$614

6/1/05-5/31/06

1.0427

$136

$249

$305

$441

$497

$598

6/1/04-5/31/05

1.0455

$130

$239

$293

$423

$476

$574

6/1/03-6/1/04

1.0507

$124

$228

$280

$405

$456

$549

6/1/02-5/31/03

1.0727

$118

$217

$267

$385

$434

$522

6/1/01-5/31/02

1.0407

$110

$203

$249

$359

$404

$487

6/1/00-5/31/01

1.0529

$106

$195

$239

$345

$388

$468

6/1/99-5/31/00

1.0491

$101

$185

$227

$328

$369

$444

6/1/98-5/31/99

1.0439

$96

$176

$216

$312

$352

$424

6/1/97-5/31/98

1.0419

$92

$169

$207

$299

$337

$406

6/1/96-5/31/97

1.0396

$88

$162

$198

$287

$323

$389

6/1/95-5/31/96

1.032

$85

$155

$191

$276

$311

$375

6/1/94-5/31/95

1.0237

$82

$151

$185

$267

$301

$363

 

The methodology of calculation and benchmarking for this Updated Laffey Matrix has been approved in a number of cases. See, e.g., McDowell v. District of Columbia, Civ. A. No. 00-594 (RCL), LEXSEE 2001 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8114 (D.D.C. June 4, 2001); Salazar v. Dist. of Col., 123 F.Supp.2d 8 (D.D.C. 2000).

* “Years Out of Law School” is calculated from June 1 of each year, when most law students graduate. “1-3" includes an attorney in his 1st, 2nd and 3rd years of practice, measured from date of graduation (June 1). “4-7" applies to attorneys in their 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th years of practice. An attorney who graduated in May 1996 would be in tier “1-3" from June 1, 1996 until May 31, 1999, would move into tier “4-7" on June 1, 1999, and tier “8-10" on June 1, 2003.

** The Adjustment Factor refers to the nation-wide Legal Services Component of the Consumer Price Index produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor.