I mentioned in my 2025 Accomplishments Cake post that one of my biggest achievements last year was asking for a raise and successfully negotiating my compensation. I also said I would write a dedicated post about it — so here it is.

Believe it or not, I had never asked for a raise before. Not once. The only times salary ever came up for me previously was during a job interview, when you are already in motion and negotiating feels like part of the process. Truth be told, I’ve moved around a lot, not staying in one workplace too long in my early junior lawyer years. But sitting face to face with your boss and asking them to pay you more? That is a completely different thing. And on top of it being my first time ever asking for a raise, it was also my first annual performance review, and it was happening in the context of a contract extension with the company. So there were a lot of firsts happening at the same time, which made the whole experience feel even more significant — and more nerve-wracking. I was walking into three firsts at once — a performance review, a contract extension, and asking for a raise for the very first time. I didn’t know how any of it would go.

I came into this role on a contract, genuinely unsure whether I would make it past the one-year mark. When you are in that position, there is a low hum of pressure that follows you around. I gave everything I had. There were stretches that were honestly busier than anything I experienced at a law firm, with very long days. But I cared. About the company, about the work, about proving that I belonged there. Even a year in, I still had moments of self-doubt and imposter syndrome creeping in, wondering whether I was good enough. I think that is just part of being a junior lawyer — or honestly, just a human being. Hard work does not always quiet that inner voice.

As I approached my anniversary date, I asked whether a contract extension was possible and if we could discuss it. The response was positive, and some time later I had the opportunity to sit down with my boss to talk about my performance and compensation. Which meant I had to actually prepare to ask for what I deserved.

Here is where I have to be honest about the inner battle that was happening. I knew I was below market rate. I did the research — Glassdoor, legal recruitment websites, job postings, and I also used ChatGPT to cross-reference a reasonable range given my experience, location, and role description. Everything pointed in the same direction. And yet there was still that voice in the back of my head saying: you had a gap in employment before this, you got this opportunity, do not rock the boat. That fear of losing what you finally have is real, and I think a lot of people reading this know exactly what I mean. On top of that, the economic climate was not helping. You hear the news, you feel the pressure of businesses being hesitant to hire, talking about cutting costs, and that becomes its own kind of background noise that tells you to stay quiet and be grateful for what you have. The world outside was giving me just as many reasons to stay silent as the voice in my own head.

What helped me push through it was honestly my friend, Isabela. She is also a lawyer, someone who had admired my blog and who I had gotten to know better over the past few years. Every time I second-guessed myself or made excuses — but it is a big jump, maybe I am asking for too much — she would push back without hesitation. She told me I was not asking for too much, and in fact she believed I deserved even more than what I was considering. I cannot tell you how much that consistent encouragement meant to me. Sometimes you just need someone in your corner who believes in you more than you believe in yourself in that moment. I am so grateful for her. And I think about that when I write here, because I hope this space has been that kind of encouragement for some of you too.

I also worked on my mindset leading up to the meeting. I listened to building self-confidence affirmations, repeated things to myself that I did not fully believe yet, until I believed them a little more. It sounds small, but it helped me show up to that room feeling more grounded than I would have otherwise.

And I really did prepare. This was not just a conversation — I built a case.

The most important thing I did was translate my work into real dollar figures. As an in-house counsel, your value is partly measured by what you save the company, so I came in with specifics. For example, I had put together a litigation strategy and come up with an application in under two weeks under pressure — work that would have cost over $20,000 through external counsel at minimum. I had examples like that ready. I also spoke about how I had been the company’s first-ever in-house lawyer, which meant I built things from scratch, learned new industries quickly, and figured out systems without any blueprint. That kind of initiative deserved to be named and recognized.

I also addressed my starting salary directly. I had agreed to a lower rate at the beginning, knowing it was below market and that the company had constraints at the time. But I framed that honestly — I had been providing services at a discount for over a year, and that goodwill should not define my ceiling going forward. Your starting salary is just that, a starting point. It does not have to determine your worth or your future. I think that is something a lot of people need to hear, because we can get stuck thinking that the number we agreed to once is the number we are stuck with.

I also made sure to mention that the company did not offer benefits or bonuses, which means my salary was the only form of financial recognition for my performance. If that is your situation, factor it in. You should.

Beyond the financial argument, I tried to frame the conversation as a mutual investment rather than just a request for more money. I mentioned that with a better salary, one of my goals was eventually moving closer to the office to make commuting easier — something that showed long-term commitment. I wanted them to see me as someone who was invested in staying and growing with the company, because I genuinely was.

I did not get the exact amount I asked for. But I want to be clear — this was not a small, token adjustment either. And honestly, in an economic climate where businesses are hesitant to hire and talking about cutting costs, where even a basic inflation adjustment is not guaranteed, where you hear the news and feel that pressure as background noise — choosing to walk into that room and ask for more anyway is something to be proud of in itself. It was not the kind of “here’s 3% to match inflation” raise that gets handed out almost automatically, because even that is not always a given. I asked for something meaningful, and I walked away with something meaningful. A significant raise compared to where I started. And I am genuinely, deeply proud of that. Not just because of the outcome, but because I asked at all. I did not let desperation write my story. I felt the fear, heard that inner voice telling me to stay quiet and be grateful, and I chose to advocate for myself anyway. That took something, and I do not want to gloss over it.

If you are reading this because you are nervous about asking for a raise — you are not alone. Do the market research and know your numbers. Build your case with specific examples and real dollar figures wherever you can. Do not let your starting salary feel like your permanent valuation, and know the difference between a cost-of-living adjustment and a raise that actually reflects your growth and your worth — you are allowed to ask for the latter. Find someone who will tell you the truth and also push you to believe in yourself. Work on your mindset, not just your talking points. And remember that even if you do not get everything you asked for, the act of showing up and advocating for yourself in a room that felt scary is its own kind of win.

We are all still figuring this out. I know I am. But I hope sharing my experience helps someone else feel a little less alone going into theirs. 💙