The reversible blanket is great for picnics, parks, etc. The synthetic side is perfect for wet grass, etc. I have one from my old firm and use it a lot.

Nothing.

I got those cookies in the picture. They are awful.

My office of Pillsbury sent a gumball machine, a starbucks gift card, a Godiva chocolate bar (my favorite part), and a bottle of fancy hot cocoa mix.

I know one office of Holland & Knight sent a laptop bag (pretty nice, with a discreet logo) and a hardcover, autographed copy of a David Baldacchi book. They didn't mention anywhere in the package that he used to be a partner there, so there was a bit of confusion before looking it up on Wikipedia.

I got the rubber hose, as well as a large insurance defense research project

JD sent a jar of cookies

"a large, reversible fake wool blanket. On the reverse the blanket is a kind of synthetic raincoat material. Strange."

Perhaps S&C is about to fire this person and is giving him/her something that will make his/her impending homelessness more comfortable.

Nice hoodie :)

If I don't put the lotion in the basket, I'm going to get the rubber hose AGAIN!

I got a rock.

Friend of mine who is going to summer at Kramer Levin got a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label

K&E sent a pair of those noise-cancelling earphones and a CD of holiday music. Probably better than any present I'm going to give or receive this year.

A nice doc review project to do at Grandma's.

DPW sent me a big box from The Popcorn Factory full of different kinds of popcorn (carmel, etc.); a lot of good chocolate fudge; sucking candy; cookies; and a note saying happy holidays.

I ate the whole thing, not bad. Seems better than the other things I'm seeing here!

I'm a midlevel. A report on gifts:

I got a big deluxe gift basket of fancy chocolates and similar snacks from a firm at the bottom of the Amlaw 100 with which I interviewed for a lateral position. Maybe worth $150.

From my biggest client, which could be a future employer someday, I got a fancy bottle of champagne. Maybe worth $100.

I work for a large, well known hedge fund.

Everyone in the company received two books, and get this - an iPod Nano 8G with the company name engraved on it.

They handed them out at the holiday party.

Sounds like the finance guys win again. You all just keep us out of jail ;)

DPW sent me a big box from The Popcorn Factory full of different kinds of popcorn (carmel, etc.); a lot of good chocolate fudge; sucking candy; cookies; honey roasted peanuts; and a note saying happy holidays.

I ate the whole thing, not bad. Seems better than the other things I'm seeing here!

DPW sent me a big box from The Popcorn Factory full of different kinds of popcorn (carmel, etc.); a lot of good chocolate fudge; chocolate covered pretzels; cookies; honey roasted peanuts; and a note saying happy holidays.

I ate the whole thing, not bad. Seems better than the other things I'm seeing here!

WilmerHale DC sent an email saying they were making a donation to UNICEF instead of giving gifts. That's what happens when you go to the most liberal big firm in the city.

Got a fleece blanket with a small logo from Sutherland, Asbill & Brennan a few years back. Still use it, it's really nice. Don't work there, though.

Wow, did DPW send a big box from The Popcorn Factory? I had no idea!

PS: That was a big thumbs up to WilmerHale. It was classy and who needs stupid crap like this anyway.

At Gordon & Rees I got a f'ing book on writing.

@ 11:39 (myself): I mean I don't work there, not "don't work there" as a proscriptive.

Sidley sent a travel alarm clock/speaker set for an Ipod with their logo on it. It was actually pretty sweet...unfortunately, I do not own an ipod.

The gift was clearly a holiday gift (included a Holiday card). I was wondering if people got both an exam care package and a holiday gift? ...and what about an acceptance gift?! So many gifts that come around the same time...any firms giving more than one gift or are they all counting them as a big holiday/exam/acceptance gift?

Wilmer Hale gets a tax deduction and associates get nothing. Classy,indeed.

I like how the finance/trader types feel the need to drop in and tell us what suckers we are.

Hogan & Hartson DC: no acceptance gift, no holiday gift, no exam care package. And low boni, I hear.

Clifford Chance sent 3 boxes of those cookies S&C sent, plus a box of 2 brownies, 2 blondies and 2 raspberry bars. Upcoming summers and last year's both got it.

Ha - I have those same glass bulbs on my tree. Think they came from Duane Reade.

Clifford Chance sent a package of Tate's cookies (same cookies as the kind in the S&C picture, only several kinds) and Tate's brownies. It was definitely a holiday gift, they sent a separate acceptance package a month or so ago.

11:35, 11:36(3), 11:37 - Did DPW get you all that stuff in triplicate?

Why don't you press 'post' a few more times when submitting your swag report. That little blue bar on the bottom of the web browser means the program is working.

Just a tip. I know you DPW guys need a little help sometimes...

Winston & Strawn sent nothing. No info on bonuses either from them. I may have made a big mistake choosing to go there this summer.

Orrick sent a box of Godiva chocolate truffles. Yummy!

How about vendor swag? A friend got a bottle of Grey Goose from a court reporting company.

I wish I worked at DPW. They got sucking candy. My firm gave me sucky candy.

We got the shaft. Does that count?

I got a $10 Starbucks gift card from Goodwin Procter.

Got all the popcorn factory stuff along with some other gifts last year as a 2L, but now that I've accepted my offer I haven't gotten jack. What a ripoff.

My firm sent my my paycheck. That's all I really want for Christmas.

D&L sent a box, which contained a tin, whch contained snacks.

The snacks themselves contained a whiff of promise that D&L WOULD RAISE TO 190k IN THE NEW YEAR!!!!

Yeah, my firm sent me all sorts of cool things as a 2L. Accepted offer, and boom.. nothing.

11:54(3): Winston never announces bonuses until January or February. It's not a big deal that they have been silent.

Skadden sent a starbucks card, brownies and a skadden mug- I enjoyed it.

L&W sent Dean & Deluca Italian wine biscotti...also in comically large box for size of actual biscotti package. With a note about expanding their practice in Italy--present on a theme.

"Skadden sent a starbucks card, brownies and a skadden mug- I enjoyed it."

You sound like a douche. You'll fit right in.

I have a friend at Goodwin who got Celtics tickets as a gift (they did that last year too). Last year, that was a crappy gift. This year, that's an awesome gift.

I am currently clerking, but will be working for Kirkland & Ellis next year in Chicago. They sent me two Chicago-style pizzas. Yum.

Jones Day (DC) - Nothing.

Linklaters sent a starbucks gift card and an umbrella with their logo on it (how very British of them)

My firm didn't give me a gift, but my boss, Mr. Kruger, gave me a card that said a gift of $1000 was made in my name to the "Human Fund - Money for People."

I too received the Skadden mug, brownies, and Starbucks gift card. It was a nice thought. However, no single person at the office where I've been hired to summer seems to know much about it....hahahahaha....

W&C docked my paycheck for all the bar materials they paid for. I know it counts as income and I should be taxed on it this year, but it's also a real kick in the shins right before Christmas.

12:08 - you are a keen judge of character

I detest the phrase "Warm regards". Makes me want to hurl.

Hey Jones Day DC,

I intercepted the box of cookies they sent you and ate them all; it was no big deal.

:::taking deep breath:::

Ahhhh, the fresh smell of Skadden envy. I love hearing it...it confirms that I made the right choice.

free brownies and starbucks is better than nothing, especially during finals time. Some firms sent nothing at all so sorry i'm not completely ungrateful like some other people.

do 3Ls ever get anything from their firms?

A&B sent me a nice box of Godiva chocolates.

12:06 (1), I'm guessing you are on the inside. What is up with their cheapness? No christmas or finals goodies?

Wachtell sent nothing.

Goodwin Procter- Boston Office.

I got $10 Starbucks gift card inside a nice holiday card.

Also got two Celtics tickets to an upcoming game (I got to choose which game). Tickets to the game are otherwise sold out and ones in the same section as the ones I got are selling for $400/pair on stubhub.

Pretty awesome.

yeah, jealousy from a bunch of anonymous assholes on a blawg should definitely be the deciding factor in confirming your decision. brilliant.

White & Case: Blanket w/ firm logo, two mugs with firm logo, powdered hot-chocolate to go in the mugs.

McDermott Will & Emery- LA

Shit sandwich (i.e., nada)

Simpson sent me a gym bag and a card. Kind of dissappointed.

Womble Carlyle

A fleece blanket, coffee thurmos, and no bonus.

Yippee

K&E SF sent a good-sized Ghirardelli chocolate gift-box to its past summers. It's a pretty good gift for re-gifting.

I got nothing from the firm I signed with, but it also pays way above market for a firm its size. I'd rather enjoy a nice first year salary than useless coffee mugs any day. I think they have the right idea.

Adding to 11:44-- in addition to the the ipod alarm clock dock, i hear the sidley students got a $15 itunes gift card. Solid gift. nothing from my firm.

Wachtell sent me a $25 gift card for Dominos Pizza.

Like I haven't had that in a while...

My group's partners gave us each a bottle of veuve cliquot and a book entitled "50 jobs worse than yours" - solid gift

King & Spalding Atlanta gave me 10 lashings and a cup of water.

I hear we're getting a slice of moldy bread for New Years.

I got a card saying my firm made a donation to the "Human Fund" on my behalf.

I'm a little surprised it took 70+ comments to get the first Human Fund reference (1:04)

The Human Fund -- money for people.

Willkie - tin of Dale & Thomas popcorn (Oprah's favorite!) and some delicious Dancing Deer cookies. Definitely helping me get through the my last week of exams.

schulte = starbucks card

Poor 12:32.

1:14 - I didn't know you had exams at your TTT, where you must obviously attend "school" if you work at Willkie.

@ 12:34:

As already mentioned CC sent 3Ls the same stuff as 2Ls.

1:18 - Please go back to XOXO. Thanks.

Love, 1:14

1:14,

Are you always this sassy? ;-)

Kenyon sent a company fleece, works for me cause its been fricking freezing here.

i love it how people like to hype up their firm gifts... especially 2Ls...

"instead of a tin of cookies, a card, and a blanket", it becomes...

ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! white chocolate and macadamia nut homemade cookies from [insert bulls**t overpriced brand] in a beautiful silver and gold cylinder tin with the firms logo (feels heavy)

A card on very heavy stock linen paper with a gold lined envelope, with a very nice holiday greeting!

A LARGE fleece blanket (very warm) that I am wrapped up in right now as I type this!

Oh, I almost forgot, I received some wonderful hot chocolate as well... so good! YUMMO!

Douchebags...

I'm a mid-level at Wachtell and I got a basket full of transplantable organs for the holidays. Wachtell really knows how to take it up a notch. It was, on the whole though, no big deal.

Baker Botts sent a live, about two foot high Christmas tree, fully decorated.

I'm pretty sure goodwin is still winning this game with the celtics tickets.

K&S New York - Two bottles of decent (in the $50 price range) bottles of wine.

1:36 - Wrong. K&E gave Bose noise cancelling headphones.

2 grams of free weed and a pre-paid calling card

C&B sent talcum powder. Thank God, because I was sweating a lot over the past couple weeks.

12:06(1)'s unintentional Frat Stud-like comment made me laugh:

"11:54(3): Winston never announces bonuses until January or February. It's not a big deal that they have been silent. "

All I got was a box of kitty litter, and it wasn't even fresh.

Overrated: law firm coffee cups

Underrated: just admitting that you didn't want to spend any money on your recruits

Williams & Connolly - nothing.

"Bingham sent us sweet north face fleeces. unfortunately with a Bingham logo on it - but its still pretty nice. Posted by: Anonymous | December 5, 2007 10:04 PM"

WHICH BINGHAM OFFICE??

Pillsbury sent me a gigantic bar of chocolate with the Pillsbury logo on it.

McKee Nelson sent a great Dean and Deluca box filed with candied popcorn. cookies and candy.

Cuz it's YOUR dog, get it?!

I got a drugged-out hooker and an angry wombat.

I think the drugs might have been the wombat's.

Ropes sent us a $30 Gift Tower from Harry & David last Saturday (Saturday delivery). It had truffles, caramels, piroulines, chocolate covered popcorn, and nuts :) Excellent exam study tool.

2:04 must be either referring to associates or lying. W&C sent Mrs. Field's cookies to all of its 2007 summers.

Ropes summer. Don't put a smiley next to the word "nuts"

Just a word of advice.

12:22(1): explain what you mean by that, please (re docking your paycheck for bar materials).

I am looking to sublet an apartment in NY for the summer. Any NYC law students heading out looking to sublet there place?

*Lat, you should run a housing swap or housing sublet board up on this site for law students switching cities.

I am looking to sublet an apartment in NY for the summer. Any NYC law students heading out looking to sublet their place?

*Lat, you should run a housing swap or housing sublet board up on this site for law students switching cities.

S&C gave out little bonsai?
You think they care? That is a lie!
They will work you like dog,
you will complain in your blog,
until at your desk, you die.

Jenner DC = Nothing.

Truffles, cookies, etc. are not exam study tools. Thoughts like that are why the girls in law school ballooned.

Stop stuffing your fat faces while you are in school, there will be plenty of time for it when you are snarfing down shitty seamlessweb five nights a week.

The Human Fund comments were bound to happen here.

Did you guys know there's a Festivus website (for the rest of us) out there?

Click here:

http://www.msgr.ca/msgr-2/festivus%2005.htm

Any reference to a Seinfeld episode after Season 7 is lame.

Apparently O'Melveny and Myers didn't shift wealth from their bonus fun to their "gift for future summer associates fund." I got nothing.

Orrick sent me no truffles. Instead, a 100% cashmere scarf, sans logo. Outside of the $100 prepaid amex cards, I think this is the best gift I've seen.

Orrick sent me no truffles. Instead, a 100% cashmere scarf, sans logo. Outside of the $100 prepaid amex cards, I think this is the best gift I've seen.

Shearman sent me a penis pump. Works marvelously. My manhood has never been so engorged.

My law firm, Kirkland & Ellis sent all the male associates dildos. HR apparently knows that all the males at my firm are fags.

All we got was a box of Soylent Green.

We sent holiday cards with nothing in them. We're cheap.

A box of Soylent Green

Winston NY, nothing.

Yeah, Shearman seems to be intelligently cheap. Send us a gym bag 2 weeks ago, and an invite to the "winter weekend" during February. Don't look too cheap, b/c they give us crap with clever timing, in between finals gifts and holiday gifts...

Latham NY sent me a tin of wine flavored biscuits/cookies. They are decent.

A friend at King and Spalding got a nice fleece with the firm's name on it.

Guys at my TTT law school used to receive brochures for a night job at Burger King for Christmas all the time from law firms, it was no big deal.

Fleeces are so played out. When are firms going to get with the program and start slapping their logos on those puffy North Face jackets?

bryan cave sent me a little duffle bag thing (with their logo- i'll give it to a homeless person) and a holiday card telling me they made a donation in my name to a children's hospital.

it's nice to help sick kids, but you know what goes really well with philanthropy? CHOCOLATE

i'm splitting between two firms. one sent delicious brownies and a some other swaggy thing i dont even remember. the other sent .... a christmas card with all the recruiters business cards in it. strange.

5:44 - so right about fleeces being played out. Stuff sticks to them, they don't go with anything that isn't from L.L. Bean, and they aren't even warm. Plus what person under 30 doesn't own 'nuff fleece to begin with?

Long underwear > Puffy jacket > Chocolate > Fleece

Wilmer Boston. Zero. Nothing. Donated to Unicef.

This year Simpson only sent me a card - signed not by the partners/associates I worked with but by the recruiting committee. Last year I got a box of candies, conveniently delivered during my take-home final by an over-zealous deliveryman (kept ringing the bell).

Naturally, I'm quite disappointed. I guess it's to be expected from a firm that prides itself on 1/3rd the overhead of other V10 firms and rations mechanical pencils. Do they really need to restrict mechanical pencils to two per attorney (none for summers)?

Well, at least I don't work for OMM.

Greenberg Traurig sent a beach towel. Admitedly, it's a nice beach towel. And it's a Miami firm. But, kinda weird, right? I mean, it's fucking freezing outside. A beach towel?

12:32: its good that you need others to envy you in order to confirm you've made the right choice. i hope you still feel that way when you're leaving at 2am and returning to work at 7am!

and no, this isn't skadden envy - i worked there. in the two years since i left, every associate i worked with, save one or two, is gone. good luck!

9:39: Jonas is that you?

Milbank Tweed--Sampler of Selmas cookies, brownies, rice krispy treats, and other chocolately stuff. nice gift :)

A kick in the balls and a card saying "Welcome to the Real Deal"

Nothing. But, I summered LAST year and have already accepted my offer for the Fall. No more buttering me up, it seems.

K&E sent me a chicago-style pizza, but just ONE, not TWO, like 12:18 PM got.

ah well, i will just be a summer, not a real attorney.

it was sufficiently delicious, though (even though it did bubble over the pan, stick on the bottom of the oven and almost burn my house down).

2:14 @ McKee:

Check the wrapping paper from the popcorn. I think you missed the part about your offer being revoked amid the season's layoffs. The popcorn was a "goodbye, sorry we never actually met you, but I'm sure you'll do fine since you interview well" gift, not a holiday or exam gift.

I'm just looking out for you.

Kirkland NY sent me NOTHING.

When I was a law student a few years ago, Alston & Bird sent me a gift basket that included caramel popcorn. Unfortunately, I broke a tooth on an unpopped kernel. The root canal and crown cost me $1000. Merry f*ing Christmas to me!

they only sent me see's candy...wtf man?? guess i'm going to a no frills office.

I can confirm that Baker Botts sent out really fantastic Christmas trees, complete with lights and ornaments.

I work at a law school in DC and got a whole lot of nothing. Bonus to Zero! Apparently my bonus was automatically given to the non-profit that I work for... But I did take a bunch of time off and sat on a beach in Florida. The bonus around here is the ability to take time off and not have to look at email or think about work for a while.

Hogan & Hartson DC: chocolate covered pretzles and oreos.

last year, as a 2L, i got a gift and a study care package filled with all kinds of goodness from the firm i was to summer with.

this year, now that i've accepted, i got a gift but no study care package. so if my finals turn out poorly, i will blame my firm.

My Katten blanket is so. Comfy.

A Christmas tree! Are you kidding me?

I feel bad for the poor saps in my appt's mailroom who have to live with that thing while I'm gone for a month.

Sending live gifts so late that people have already left for break = fail.

Burr Forman- Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory.

MoFo sent an electronic Holiday card.

These gifts really show nothing about a firm's viability. I was supposed to start as a fall associate at Heller Ehrman and received a package of goodies from them after finishing the bar exam, two months before the firm dissolved.

klgates staff got NOTHING!

klgates staff got NOTHING!