Summer Associate of the Day: The Cradle Robber
"Lolita, light of my life, fire of my law firm. My sin, my soul, my summer intern. Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta."
Now that summer associate programs are over, and most summers have offers safely in hand, it's a good (read: safe) time to dish about SA scandals. If you have a story to share that we haven't previously covered, please email us.
Here's one story that is making the rounds. We've omitted the firm name because the summer class was not very large. Per our usual rules, please don't name the summer associate (or the college student) in the comments.
After a firm-sponsored event, a college student interning at the firm went out for drinks with several summer and full-time associates. She was not old enough to be drinking.
The college intern, in a state of inebriation, left the bar hanging all over one of the summer associates (hereinafter "The Cradle Robber"). Later that evening, the Cradle Robber wrote an email to several associates, claiming that "the deal was sealed" with the college intern.
An associate forwarded the email to the hiring partner. The Cradle Robber did not receive an offer.
Read our take on this series of events, after the jump.
Our view: seriously? No-offering the SA strikes us as a Puritanical overreaction. Perhaps the firm was looking for reasons to reduce its 2009 incoming class.
There's no indication that the rumored relations were non-consensual (unless one subscribes to the theory that rape occurs every time a less-than-sober woman sleeps with a man). As for the underage drinking, that's more the fault of the college intern than the summer associate. And that's a venial sin, if it's one at all; many college presidents question whether the drinking age should be 21.
As for the "kiss and tell" email, sure, it's tacky. But is it any worse than the kind of morning-after, locker-room boasting that takes place in law firms -- and investment banks, and college dorm rooms -- every day of the year?
But maybe we're taking too liberal a view. What do you think?
Update: Additional discussion, plus a reader poll, accessible over here.
(194) Comments
1?
Lame
It's also a little lame of the associate to forward the e-mail to the hiring partner.
How about we name the tool who forwarded the e-mail to the hiring partner. Assuming it was a man, he deserves an ass kicking. If it was a woman, she should be kicked in the baby-maker.
It's pretty obvious that some partner was pissed about losing out to some summer. They didn't hire a college student for you lousy SA's! That's the partners' ass. Stick to your fellow summers. This summer deserved to be no-offered, he clearly does not understand the refined hieararchy of a law firm.
#4 has it right. I bet that associate hasn't been laid in years.
that associate was a dick! I would have sent the cradle robber a digital congratulation high 5 in response to the email!
You get a high 5 when you seal the deal...even if it's with a troll........
V. Monkey
Cradle robber? For hooking up with a chick who was probably less than three years younger? Man, what does that make the creepy 40-ish banker crowd when one of them miraculously gets with an ambitious 25 year old?
what kind of idiot thinks its a good idea to send an email in the first place,
DAMN IT MAN. WHY THE HELL AM I UNABLE TO BECOME FIRSTY EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!
I SHALL NOT GIVE UP HOWEVER!!!!!!!!!!
ILL NEVER GIVE UP MY QUEST FOR FIRSTDOM!!!!!!!!
Who the hell writes an email like that to a bunch of people? And who the hell forwards an email like that to the hiring partner? Other than the email I can't see anything noteworthy about this story.
A-B-C. A-always, B-be, C-closing. Always be closing! Always be closing!!
Yeah, Lat, I think "Cradle Robber" is a strange thing to call the SA, especially given your view that the SA did nothing wrong beyond his tackiness in reporting the incident to his fellow summers.
The college intern should be let go immediately as well. It's just a pure lack of judgment to sleep with a summer. She should have known to sleep with a partner or at least an associate on the hiring committee to get ahead. The firm should definitely mention this lack of judgment in any recommendation letter.
At our firm all of the college interns have some connection to a partner -- e.g. child of a neighbor, or child of another partner at the firm where her child is working for the summer. That could be th issue.
Sleeping the women who are above the age of consent in your jurisdiction makes me a sad panda.
-Sexual Harassment Panda
Let's see, a summer associate has a one night stand with a drunk, under 21-intern, and then brags about it the next day? How does this not reflect poor judgment?
Imagine the arbitration proceedings that would come in if he were a senior associate down the road...
I'm sorry, but I think the guy is an idiot. When are entitled law students going to get it?? Until you have a job and a career you keep a low profile. You do whatever you can to avoid these types of situations. Keep your personal life, personal. stupid stupid people.
I am patiently waiting for the "Pants Down"-type joke. Hope Winters, where are you? BTW this is a lame posttt.
Maybe the associate was no-offerred because the intern was butt-ugly...that's very damaging to the reputation. I'm just saying.
Agree with #4. I think Lat should temporarily lift the no names policy and reveal who forwarded the email to the hiring partner. After all, the forwarder obviously had no qualms about publicizing "cradle robber's" name, so why should this forum have qualms about publicizing the snitch's name?
I am fairly liberal and I think it is perfectly acceptable to deny the cradle robbing associate an offer based on the morning after email alone. Secondly, you mention the college student was not of drinking age hence major liability for the firm. Why take someone like that on?
Guys from my high school used to seal the deal with girls from college all the time. It was no big deal.
Frat Stud #2.
15 has stated the general rule...which most likely applies to these facts
Guys from my high school used to seal the deal with girls from college all the time. It was no big deal.
Frat Stud #2.
Agree with #11...both losers. A blowhard and a rat...great firm.
Perhaps #21 has a point.
Guys in my high school used to hook up with interns all the time and tell teachers who told the principla...IT WAS NOT BIG DEAL.
Perhaps the college intern was related to someone at the firm (e.g., the hiring partner's daughter).
I worry that one of these days, I'm going to be at my office, and hear a fairly ridiculous anecdote, like the one in this thread. And, without checking myself, I'll respond, "Yeah, guys in my high school use to.... "
Hopefully that doesn't happen.
Why is the firm's name a secret? ATL's other SA stories this year named the firm:
"'Sheer'-man Not So Sterling?" _Shearman
"Doing the Conde Nastie?" - Skadden
"Sapphic Summers in Lesbianic Lip-Lock?" - Lindquist & Vennum
This is stupid... let's talk about offers or firms that no-offer or layoffs.
Hey dipshit #26....learn how to spell...no wonder you are probably still in high school.
#29 - the lesbo story earlier this summer - it was easy to figure out who the clam diggers were so Lat is probably trying to avoid that...but didn't Lat tell how to figure it out using Google? Confused...
#15 is wise.
The Intern shouldn't have gotten that drunk at a firm sponsered event.
The summer probably shouldn't have sealed the deal, but when he did, he was a total moron for sending an email bragging about it.
As for the tattle tail associate, SNITCHES GET STICHES AND THROWN IN DITCHES.
my 2 cents...
27 here - perhaps I should read the previous comments before posting...
If the summer intern's 18 or 19 and the SA is 25 or 26, I think that's a big age difference. You 25-year-old guys can tell yourselves differently, of course.
And I agree with 27.
sounds like a fake story.
"Later that evening, the Cradle Robber wrote an email to several associates, claiming that 'the deal was sealed' with the college intern."
Seriously, who takes the time to send out an email instead of nailing her again?
I'm gonna stand up for the snitch a little bit.
My guess is that the hiring partner was one of those guys who tried to play "cool" with the SAs. He probably saw craddle robber and the college intern getting friendly, and happily joined in SA gossip about the couple.
The snitch forwarded the email to the hiring partner thinking that he would enjoy the gossip. Instead, the hiring partner turned out to be a total arse, and canned a 23 year old for hooking up with a 29 year old.
Snitch should have known that HPs had a stick up his arse since such an affliction is an epidemic among partners. But snitch is only an SA, and is still drinking the "law firms can be fun places to hang out with cool people" kool aid. So cut snitch a break.
LOL, #37.
As Omar would say...I'll do what I can to help y'all. But, the game's out there, and it's play or get played. That simple.
The college student was likely an important client's daughter or the relative of a partner. Hope it was worth it!
I agree with 28. This is becoming more and more difficult for me to do.
Come on Lat. This is so bogus. The story is taken from "Old School" where Luke Wilson sleeps with the Partner's daughter, Elisha Cuthbert.
what about all the associates who were drinking with (probably buying drinks on the firm for) the underage intern. Seems like more of a problem for the firm than an SA sleeping with an intern.
37 is the only one thinking clearly in this entire mess.......
this story would be much better if it was the HP's little girl.
also 35, knock off the moral police thing. The idea of nailing 18 and 19 year olds when I'm a 3L gets me through the day.
Yeah, #15 is right. This wasn't some random college girl. It was the daughter of a partner. You hit that, you're really playing with fire.
37 & 45 - what's the assurance that the one being nailed was a "her' and not a "him"? Maybe Lat's not revealing the whole truth and maybe this is why the summer associate was fired. Think it through ladies, think it through...
Perhaps the SA was working on a billion dollar deal with Marty Lipton and was merely informing the associate that the deal had closed.
lol at 16:
Judge: "Mr. Cartman, you claim that Kyle told you to have oral sex with his ass?"
Cartman: "That is correct my honor."
@35 -- Don't nail 18/19 year olds. You must explain to them why sex is wrong and that any mention of sex not in the context of a sexual harassment warning, is sexual harassment.
-Sexual Harassment Panda
The college intern was probably the daughter of a close friend of a partner.
In a way, I sympathize for this man. Many of his fellow associates have long-term girlfriends or are married, and, as a single young man in BigLaw (or iBanking), it's hard to find women. Navigating the political waters of a big business is hard enough without sexual frustration nipping at your heels.
And when you see an attractive single woman who's willing to engage in CONSENSUAL intercourse, it's hard to say "no," despite the career consequences. This is why people should start law school a little later, or try to find relationships outside of the legal scene.
The problem is more one of judgment. If this summer is going to sleep with an inebriated, underage summer intern (one who, pointedly, ranks below him on the law-firm feeding chain), what sorts of things would he be willing to do when he's a regular associate, or, god forbid, a partner? While his actions as a summer may have been non-actionable, although less-than stellar, the same actions as a partner could bring serious liability on the firm.
"An associate forwarded the email to the hiring partner."
What a cockblocker.
54, you write like a 1L's first draft of the first legal writing paper.
So let's say the firm gave the guy an offer.
Fast forward 10 years down the road. The SA, now a partner, goes home with a stumbling drunk associate. He, a partner, emails a bunch of other lawyers at the firm about how he nailed her, an associate.
NOW do you see the problem? The SA in question is on his way to growing up to be a big old problem. The firm in question did the right thing.
Does this mean I dont get to bang 18-19 year olds if I get a summer associate position for next summer??? Because what exactly is the point of making $3000 a week if it doesn't get you those 18-19 year olds??
am I in the wrong profession??
To expand on 15's comment, our summer interns have occasionally been children or relations of our major clients.
If the firm hadn't done something, and the story ever got back to the client, it wouldn't go over well.
#52 is wise.
#54 laughably suggests the relevant firm is against partners sleeping with associates.
48, don't be an idiot. Here's a direct quote from the post: "After a firm-sponsored event, a college student interning at the firm went out for drinks with several summer and full-time associates. She was not old enough to be drinking."
What part of "she" do you find ambiguous?
47: you're being ridiculous. In America, 18+ women are free to consent to sexual activity with similarly aged men or older ones. If an elderly partner can't understand that, and to respect the decisions of his of-age family member, then there's a problem here that extends far beyond a temporary employment predicament.
#55 - GROVER! Didn't that dude marry some 14yo or underage girl????
#55 - GROVER! Didn't that dude marry some 14yo or underage girl????
Damn, can't a guy just get some lovin?
57: slippery slope alert. And what if he returns from the grave to plunder the widows in 2230? Can't have that, can we?
hey 31- people who criticize typos in internet blog comments are losers.
However, as long as we're playing English professor: your grammar sucks.
4:20 - 62
would you want the guy who busted all over your little princess's face walking around the office if you had the power to prevent it?
68: I don't see why not. When you describe it using the word "busted," it becomes an emotionally stirring thing, but sex is a natural and inevitable human behavior. I would be willing to respect her decisions, and even to endorse them.
51: I wasn't saying it's sexual harassment, I was saying that I think the six-year age difference at that age is significant, i.e., when I was 18 or 19 I would've thought a 25-year-old dude hitting on me was kind of a loser. Just one woman's opinion.
Hey 67 - Guys in my high school used to make grammatical errors all the time it was no big deal.
69: OK supposed that nobody busted. But what if he "blasted her like a Jackson Pollock"?
It was poor judgment to put it in writing. It shows the inability to think about the possible consequences of 1) being too loose-lipped, and 2) putting ANYTHING in writing s/he would not want the whole world to see. I would not have made an offer to such an individual.
As far as the individual that forwarded it, s/he wanted to shrink the pool of competition for permanent positions. Shrewd...I would not withhold an offer to that individual based solely on the forward.
This kind of thing is fine in Russia....
http://abovethelaw.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-search.cgi?IncludeBlogs=12&search=sexual+harassment
70
but you are a well educated intelligent woman, the 18 or 19 year olds i would be going after are more looks than brains.
Or perhaps "made a map of hawaii"
48 is gay and had oral sex with Cartman's ass.
72: In that case, I would probably conclude that the experience was unsatisfying for both parties. I would hope, for both of their sakes, that they had used contraception, and I would try not to imagine it because of the cringe factor.
If I felt like there was any harm done, I would, of course, report it to the proper authorities.
Hey, 56, why, are you, making fun, of the writing of, #54. I don't understand why a, presumably, educated person, such as yourself, would take the time, or, indeed, the effort to depress keys on your keyboard, wireless or otherwise, to comment upon the writing of another, anonymous, poster to a message board, an electronic one at that, that is located on a legal blog website, or legal gossip blog website, to be more precise.
If the deal was really so "sealed," then why was the Associate emailing his compadres? Usually when I'm "sealing a deal," I'm concentrated on the "task at hand." But I guess this cat was really good at multitasking...and being a total d-bag, of course.
I guess it could have been afterward though...still.
/if you have to announce it, it probably didn't happen
At least he didn't do what the hedgie did to the escort over in the post on DB!!! Sticky 50s!!!!
78
so, if your daughter ends up being a total whore you would be ok with it and the numerous men in her life?
I would like to see increased moderation of this thread. Some of these comments are offensive.
20 year old pussy is always worth it!
Good work, dude, whoever you are!
And fuck all the limp-dick cockblocks out there!
Beat it 83...this isn't the WSJ Law Blog....
Yup, that was a low blow, but I digress...
82: you're enlarging the scope of my argument.
In this case, I wouldn't have opposed the consensual sex of two people who are legally capable of making their own decisions. And I would not penalize another employee for sleeping with a family member, provided she was fine with it.
I am not a father, and, therefore, unable to tackle the lofty emotional issues that must come with seeing your "princess" become a sexual object. But, unlike some men, I think I would be mature enough to see it as both inevitable and healthy. Sex can be a great thing: good for the self-esteem, good for the body, and good for the relationship.
Promiscuity can be an unhealthy symptom of a larger disease, and most would argue that it's unhealthy. But it's not up for discussion.
Lat, emailing it is obviously much worse than "locker room boasting." As this case shows email doesn't disappear. It doesn't necessarily stay with the people you intended to see it or even within the firm. This particular email (and its safe to assume it was not the most respectful and sensitive piece of writing) could damage the intern, and it could damage the firm. So, yes, emailing showed much worse judgment.
In any case, its likely that firm administrators would have disapproved of the locker room boasting approach as well. It's just rare that such boasting gets reported up the chain in a reliable fashion.
The "snitch" did nothing wrong. It's the idiot SA's own fault for sending out a stupid email in the first place.
86 or should we call you Ted Olson...save your breath.
86
what about a drunken hookup with a SA sounds healthy? The guy probably realizes that his daughter was mounted by frat stud and wants him to pay.
#4: "How about we name the tool who forwarded the e-mail to the hiring partner. Assuming it was a man, he deserves an ass kicking. If it was a woman, she should be kicked in the baby-maker."
Welcome, Auto-Admit commenter! Christ, "kicked in the baby-maker"? WTF?
89: I'm flattered by the comparison.
90: Again, you're using emotional and colorful language in order to suggest that this was somehow unsavory or even not consensual. (I'm reminded of the classic line from Shakespeare's Othello about the "beast with two backs," which goads the elderly man to action.) I would not seek revenge for something so petty.
"beast with two backs" - Girls in my high school were like that it was a BIG DEAL.
91: I would like to see increased moderation as well. Even online, I would rather not be associated -- not even on the same thread -- with some of the less savory commentators.
Anyone who feels it is appropriate to brag about sexual conquests in e-mail to coworkers (office e-mail address) is a moron who should be terminated for horrible judgment.
Why would I want someone like that working for me? Keep the panty trophy in the frat house.
94: 91 here. I'm more about commenters like #4 cooling the misogynist, violent comments themselves than having a moderator do it. But somehow, I doubt someone who talks about kicking someone "in the babymaker" has a filter.
"I am not a father, and, therefore, unable to tackle the lofty emotional issues that must come with seeing your "princess" become a sexual object. But, unlike some men, I think I would be mature enough to see it as both inevitable and healthy."
Sure. You'll be one of those creepy fathers who openly discusses "making love with your mother" with your daughter. Lucky her.
94 is a putz.
70 - while I applaud your retrospective look at your teen attitudes, many (if not most) 18/19 y/o girls would not only be fired up by a 25 y/o "lawyer" (law student sufficient at that age) showing interest in them, they would actually brag about it to their friends. Same girls that in high school lorded their "college guy" boyfriend over their friends (despite the fact that a college freshman guy is nothing to brag about). Sad and pathetic? Absolutely. The way of things? Sadly, yes. Status symbol, pure and simple.
97: No, I don't think I would do this because of discomfort issues. But I would be happy to refer her to a qualified gynecologist or trustworthy woman for further discussion.
Sorry for upsetting everyone's delicate sensibilities...
Frat Guy
Bravo Lat...100+ comments on this post that isn't all that tittilating...oh my.
Bravo Lat...100+ comments on this post that isn't all that tittilating...oh my.
No doubt this was the right action by the firm. Not only do I believe, based on the way the story apparently occured, that this girl was not in a state to give her consent, but I'm sure the firm is also concerned with a possible sexual harrasment suit by the college intern. Questionable judgment in a situation that amounts to a 10 week job interview is reason enough to not want that individual representing your firm later on. I say kudos to the firm for recognizing the sleeze-bag for what he obviously is, and for practicing safe CYA.
The intern was old enough to drink and was not the daughter of apartner.
99: Until said girls actually laid eyes on 99% of lawyers.
Ok people - we agree...dummy for sending the email, the other dude is a rat but the firm in the end made the right call.
we need carmelo anthony to wear a suit and do a video for douche-nozzle associates -- DON'T EVER SNITCH. inexcusable. there is absolutely no reason in the world to forward that email to a hiring partner unless you're either brown-nosing or you're pissed because she took the SA deep and not you.
Just curious, but what larger disease is promiscuity an unhealthy symptom of...??? Is it contagious?!?!?
Oh and I agree with those that suggest the summer intern was the daughter of the HP or someone else of that level in the hierarchy. Imagine if the e-mail had said outright, "Dude, I banged the HP's daughter!" Would that have warranted being fired? It's kind of the same thing.... If I were the HP and found out someone said that, I'd fire him, just to say,
"Who's the BIG MAN now, dipshit." The moral of the story is do not openly disrespect people who have the choice to hire or fire you.
Hey 91 and 94, chill out. It's a euphemistic expression. Certainly #4 could have been more graphic. Not sure which prep school you grew up at, but guys in my high school used to jokingly express an interest in kicking others in their reproductive organs all the time. It was no big deal.
109: it usually comes with psychological baggage. It's not a disease in the contagious sense, but, yes, I think that it indicates some unhealthiness. (For both sexes. Don't accuse me of prejudice toward women.)
Look at the SATC characters. All of them are haunted by baggage.
What do you think the likelihood is of the snitch associate being a woman associate? And a killoy, feminnazi female associate?
Agree with 4. IF this story is true (it sounds fake), I'd have more respect for the firm had they no offered the kid who forwarded the email.
the snitch was an associate, not a summer. AND it was a man.
58 - and all others that are similarly concerned. You can still bang 18 and 19 year olds as an SA. You just have to bang ones that are not affiliated with your law firm. I think the whole ATL community learned a valuable lesson today.
People here clear know the firm's name but aren't saying. Why? If the SA got no-offered, he's screwed anyway, so there'd no harm to other SAs. And, surely there are enough associates so the snitch is safe from the wrath of Carmelo Anthony.
106 - 3k a week can buy enough crap to keep an 18yold interested, all but the ugliest of SA's should have no problem rolling in the honeys.
That's what I love about these college interns, I keep getting older, they stay the same age.
-Big Law Associate
Isn't the "rule" half-your-age-plus-seven. So, if the intern is 20, the Summer can by up to 26?
Isn't the "rule" half-your-age-plus-seven. So, if the intern is 20, the Summer can be up to 26?
119, 120 -
What rule is that, the rule against pervert-uities?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_disparity_in_sexual_relationships#The_.22half-your-age-plus-seven.22_rule
Sadly, this is the best SA "scandal" this summer. What the hell happened?
the intern was the daughter of a client, not a partner.
I smell in house counsel job for that SA with said daugther's father?????
99 - Sorry. It's creepy when a mid-20s guy hits on a pre-20s girl. We all wonder "what the hell is wrong with this guy that he can't get a woman his own age?"
Ok, not all of us. But the ones of us who aren't likely to text and email and IM you incessently after one (probably brief and unsatisfying) bed-roll in your Ikea-furnished dingy apartment while your roommate has the TV up loud in the other room. Just sayin'.
Pretty costly conquest, not to mention ungentlemanly, given she was drunk and all. Watch this dude get caught having sex with a sandwich at his next firm.
You're sitting at your desk pretending to be on Lextranet but reading ATL when BAM!!! the HP's hot 18 y/o daughter comes in to seal the deal...WHAT DO YOU DO?!?!
Sounds like some of the associates were egging the Robber on at the bar the night before and he assumed he was among friends would appreciate the update.
Sounds also like the associate who forwarded the email got shut out and did the forwarding out of jealousy.
If you can’t get some strange at that age then when?
"Pretty costly conquest, not to mention ungentlemanly, given she was drunk and all. "
Virgin much, 127?
A 24 year old guy and a 19 or 20 year old girl are both still a couple of kids.
It is not that weird.
E-mail not good though.
PS: I had a 48 year old professor, very "hip", lot of parties in his great view house, had his pick of the freshman LS class every year.
No one said it was creepy.
132: it was creepy.
132, someone should have said it was creepy, because it is creepy. Did he also give out A's in exchange for favors? By the way, did you attend the University of Iowa?