"According to the firm's list 53, associates passed the July 2008 bar." I believe the comma comes after list, not 53.

Good for WSGR. A very unnecessary expense.

Good topic, functionally retarded writing.

QUICK! Somebody call the Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaammmbulance! It's the depression and I didn't get free booze for doing what was fucking expected of me! Wake the fuck up, look around and stop being whiny bitches.

Is this really such a big deal? REALLY?

Not even a bottle of Reunite? Reunite on ice, Reunite so nice. Reunite, Reunite ...

"It's pretty funny to see all the ways firms are trying to stretch a dollar." Actually, it isn't. So they're cutting some expenses. Big deal. It's the reasonable thing to do and isn't "news" at this point.

Here's another grammar correction straight from the grammar police:

"Everybody enjoys knowing that their accomplishments are recognized."

"Everybody" refers to a single person; "their" is plural possessive.

Thus, Elie = Down's Syndrome.

like i need free firm champagne. when i find out i passed the bar, im taking a bottle of johhny blue to the face.

@2 thanks for the grammar tip. I say that without any sarcasm.

There are plenty of good champagnes for $40. Suggestion #1: Don't buy anything you've ever heard of, and you'll be a step ahead (at least in the $40 range).

ITT a bunch of whiners whine about associates whining too much.

9, the singular gender-neutral use of "their" has been around for centuries. It even has its own Wikipedia entry.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singular_they

If there's one thing worse than a snoot, it's an ill-informed snoot.

And as for the content of the post: this is the first year that my office didn't have a semi-official partner's-card-on-the-table congratulations party to celebrate the first years passing the bar exam. Not very surprising in this climate.

Seriously Elie, enough with the commentary and judgment. Your opinion is not only irrelevant, but unpopular I'm sure (who would really trade a bottle of champagne for job security, or the possibility of a better bonus?).

Great reporting, though. I just wish you wouldn't spend so much time on a soapbox you didn't really earn (your audience is inherited from Lat's work). I don't understand how you can do such a good job sometimes and such a bad job at other times.

Also, number 9, you are such a tool. How much time did you just spend correcting Elie's grammar? You realize you're not going to get those minutes back, right?

I feel much better now.

This is a non-story, and frankly, if firms are doing this in lieu of laying people off, more power to them. I would stretch my dollars every way I can before axing folks.

Where. The. Heck. Is. Sullivan.

I can't believe the firm let you see their list 53!

17, NY and DC I believe.

Good move by the firm. A very unnecessary expense that should definitely be cut in these very tough times.

ATL = autoadmit = xoxoxhth

douchebag?
douchebag?
anyone want a douchebag?

douchebag!
over here!
douchebag!

125. Broad. Street.

I'm sure most of these attys won't even drink the champagne anyway as it will never be good enough for them. Although I think they should just re-allocate the funds to cater an informal reception for the bar passers to toast them. They've done this in the past and it brings everyone together.

It's called sparkling wine unless its from the Champagne region. And I thought people in NY had class...

23 - Most of us hate going to that shit. 30 minutes in a conference room with a glass of Cook's or a "margarita" is hell. It's even worse when you're an honoree.

Should have let go the new associate with the lowest bar exam grade to pay for the cost of the party. That's basically the big picture in a nut shell, isn't it?

Honestly, isn't some kind of writing class required for an HLS degree? Pretty much every post has a couple of mistakes. Everybody makes one now and then, but a quick once-over proofread goes a long way...

The whiny posturing in this otherwise excellent blog is getting tiresome. Time for a reality check.

Anyone who thinks they are being mistreated because their six figure salary needs to be garnished with "mediocre champagne" at a minimum should quit their jobs and go generate that kind of cash flow on their own.

Wow, 24. Thanks. You're really tought a lot of us something.

Where were Champagnes confused with other sparking wines in this post or the comments?

Firms are literally melting down from lack of work and all this blog can do is prance around making fun of firms that are cutting unnecessary expenses. It's unseemly. Would you rather them give the shiv to an associate or two in order to keep the Freixenet flowing? Seriously.

Is WSGR still the best place to do Silicon Valley type corporate work in the Bay Area? If not, who?

30 is spot on. Seriously, ATL, I'd rather read nothing at all than this tripe. Big deal.

31 -- even though they half-skaddened their associates yesterday, DPW has a great SV practice.

31 - Yes, it is still the king of SV-type work. Their market share and presence is truly incredible. They seem to be in on most everything going on in SV.

That said, it has some glaring flaws as well.

- non-WSGR SV lawyer

26, you have it backwards. The bar passer with the highest grade should be canned, as they were the least efficient student. The lowest passing grade made the best use of their time while still getting the job done right.

omgz economeez worsta evahs!1

A lot of folks have lost their jobs, (including some of you soon-to-be associates at big law) foreclosures are at ridiculous levels, the US an almost insurmountable deficit, and we're still in the middle of two wars.

But, no, seriously guys... *champagne* is the "sign of the times."

NO ECONOMIC RECOVERY UNTIL 2025!

As a 2L who will have massive debt and thinks that it's totally reasonable for some employment perks, this sounds stupid.

Elie,
I'm guessing that even the 53 bar passers at WSGR don't give a flying F about this. Imagine how the rest of us feel.

31 - sure, if you don't mind fearing partners and being miserable just to have WSGR on your resume.

No problem 29. Next week I will teach you how to spell.

24, 41

I'd say lulz but you obviously stole that from Wayne's World and therefore you get NONE.

For those struggling to recall this discussion, Benjamin explains to Wayne that Americans don't realize that all "Champagne" that isn't from that region in France is actually Sparkling White Wine but Americans don't recognize the convention and call every sparkling white "champagne" out of habit. Wayne then analogizes this to Star Trek the Original vs. Next Generation.

26 and 35 have outed themselves as law students...I can't think of a jurisdiction that publishes scores for bar passers. You only get to know your score if you fail.

Wilson Sonsini should have included a reminder that a few minutes sniffing glue in the copy room will get you a better buzz than a bottle of Veuve Clicquot.

A little too obvious trying to cater to your audience by labeling a $40 bottle champagne "mediocre".

43: you are mistaken; my comment merely points out that 26's theory is in error, and does not address the underlying informational bar to actually implementing either approach.

Now, let's get back to our respective doc reviews, shall we?

-35

the fiefdoms of wsgr have long been sustained by faceless herds of unhappy associates who must re-interview to change practice groups. NO BALANCE AND JUSTICE HERE

-ra's al ghul

35/46 - keep your doc review. I'll stick with the substantive work.

Hugs and kisses,
43

first year bonuses and perks should be eliminated and given to deserving seniors and mids that have to change the babies' diapers and keep them from peeing on themselves.

They should have gotten everybody a bottle of MD 20/20 and spent a total of $200 tops.

First, there are several sparkling wines out there for $40 or less that are quite good. There is also plenty of crap sparkling wine and champagne to be had above that price point. That said, why are you picking on every little thing firms do to save money? This is the environment we are in. If firms were laying people off and still having lavish parties, giveaways, and other unnecessary perks, you'd be complaining about that. You can't have it both ways.

6, 8: While I agree that I would prefer my firm to not deliver me a bottle of champagne if it meant saving jobs, why are you complaining? This is exactly the kind of pointless, whiny drivel that this blog was made for. Head to the WSJ LB if you want to avoid this stuff.

I think that Elie outs himself as someone who has not spent a lot of money in large law firms with these kinds of stories. These sorts of perks and quirks are everywhere (I am sure that many firms come and go with little things like this all the time - the firms for which I have worked sure did.). Elie fails to realize that just because an easy story with a slightly interesting angle (discontinuing the champagne) fell into his lap doesn't mean that he should actually use it. Lat covered things like this when it was some interest of his consistent with the past direction of one of his blogs, even if tawdry and perhaps silly (this is a tabloid, after all). It never seemed mundane, though. Elie covers any story like this that he comes across, and they all seem to run to the mundane. I guess that comes across as good because the traffic is up, but eventually he will make enough of an ass of himself that maybe Lat will run him out of here.

signed, proofreads his posts, even though it's not his job

False, 43. Everyone who takes the Georgia bar gets their score, pass or fail. 26 may very well be a law student, but a comment on bar scores certainly isn't what outed him/her.

Well heaven forbid we overlook Georgia, 54. Can't believe that didn't pop up on my radar. Massive, weepy apologies.

- 43

43, you really should get back to whatever "substantive work" you were doing. Someone with feelings as delicate as yours shouldn't be using the internet.

Signed,
Not 54 or 35 or 46

43, 55

Serves you right for being a douche bag.

So many great grammar tips on ATL. Corporate associates with too much spare time? It isn't a contract. It's a blog.

ya'll have way too much time on your hands. srsly.

Salute your shorts, Donkeylips.

"your audience is inherited from Lat's work"
agreed

O RLY?

What the hell happened to Lat? Does that guy plan on coming back at some point?

63,

Lat is on assignment doing an interview with the catering guy from Half-Skadden. There were some serious food downgrades for meetings in two of the conference rooms yesterday. The clients were not pleased and the junior associates were livid. More tomorrow.

I just want to say that all the Elie-bashers are 10x as annoying as Elie's grammar mistakes or his commentary.

If you don't like ATL, please STFU and go away.

43 has outed himself as being either old or retarded. Most jurisdictions send out individual letters with a score, pass or fail. Can you think of New York? Because that's one.

S&P to 190!!!

50 - I like you.

65: Elie? Get your fat space ass back here!

Hi,

I heard this was a good site to find a lawyer. Do any of you take criminal cases? If so, please give me a call, I've got a bit of a situation here.

-- Plaxico

70:

*hustles to send off my resume and cover letter while furiously reading up on ‘thug law’*

-nervous T-10 1L
email job leads to nervoust101l@yahoo.com

3 dings :(:(:(
176 pending...
1 wait until january :/

71 - enough, u fucking douchebag

Nervous: I hope you are a real person and every bit as neurotic as you seem, because you remind me of so many of my law school classmates. I'm pretty sure you personify ATL at the moment.

Don't worry--I didn't get a firm job my 1L summer, but still have a job at a V5 firm and doing quite well. There are many different paths...

wtf is wrong with this site now. 72 go back to UPennState. or even better, cornell

wtf is wrong with this site now. 71 go back to UPennState. or even better, cornell

73 - Fag

The champagne is a waste of money. Anyone who fails the bar is an idiot.

i went out the night before the bar and fucked a bunch of eliot spitzers hand picked hookers. still passed. snorted coke off fake titties. awesome

The point of the post is in the first line: "sign of the times."

It's not whining, it's just amusing (in a sad way).

"It's pretty funny to see all the ways firms are trying to stretch a dollar. I hope the recession doesn't get any worse, or else firms will have to start eliminating "complimentary" bathroom soap."

wilmerhale gave each of their new bar passers a bottle of champagne! the late food disaster aside, i think wilmer is still a very generous place

Spring of 2009 will not be pretty.

I hope my offer does not get rescinded.

*nervous 3L with V50 offer*

*opens up some of the ‘champagne of beers’ to cap off a long day of studying for finals and worrying about jobs, hopes that this summer i’ll be able to buy a whole case of this stuff on my fat 3k/week check*

-nervous T-10 1L
email job leads to nervoust101l@yahoo.com

3 dings :(:(:(
176 pending…
1 “wait until January” :/

oh Hai, nervous T-10 1L

I'm a 3L at WUSTL/UCLA/VANDY/Texas.

I'm concerned about my v-50 offer being rescinded.
Can you forward job leads to me?

*nervous 3L concerned about Spring of 2009*

78. You are spot on. I drank with a friend until 3:00 in the morning before his bar exam. He said he did the same thing before the LSAT.

He was the man and is T14 and V5. He was basically Bill Brasky. I would suck him off like a Spitzer Special so fast he would have time to punch me in the back of the head.

78, you are so f*cking spot on.

My buddy and I drank until 3:00 in the morning the night before the bar. Both T14 and V5. He said he did the same thing before the LSAT.

He was basically Bill Brasky. If given the chance I would s*ck him off so fast he woudnt have time to punch the back of my head.

You all are losers.

"This is exactly the kind of pointless, whiny drivel that this blog was made for." No it isn't. There was a time when this type of story would have gotten a mention. The difference now is readers get hit over the head with the author's juvenile, half-baked editorializing. That's his right, of course, as the editor and primary writer for this site. But he's just not good at it.

Nonnews. Elie is really starting to annoy me with his over the top commentary. Go check to see if firms are replenishing stationery Elie.

9, it's down syndrome, not "down's" syndrome, you fuckin moron.

73 = Worst. Person. Ever. Eat a dick, 73.

You nailed it, 89. Really nailed it.

88-
Go eat a dick. Down syndrome and down's syndrome are both appropriate because it is named after John Langdon Down.

89-
I didn't see your comment until after I posted. Will you be my BFF?
-91

The thing with Elie is that all his posts make me feel worse about my life, and it's not just because the posts are evidence that the economy is in the crapper. Lat would make the news light, or funny, or witty or happy. But when I read ATL now, all I feel is annoyed and unhappy. This is supposed to be fun and informative. The fun is gone. And so am I.

this was the dumbest story. ever.

Spring 2009: The Great 3L Rescinded Offer Massacre

You are a fool. You have a bunch of posts on how cutting a christmas party, champagne, dinner stipends don't matter. You do realize these things AGGREGATE, right?

Time to start firing first years. Entire classes will start being laid off by February.

Gunner d-bags who used to talk about their V5 offers will soon be sucking cack for $20s in chelsea buddy booths and offering rusty trombone services snowbunny style on craigslist. 2009 is shaping up to be a banner year for HPV in the legal community.

The out of pocket costs for these trifles is probably less than $1000 per partner.

Ergo, someone should give 96 an angry pirate.

Elie, you fat dumb fuck. Yesterday someone actually did your work for you and put up a list of all the firms that have done layoffs in 2008 (see the Fried Frank post). Did you jump on this? Did you give us news that's actually helpful? No. Your stupid fat ass discussed foodstuffs.

Why am I not surprised you're more focused on the loss of edibles than on layoffs?

MysTTTal.

98: Either way it doesn't really matter to me, my job is safe. I guess I'll stop rallying for the villagers in the TTT now.

Logic in this thread is terrible. In the real world, I was on a team that won Rule 11 sanctions against the same bad logic -- i.e., WSGR's e-mail was silent as to whether or not they gave the bar passers champagne this year, yet poster claims this proves that they did not give champagne this year. That may be the case, but if you are wrong and your opposition calls your bluff, this kind of shit will get you in trouble in court. ($5mil sanction in our case because we called them on it.)

This is stupid. Post something about the layoffs you hinted at when you get the confirmation, but anyone expecting needless perks right now is ridiculous.

Wilson's champagne costs $19 each, not $40.

Elie/Eliza/Kash... somebody-

Can we PLEASE get a fixed link on the homepage with a chart to all the layoff information?

It's been requested repeatedly and would be a useful resource. Why the reluctance to create and post one? Sheer laziness?

The chart could be fairly basic. Start with the V100. Next to each firm you could indicate whether layoffs have been (a) rumored/stealth, (b) announced, (c) nonexistent. You could also include other information fields (announced bonus, merger/dissolution rumors, staff layoffs, etc.).

Again, this would be a very efficient way to maintain all the information that comes out on the site with the benefit of providing a side by side comparison of how firms are doing and also keeping firms in the spotlight beyond the time that their stories fall off the first page. I know alot of the information is unconfirmed rumors, but a chart could at least catalogue the information.

What do you think? If no, can you at least tell us why not? Thanks.

I second 105's suggestion.

Fixed link with a chart would be ideal.

Hey 105, are you starting or finishing your day?

-106

106: Starting. How about you?

pink

102 - how do you get rule 11 sanctions for making a reasonable argument that turns out to be wrong?

The only thing more frightening than the douche-i-ness of this article is the fact that some douchebag at WSGR got worked up enough about not getting champagne that he/she "tipped off" ATL. People need to stop reading ATL and pick up a WSJ.

Hey nervous, let us know when you get a SA offer and I'm sure Elie will send over a bottle to congratulate you.

If Elie ran a firm, it would layoff 50% of its associates. Good job demonstrating that lawyers have business acumen, dummy.

MILBANK ANNOUNCES! Half-Skadden bonuses on a "discretionary" basis.

Elie- Finish breakfast and post something new

Hey 15 and 30 - saving $2000 is NOT going to make a difference in whether anyone gets hired or fired. Read the article before you comment next time.

9, you are a tool on many different levels. Trust me when I tell you that people make fun of you when you are not around.

I think the point of these posts is more that firms are cutting back on all sorts of niceties and perks - and while that may make fiscal sense, it also makes fiscal sense to keep associates happy. If partners are losing their own perks too, great. But if PPP remain stable and associate bonuses and perks go down, it means the associates are getting shafted because the partners aren't bringing in enough business.

MysTTTal

Is it true that WSGR is a terrible sweatshop?

Haha so freaking funny that a firm that is not laying off attorneys is trying to cut costs elsewhere. this is a great one to mock, elie. oh so clever. and funny.

I have an, ahem, friend, who works at WSGR and I know that the new attorneys in his office received champagne. This "story" is ridiculous.

"Firms cannot afford to be frivolous during these tough times, but would a $40 bottle of mediocre champagne really break WSGR's financial back? According to the firm's list 53, associates passed the July 2008 bar. That's just over $2,000 in alcoholic costs."

Elie, stop being a biatch. This is a bull shit "story" to begin with, but the message you deliver above is just ridiculous. Of all the feelings of entitlement you hear about junior associates, this one seems to be at the top. Who gives a fuck about free alcohol in this market.

It's sad that someone went to the trouble of digging out last year's email and sending it to you.

105-
Sorry to get back to you so late. I had to take a nap.

I was just finishing my day, but I'm on the West coast, so it wasn't too bad.

Some day I wanna pull early mornings rather than late nights ...

-106

109 -- because we proved that a reasonable attorney would have investigated and discovered that the arguments they were making were not reasonable at all. (i.e., they could have found out whether or not champagne was actually given out, rather than making an assumption)

First?

119 - From my interviews there, I gathered that the bigger problem is that workload varies so much (type and quantity) from "group" to "group," and the whole "group" structure is pretty weird.

126 - What's that "group" structure?

Just got my bottle of bubbly! WSGR may be late, but they're handing them out now

First-Year Bar-Passing Wilson Associate here -- check your facts ATL, we were definitely given bottles before this post was even put up.

And quit sippin that haterade all you comment posters!