Associate Life Survey: Fear, Firings and Firm Support
We received over 1,400 responses to last Wednesday’s ATL / Lateral Link survey on layoffs, which is slightly more than the number of attorneys actually laid off in last week’s Valentine’s Day Massacre.
Even so, roughly 70% of the respondents who hadn’t already been laid off said that they were at least a little bit afraid of joining their colleagues on the breadline.
And very few respondents thought their law firms were doing much to help avoid a layoff:
* About 19% of respondents said their firms were letting associates in slow practices keep their hours up by doing some work supporting the busier practices.
* But only 9% thought their firm would actually let them transfer from a slow practice to a busy one.
* And only 2% thought their firm would let them relocate to another office to find work.
* Similarly, only 2% said their firm was letting associates go part-time.
As lack of work gives way to lack of a job, firms’ support mechanisms for the downsized are looking a bit slim:
* Only 16% of respondents said their firm was providing ample notice to terminated associates, so they could find a new job.
* Only 15% said their firm was leaving laid off associates’ bios on the firm website while they looked for work.
* Only 4% of respondents said their firm was helping associates find positions with clients or with non-profits.
* Roughly 5% of respondents said individual partners at their firm were calling around to try to help associates find new jobs.
* 9% said their firm was making a career consultant available to the downsized.
More than a quarter of respondents, 26%, said their firm wasn’t doing anything to help associates deal with, or avoid, a layoff, and 35% of respondents said they didn’t know.
A few thoughts from the commentariat, after the jump.
As the commenters put it:
They are letting associates go with two weeks notice and two weeks severance. It is getting weird around here.
They lie about the real reasons you were let go. No work.
They made repeated claims to help laid off associates find employment but they haven’t done ANYTHING.
They told me that, “Considering your credentials,” I had nothing to worry about. It’s been 2 months and I’ve had one interview.
So, support’s looking a little soft on the firm front. But is there anything associates can do to help themselves?
We’ll report those results next week.
—
Justin Bernold is a Director at Lateral Link, the sponsor of this survey.
(23) 
Comments
You take off my jacket!
Scary comment:
They told me that, "Considering your credentials," I had nothing to worry about. It's been 2 months and I've had one interview.
Some firms are just stupid. I left my firm a couple months ago (voluntarily, for another job luckily) after several months of having almost nothing to do, and billing pathetically low hours (and I know I was not the only one). Low and behold, I hear they just hired a new associate. Unreal.
it's really messed up when they fire claiming slow economy and then go out and hire someone else.
SkaddenLA is offering several 2nd and 3rd years severance packages while hiring a class almost the same size as the one from last year. Tis strange.
Step One: Get boob job with severance payment.
Step Two: Show off cleavage
Step Three: They're, I mean, you're, HIRED!
Markets shuddering
Law firms quickly shuttering
Lazies sputtering
Let me guess -- the new hire is either related to a partner or a client or a political ally ... or as 6 suggests, has other unique assets to bring to the table, said assets temporarily confusing the hiring partner into thinking there's a need for another associate.
You would think that more firms would allow associates to go part time. For example, if an associate is only billing roughly 1/2 the expected hours due to work drying up, I'd think it's a good idea to let him/her go part time with roughly half the pay. I know there's overhead, benefits, insurance etc., etc., but you'd still have associates creating (roughly) the same ratio of value to expense as before when they were meeting their hours and getting a full salary. And I think a lot of associates would be happy for the chance to go part time. Probably the same with non-equity partners and counsel positions too. It could also keep talented people around for when things pick up.
9,
What sort of idiot associate is going to take part time pay when hes currently getting full time pay for part time hours?
"Hello Partner sir, think you could chop my paycut by a 1/3?"
I almost went to NYU law on a scholarship, then I realized that only mouth-breathers and inbreds don't go to HLS or YLS, so I chose HLS... Best decision of my life.
10 - If the choice is between part-time and getting laid off, you'd be an idiot NOT to volunteer to go part-time.
-- Not 9
10 - people who don't want to get laid off, people who don't want to sit at an office doing nothing when they can be out by noon and still getting 6 figures.
part time would likely be 5 figures.
10 -
The sort of idiot who is watching friends and colleagues get laid off for not meeting their hours and realizing it could be them next, who would rather have 1/2 or 2/3 the big law salary than nothing at all during the worst economic crisis in generations.
Or people like me - junior/mid-level associates who would jump at the chance to do biglaw part-time for a while in order to spend more time with the kids - an arrangement usually reserved for more senior associates/counsel.
- 9
Unless you are financially inept the bad part about being laid off is damaging your resume. I do not see how the damage is averted by having to put part-time on your resume and coming up with BS to your future employers--presumably your career at your old place is going to be shot anyway.
The reason why these dumb hiring committees keep hiring people is because the partners at many firms, including my own, are in complete fucking denial about the lack of work at the firm. It is complete head in the sand time at many firms. They will keep pretending things are normal, then blame associates for not making the hours.
15 -
You have kids? Don't worry, you'll be the next layoff. Everyone knows you target the parents in a downsizing.
18--
As a parent, I find your statement troubling for multiple reasons. If you're being sincere and simply trying to sound the warning bell, then I appreciate it. If you're trying to be funny, I am not amused.
I just got laid off after five weeks with a firm. Consider me one of those who would have gladly taken a pay cut in order to stay on with benefits. You think the firm even considered it....not a chance.
I LOVE THE LOL CATS.
Please keep them.
Especially in these depressing times, it is good for the soul to look at cute kittens! (And for those of you complaining that you don't like cute kittens: you have no soul and are beyond salvation. Either that, or you just lack taste.)
21 - I think lol catz is just ok... failblog, on the other hand, is a fucking riot
In various threads, I've seen discussion about firms allowing terminated associates to remain on the firm's website. Does that mean you can leave the firm on your resume during that time? Are there ethical or legal issues with doing so?