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3Ls: Welcome to the Terrordome

Tuesday, March 17, 2009 10:10 AM - By Elie Mystal

Terrordome 3ls revoked.jpgDuring this lull in the firing of current associates, it looks like firms are turning their attention to incoming associates. And firing them.

Yesterday, we learned the the D.C. firm Sughrue Mion fired one third of its incoming first year class, and canceled its 2009 summer associate program. The firm did not respond to our inquires, but we understand that the (former) incoming first years received a $5,000 “severance” payment. As a tipster puts it:

I guess the economy is hitting IP firms pretty hard too (even those with mostly foreign clients).

Today, we learned that the mid-sized firm of Morris, Manning & Martin fired all of its incoming associates.

Details after the jump and an update from Morris Manning.

Morris Manning, which is based in Atlanta, informed its disappointed 3Ls via voice mail last night. Incoming first years were particularly angry because the firm had recently given them an official (albeit delayed) start date. A tipster reports:

It’s as if the firm waited just long enough to rob us of all out opportunities.

We don’t have any reports of severance being offered to the would-be first years.

Other sources report that Morris Manning also canceled its 2009 summer associate program.

People who signed up to work for Morris Manning are understandably regretting their choices:

This news was especially frustrating for those of us who could have obtained positions at Alston & Bird or King & Spalding, who wouldn’t dare rescind their entire incoming class’ offers for fear of bad press. I guess MMM feels like they aren’t big enough to be accountable. Damn shame.

That’s one way of looking at it. But given the clandestine layoffs at Alston & BIrd, and the public layoffs at King & Spalding, who knows what the future holds for incoming first years at those firms.

In any event, it could be long spring for law students who expect to be working at firms this fall.

Update (6:30): Morris Manning managing partner Robert E. Saudek has now confirmed the news to the ABA Journal:

“We believe that our first goal should be to retain jobs for the associates who are already working for us,” Saudek says.

But just because these incoming associates have been let go, it doesn’t mean the firm’s decision is final:

“If and when transactional work picks up we will contact our 3L offerees to see if they are still available to join the firm—that could be in September or it could be next year,” Saudek says.

I don’t know if “pride” is compatible with “the recession,” but would you really go back to a firm that promised you a job, then reneged on its promise, then called you months later and said “hey, I was hoping you were still sitting around, utterly unemployable by anybody else. We have some extra grunt work lying around, you want some?”

Bad times. Not good times, bad times.

Earlier: Firms Rescinding 3L Offers: A Follow Up
Stealth Layoff Watch: Alston & Bird
Nationwide Layoff Watch: King & Spalding Is Making Cuts

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Posted in: Job Searches, Layoffs, Start Dates, Summer Associates

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