first

2...ha, beat you to it...and at least I had something more creative than "first"
- 1

I like the Skadden tipster who uses "no nothings." Actually, my man, "know nothings" makes more sense. Dumbass

The real news is the NYC retreat being canceled.

Skadden 2L

If you're going to call someone a "know nothing," you should at least know how to spell.

Since Skadden didn't mention severance, I'll assume I'm not needed.

I like the Skadden tipster who uses the term "first year no nothings." The term makes more sense if you say "first year KNOW nothings." Moron

4 - that is why the staff tipster was let go - mistakes like that.

I like "objectively interesting" jobs

Day by day it's more impossible to cope...

I feel like I'm the one who's doing dope.

Skaddenfreude, anyone?

Kashmir
Invites
Really
Kewl
Lobsters into her
Ass
Night and
Day

&

Eliza
Likes
Lobster
In
Situ.

------

Have
U
Noticed
That
Only a staff retiree party happened in
North Carolina today?

&

When
In hell will
Lat,
Lobster
Inserter,
And
Mystal
Stop screwing up?

Did anyone else notice he said "no nothings" HAH! How could NO ONE else notice that?

now, who said SkaTTTden is safer?

As a graduating 3L headed to Skadden, I'd like to tell that staff attorney that at least I KNOW how to spell "know" correctly.

As a graduating 3L headed to Skadden, I'd like to tell that staff attorney that at least I KNOW how to spell "know" correctly.

As a graduating 3L headed to Skadden, I'd like to tell that staff attorney that at least I KNOW how to spell "know" correctly AND how to write sentences with proper punctuation.

"It's pretty pathetic to take staff attorneys- many who were working 10 to 12 hour days and replace them with first year no nothings and pay them 160 the business model is broken ; while partners try to justify their existence making 2m a year who don't generate any business."

It's like he/she tried to fit every common TTT grammar error into one sentence for the comedic value... then you realize they weren't trying.

Things are still looking pretty good from where I am sitting, high atop Times Square.

SkaddenNYC Prestige

Okay. We get it.

The tipster mistakenly wrote "no nothing" instead of "know nothing".

For those who were let go, I bet these layoffs will end up being a blessing in disguise; it's doubtful that their future positions will be as painfully boring as working as staff attorney.

A number of firms have tried to insulate associates from the economic downturn by only laying off staff people. That just postpones the inevitable and associates are let go in a second round of layoffs.

as a now former staff atty u guys all make me sick. i am smarter than like 50 percent of the first year associates without the 160k or the sense of intitlement, and I work just as hard or harder. i just wanted to let those partners who are reading this that your actions will not go unpunished, just because we are staff attorneys does not mean we cant SUE you.

24:
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Wow, that felt good. See you in court?

Aren't Skadden "staff" attorneys really just temporary employees on extended contracts? My understanding was that they signed a series of six month contracts to work, not that they were traditional employees of the firm. Unlike others, I don't mean them any disrespect. A friend of mine was a staff attorney at Skadden DC for a brief period of time, and that's how she explained their system. She left there, at a breakneck pace, to join another firm as an associate, and never looked back.

50 Staffers. Try 150!!!! Skadden has been in layoffs since last Thanksgiving!!!!!!! Why so slow to report??!!! The writing has been on the wall for the entire firm as well as the country. I am sure clients are asking themselves, “What the hell is the point of these astronomical bills?” Looks like Big Law bit into the poison apple when they were suppose to be on the look out!!!

Gave the fired Staff Attorneys 2 months severance plus $500 for COBRA payments. Only 4 remain from the 50+ staff attorneys they had back in 2008.

50 Staffers. Try 150!!!! Skadden has been in layoffs since last Thanksgiving!!!!!!! Why so slow to report??!!! The writing has been on the wall for the entire firm as well as the country. I am sure clients are asking themselves, “What the hell is the point of these astronomical bills?” Looks like Big Law bit into the poison apple when they were suppose to be on the look out!!!

50 Staffers. Try 150!!!! Skadden has been in layoffs since last Thanksgiving!!!!!!! Why so slow to report??!!! The writing has been on the wall for the entire firm as well as the country. I am sure clients are asking themselves, “What the hell is the point of these astronomical bills?” Looks like Big Law bit into the poison apple when they were suppose to be on the look out!!!

Gave the fired Staff Attorneys 2 months severance plus $500 for COBRA payments. Only 4 remain from the 50+ staff attorneys they had back in 2008.

50 Staffers. Try 150!!!! Skadden has been in layoffs since last Thanksgiving!!!!!!! Why so slow to report??!!! The writing has been on the wall for the entire firm as well as the country. I am sure clients are asking themselves, “What the hell is the point of these astronomical bills?” Looks like Big Law bit into the poison apple when they were suppose to be on the look out!!!

27 - Effective use of exclamation points. I didn't believe your post at first, but you said it with so much passion, I have been persuaded.

"It's pretty pathetic to take staff attorneys- many who were working 10 to 12 hour days and replace them with first year no nothings and pay them 160 the business model is broken ; while partners try to justify their existence making 2m a year who don't generate any business."

The business model isn't broken as long as the clients are willing to pay. You're just on the losing end of our prestigious scheme.

24, you can't even spell. How could you be smarter than them?

If you can't see that 24 is clearly a flame, then you should start reading a new blog.

When I was a paralegal at Skadden (before I went to law school) I had to masturbate on the conference room chairs before meetings.

Proof positive that Ellie is fabricating leaks to ATL.

11 -- you are my hero.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow - pretty good of you guess to beat up on the ex staff attorneys. But they were pure profit. and lowered client bills. Associates won't do the doc review. Guaranteed this will be bad for the bottom line.

Good luck to all the laid off people. Hopefully at least having Skadden on the resume will help.

...and the grand pyramid scheme of biglaw slowly unravels. skaddenfreude, indeed.

24 = angry black female with 155 LSAT (Yolanda Young) in the staff attorney "plantation."

24 - try more subtlety in your flame next time. Seriously. That was embarrassing.

I trust the various purged staff attorneys will nonetheless have access to Skadden's alumni network?

http://www.skadden.com/alumni/Index.cfm?contentID=7

They actually request that you "[p]lease continue to share your successes, insights and ideas with us." Follow the 'first time user' link at the bottom and let the games begin. What could possibly go wrong?

I stopped reading when I read that no associates were laid off.

Does anyone have a breakdown of the layoffs by office?

Swift and terrible
Falls now the axe of Skadden,
Staffers in despair.

Delete 43.

35---"than they," not "than them." Not sure who is brighter.

Does anyone know how many staff attorneys Skadden had pre-layoffs?

50 = epic fail, try again.

I really hope you don't go around saying "I am smarter than they."

really 50? really? really. really? really??

52/53---once again, for the students: "they are," not "them are"

Sorry Skadden but you got Ponzied EYYYYYYYY

Please cut and paste 43. Immediately.

Ron Jeremy

54, stop digging yourself in a bigger hole.

See the actual difference in meaning between:
"How could you be smarter than them?"
and
"How could you be smarter than they (are smarter)?"

But it's ok, English is a hard language and it's difficult to tell the difference between subjects and objects.

38 - kudos

Delete 49.

Cute, 57, but the word in your parenthetical should be "smart," not "smarter." Time to get back to substance.

Just thinking out loud here, but I wonder if the laid off Staff Attorneys might have some sort of defamation action against Skadden for leaking this story to ATL? It seems to me they might. . .

54, English lesson. Please identify the object noun in the following sentence:

I ran faster than him.

52 and 53 = idiots who don't know they are idiots.

63 is obviously smarter than we.

boohoo... so much whining about layoffs, severance and other BS. i'm a third-tier (hell, maybe fourth) law school, small-firm 3L and in the last two weeks i closed 3 $10M+ deals... if i was to get laid off, i'd have enough clients of my own to get by.. you guys are f-ing pathetic. biglaw babies

http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/than-I-versus-than-me.aspx

king and spalding sucks - oh, wait, this isn't king and spalding ... who cares, they still suck. they are pushing start dates for new associates to jan 2010. also heard partners are taking pay cuts of up to 10%

skadden has been doing stealth layoffs for a while (at least in nyc) - the package is three months severance. they also instituted a program giving you 4 months salary to take a leave of absence from the firm for a year, with a guarantee of a job when you return. of course, you are still an at-will employee under the "guarantee" so you could be re-hired and then fired within the same week.

they are not immune.

43 - your comment is totally unnecessary

skadden has been doing stealth layoffs for a while (at least in nyc) - the package is three months severance. they also instituted a program giving you 4 months salary to take a leave of absence from the firm for a year, with a guarantee of a job when you return. of course, you are still an at-will employee under the "guarantee" so you could be re-hired and then fired within the same week.

they are not immune.

What was up with that comment about Kirkland and Hunton & Williams?

skadden has been doing stealth layoffs for a while (at least in nyc) - the package is three months severance. they also instituted a program giving you 4 months salary to take a leave of absence from the firm for a year, with a guarantee of a job when you return. of course, you are still an at-will employee under the "guarantee" so you could be re-hired and then fired within the same week.

they are not immune.

Based on the tipster, did they only lay off staffers who didn't speak English as a first language?

Elie, it was a classy touch to throw a plug for your stupid March Madness thing in there at the end. It really made the sympathetic mumblings you followed it with sound sincere.

It's only fair that we redistribute some of the wealth. After all, it's not like business owners are going to start firing employees if you take away their money.

Only douche bag lawyers would get off on pointing out that there was a typo in the article (No/Know Nothings). Nerd Wars 2009!!

65 - that's a lot of work for a 3L. Are you making it to your classes still?

this is terrible news to Skadden associates. When the management find that staff cutting does not stop bleeding, associates will be put on the chopping board. The same sequence happened in many firms. I bet there will be news Re Skadden associate layoffs in 1-3 months.

What does this have to do with my fantasy baseball draft?

It is "smarter than THEY ARE"

that's the proper way to say it, write it and think it

disagree - c'mon i dare ya

"Ken Wilson sums it up best in The Columbia Guide to Standard American English (3):

Than is both a subordinating conjunction, as in She is wiser than I am, and a preposition, as in She is wiser than me.... both are unquestionably Standard."

He sure writes better than we.

ken wilson and i went to high school together

seriously??

i hope it's only one person posting over and over again who think it's really supposed to be "we are smarter than they"

we (subject) are (verb) smarter (adjective) than (conjunction) them (object).
seems like a fine sentence to i.

god i can't stop myself from procrastinating.

So, should I take Mark Teixeira or not? I think this might be his year, but I hate the Yankees.

4 + 6- or four and six (if that's what you wannabes, or want to be laywers perfer) Y

You're pathethic because your vaule is limtied (sp)to changing words, spelling or chasing commas in plagarized memos. And you thnik(sp) you deserve that kind of money for being totally useless duchebags to clients? You dont' know a thing about business or clients or people for that matter. You're a bunch of whiners who were born too late to ever make partner or survive. Most of you will never make it or you'll hate your jobs
I've done the Biglaw/ associate thing for 5 years ; it sucks the big one ( like the one you are probably real good at) ( don't call I'm married)
That's all your good for- editing words or blackining- or making copies, what a worthless degree for jerkoffs with already inflated egos because they can spell superfluous or you can tell some drunk rubber in a club in NY youre a lawyer-Big deal; been there done that.
Fact of the matter is the night before I was up till 11 working ; and yes I was treid (sp) when I wrote at 3 in the moring the next night ; that day they axed us all.
The model is broke and you will be too when you get the call.
You're not worth more than 100k( what I made first out)- alll a bunch of disappointed journalists/ English majors who can't add or tell the difference between a P&L and balance sheet. Oh but you can spell-

What's an asset? You? Ask your partners if they think you are.
No doubt ; no nuttins

4 + 6- or four and six (if that's what you wannabes, or want to be laywers perfer) Y

You're pathethic because your vaule is limtied (sp)to changing words, spelling or chasing commas in plagarized memos. And you thnik(sp) you deserve that kind of money for being totally useless duchebags to clients? You dont' know a thing about business or clients or people for that matter. You're a bunch of whiners who were born too late to ever make partner or survive. Most of you will never make it or you'll hate your jobs
I've done the Biglaw/ associate thing for 5 years ; it sucks the big one ( like the one you are probably real good at) ( don't call I'm married)
That's all your good for- editing words or blackining- or making copies, what a worthless degree for jerkoffs with already inflated egos because they can spell superfluous or you can tell some drunk rubber in a club in NY youre a lawyer-Big deal; been there done that.
Fact of the matter is the night before I was up till 11 working ; and yes I was treid (sp) when I wrote at 3 in the moring the next night ; that day they axed us all.
The model is broke and you will be too when you get the call.
You're not worth more than 100k( what I made first out)- alll a bunch of disappointed journalists/ English majors who can't add or tell the difference between a P&L and balance sheet. Oh but you can spell-

What's an asset? You? Ask your partners if they think you are.
No doubt ; no nuttins

4 + 6- or four and six (if that's what you wannabes, or want to be laywers perfer) Y

You're pathethic because your vaule is limtied (sp)to changing words, spelling or chasing commas in plagarized memos. And you thnik(sp) you deserve that kind of money for being totally useless duchebags to clients? You dont' know a thing about business or clients or people for that matter. You're a bunch of whiners who were born too late to ever make partner or survive. Most of you will never make it or you'll hate your jobs
I've done the Biglaw/ associate thing for 5 years ; it sucks the big one ( like the one you are probably real good at) ( don't call I'm married)
That's all your good for- editing words or blackining- or making copies, what a worthless degree for jerkoffs with already inflated egos because they can spell superfluous or you can tell some drunk rubber in a club in NY youre a lawyer-Big deal; been there done that.
Fact of the matter is the night before I was up till 11 working ; and yes I was treid (sp) when I wrote at 3 in the moring the next night ; that day they axed us all.
The model is broke and you will be too when you get the call.
You're not worth more than 100k( what I made first out)- alll a bunch of disappointed journalists/ English majors who can't add or tell the difference between a P&L and balance sheet. Oh but you can spell-

What's an asset? You? Ask your partners if they think you are.
No doubt ; no nuttins

4 + 6- or four and six (if that's what you wannabes, or want to be laywers perfer) Y

You're pathethic because your vaule is limtied (sp)to changing words, spelling or chasing commas in plagarized memos. And you thnik(sp) you deserve that kind of money for being totally useless duchebags to clients? You dont' know a thing about business or clients or people for that matter. You're a bunch of whiners who were born too late to ever make partner or survive. Most of you will never make it or you'll hate your jobs
I've done the Biglaw/ associate thing for 5 years ; it sucks the big one ( like the one you are probably real good at) ( don't call I'm married)
That's all your good for- editing words or blackining- or making copies, what a worthless degree for jerkoffs with already inflated egos because they can spell superfluous or you can tell some drunk rubber in a club in NY youre a lawyer-Big deal; been there done that.
Fact of the matter is the night before I was up till 11 working ; and yes I was treid (sp) when I wrote at 3 in the moring the next night ; that day they axed us all.
The model is broke and you will be too when you get the call.
You're not worth more than 100k( what I made first out)- alll a bunch of disappointed journalists/ English majors who can't add or tell the difference between a P&L and balance sheet. Oh but you can spell-

What's an asset? You? Ask your partners if they think you are.
No doubt ; no nuttins

4 + 6- or four and six (if that's what you wannabes, or want to be laywers perfer) Y

You're pathethic because your vaule is limtied (sp)to changing words, spelling or chasing commas in plagarized memos. And you thnik(sp) you deserve that kind of money for being totally useless duchebags to clients? You dont' know a thing about business or clients or people for that matter. You're a bunch of whiners who were born too late to ever make partner or survive. Most of you will never make it or you'll hate your jobs
I've done the Biglaw/ associate thing for 5 years ; it sucks the big one ( like the one you are probably real good at) ( don't call I'm married)
That's all your good for- editing words or blackining- or making copies, what a worthless degree for jerkoffs with already inflated egos because they can spell superfluous or you can tell some drunk rubber in a club in NY youre a lawyer-Big deal; been there done that.
Fact of the matter is the night before I was up till 11 working ; and yes I was treid (sp) when I wrote at 3 in the moring the next night ; that day they axed us all.
The model is broke and you will be too when you get the call.
You're not worth more than 100k( what I made first out)- alll a bunch of disappointed journalists/ English majors who can't add or tell the difference between a P&L and balance sheet. Oh but you can spell-

What's an asset? You? Ask your partners if they think you are.
No doubt ; no nuttins

skaTTTen

wow 85-88 - you had to make such a show-stopping point that you angrily slammed your keyboard and/or "post comment" button 4 whole times to bore us not once, but 4 times! thank you - now take your pills and go to sleep, king george.

and 83 - it's elementary grammar dicktard - you are correct in mocking, "seems like ___ to i" - very very witty and clever; however, your wit falls flat because you can actually figure out which phrases use "than i" and "than me" by just reordering the sentence thusly:

you seem extremely retarded to me: things don't seem to i - they seem to "me"
now try:
i am smarter than they are (you don't say "them are smart" - you say, "they are smart")

- eric blast

91- I'm a geek or greek( don't get excited now) ; and your a pussy

Paul Weiss to ruling the world.

92 - what the hell are you trying to say besides that i'm a pussy (it's you're - unless you were flaming me - then, flame fails)?

and, oh yeah - i'm right

78,

I'm old enough to remember that, in the early 90s, Skadden had 4 deep rounds of lawyer layoffs over the course of a year.

I don't remember exact numbers, but I think it was on the order of 25 associates per round - and the firm was undoubtedly much smaller then.

Also, in that recession, Skadden issued press releases that it was only "cutting the deadwood" - and I believe it was substantially the first time such press releases had ever been issued. (Because people were really shocked by it, and I recall someone like maybe the late Judge Frankel even writing an op-ed piece criticizing the practice.)

is skadden located above the Sean John poster in times square?

yeah you're right I'm wrong - you're a fag hot- did I miss a comma? Irrelevant and immaterial - like NY lawyers-
I own 3 houses have a gorgeous wife- you rent and jerk off to Defense Counsel journal or The Trial Lawyer or The Daily Deal- what a waste of words

Billing clients at associate rates for doc review is going to cause big problems. And having associates do nothing but doc review for their first couple of years is going to cause big problems (which is what happens when firms don't have staff attorneys to handle large reviews/contractors). Overall, this could be very bad for Skadden.

97 -

I'm also 25 and you're arguing with a 25 year old (who rents) and not making an ounce of sense. Been shotgunning too many PBRs to type straight? Is that how you "get errr did" whereever you live? jersey is it?

btw - let's just be good ol' boys for a second - what's a "fag hot?" is that what you like your gorgeous wife to scream into your good ear when it's time to move one of your 3 fully owned trailers?

your DNA is immaterial HOSSSSSSSS!!!!!

97- I meant foghat , old rock band and I'm a lot older than you that's evident- and better looking - trust me- but youre defintiely an apple bobber - dont' try to match wits with me; pee wee
I can't type straght but at least I'm not a faghot- you'll neve find a wife ; because you wont; make enough money or you look like my balls

With Fox Rothschild's fiscal year ending on 3/31 and Mark Silow already on record that the Fox will re-evaluate staffing after the end of the fiscal year, the natives there are restless for sure. Acquiring a CT office and laying off staff within two weeks of each other would be brutal, but it doesn't mean it won't be done.

100

I actually like you now you sneaky devil!

-99

is skadden the Sean John poster?!?!

Who's office is Diddy's fist?

err, 91.. i think the grammar guy was joking about the "than i" thing, and it went a little over your head

100- sorry I was wrong again: you look like Shira Scheindlin ( guess who that is) or just google her or swallow it ; you;'re used to that

the international offices were most definitely not unscathed. i have it on very good authority that 3 relatively senior (read: "expensive") staff were let go in Tokyo recently.

kenju watanabe

Yo asshole! This motha' fucka's dead. Ain't no Chris Angel Mindfreak, David Blane trapdoor horse shit jumpin' off here!

Usually, I'm pretty good at flaming with most posters actually believing the crap I write. But today, I don't feel like it. This is really bad news.

And the grammar faghot should just stop flaming. His flame is flickering into a pile of burned smelly insense ash. Even 25 year olds occasionally have heard of Foghat and can pretend to have three hot wives and a house, or whatever it is you are saying in those stupid posts.

106 - I want to comment, but can't really be bothered.

How many Skadden ASSOCIATES have been laid off in the past six months?

Per Mike Rogan (DC managing partner), at a 2:30 meeting today for staff and legal assistants, SkaddenDC laid off 25 staff and 4 legal assistants on Thursday and Friday. By staff I mean people working in the mail room, copy center, receptionists, secretaries.... people making less than 60,000 per year. I heard from other sources they were given 1 months severance, no time to say goodbye to people they worked with for years, and escorted out of the building. The staff attorneys that got laid off knew they were just fancy contract attorneys and were making 100,000+ per year and they got 2 or 3 months severance. Think that's fair?

Guess the associates not only have to learn how to do doc review but how to make copies, send out a FedEx, and answer their own phones.

110, that is horrible.

95, links?

110 - I thnk, in general, that associates might be able to figure out how to do those things. I wonder, though, who will tie their shoes???

Idiot.

113 = Skadden troll.

114 = unemployed.

115 = Government Employee

To Whom It May Concern: REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU WENT TO LAW SCHOOL, YOUR RANK IN CLASS. WHO YOUR PARENTS WERE OR WERE NOT, EVERYONE IS FUNGIBLE. INSTEAD OF MIGRATING TO BIG LAW, WE WOULD ALL BE BETTER OFF OPENING UP OUR OWN LITTLE LAW SHOPS. YOU AT LEAST HAVE SOME CONTROL OVER YOUR FUTURE AND YOU CAN COMPETE WITH BIG LAW ON PRICE!!!! HOW MUCH LONGER IS CORPORATE AMERICA GOING TO PAY $750 PER HOUR FOR SOME RELIC AT A BIG LAW PLACE REGURGITATE AN ANALYSIS PREPARED BY AN ASSOCIATE?

Isn't it time for us lowly associates to contact the Teamsters and see if they want to organize us? Hell, I would love to see the looks on the faces of some of these absolute zeroes who manage these firms when they have to cross a picket line with some 250-300 pound Teamster yelling profanities at one of these pencil neck geek managing partner types.
Yes, that would be sweet. The problem with lawyers is that we are all lemmings. we think that by kissing the ass of some senior partner, we are going to get ahead and be on the "fast track" to partnership blah, blah, blah. Well, now you all can see that when push comes to shove, these a..holes will shove an associate who has worked his/her but off for their firm overboard just to preserve their own backsides.

Hopefully at least another 10 years or so.

But thanks for the all caps. It was very emphatic.

119- Hope springs eternal. But, I think the days of many of these firms-they really are not firms anymore but loose federations-are numbered. The rate structures are not sustainable. I recognize that sometimes you get what you pay for, but, all these firms that are shedding partners and associates are doing nothing more than creating new competition. Maybe not next week, but, sure enough, these laid off associates and partners will form their own firms and compete head on with their former firms and go after the same clients.

Yes. Just go ahead and start your own law firm right out of law school. Major corporate clients will surely jump ship and rush to seek your wise counseling. It's crazy that nobody has figured out the solution that has come to you plain as day.

Let's hope the staff is as savvy as the lawyers are when demanding severance!

http://stuffbiglawassociateslike.wordpress.com/2009/03/27/biglaw-associates-like-being-greedy/

Good luck to all those Skadden folks let go. It's a very tough market right now.

For the grammar police, it IS proper to say "than they." It is also correct to say "than them." Depends on the context, and it is proper, old-fashioned English, still common in Britain.

Also, grammar cops, no one noticed (or perhaps cared) about Elie's grammar in this sentence. See if you can catch it:

"We understand that associates participation in the Sidebar program has been very strong."

Peace out,

Grammar 5-0

Good luck to all those Skadden folks let go. It's a very tough market right now.

For the grammar police, it IS proper to say "than they." It is also correct to say "than them." Depends on the context, and it is proper, old-fashioned English, still common in Britain.

Also, grammar cops, no one noticed (or perhaps cared) about Elie's grammar in this sentence. See if you can catch it:

"We understand that associates participation in the Sidebar program has been very strong."

Peace out,

Grammar 5-0

121: I was not suggesting lawyers "right out of school" start their own firm. Read my note again, I said "partners" and associates will form new firms which will compete with the firms that dumped them. And maybe your problem is that you are focused on "major corporate clients". All of these "major corporate clients" are themselves disappearing. That's why "Big Law" lawyers are now on eggshells waiting to see if they survive the next round of layoffs. 121- you seem like a defeatist and an elitist incapable of thinking outside of the box (i.e. your fixation on dinosaur "major corporate clients"). Glad you do not work with us.

The whole business model doesn't work. What's the point in discussing these things: There are too many lawyers for too few postions espcially in NY.
Do you think we are going to be in a boom era again.
The securitization work is goine and litigation is down- companies and their boards can't be sued for the fraud and reckless risk taking of creating CDOs and credit default swaps.
Law school was a default choice- at least for me- it doesn't perpare you for anything- except, if you have the luck, to practice for a few years.
Most of us went to law school because we couldnt' find jobs as english or history teachers. And we weren't that good in math. I should have been a teacher ; at least I could have given something beyond myself instead of being doomed to the hell of lonileness
Solo practice? Are you kidding me?
Most of us will not be not needed anymore.
I'm done with the pertending there is some meaningful job out there as a lawyer.

109 - WE'LL NEVER KNOW B/C THEY WERE STEALTH. Expect more. You prestige whores are feeding yourself the koolaid to feel good about your shit.

PS: CLIENTS WHO HAVE YET TO GO BANKRUPT WOULD SOONER SEE HELL FREEZE OVER THAN PAY $360/HR FOR ASSOCIATES TO DO DOC REVIEW.

Eat it, grammer geekers.

11, I love that song, "My Mind is Playing
Tricks On Me."

113 - really? cause none of the associates, or staff attorneys for that matter, I have worked for in the last 10 years could fill out a FedEx label correctly. Half of them can't work the scanner or format a letter so that the signature and date line up and god forbid the printer or copier get a jam or run out of paper.

"Skadden"? More like "Sucks my Balls-den"

I just can't believe how a bunch of kids with inflated egos can make fun of the staff attorneys who got laid off yesterday! I am an associate informing all the incoming 1st year associates that those of you who will be "confirmed" in any department, YOU are going to do doc review for a long time. This is the plan if it is not clear already. Now that they are gone, YOU are going to do their work. Clear? Moreover, most of the staff attorneys, who got laid off, were hard workers (some were ivy-league graduates). Many of them had a LOT to teach to the junior associates they where actually working for! So, what's so funny? That they lost their job and don't know how to support their families? We don't like that kind of attitude at Skadden.

131 -- "We don't like that kind of attitude at Skadden" Really???

Dear 131,

Thank you. I would only add that the staff attorneys did more than just doc review -- among other things, they ran and supervised the large doc reviews (unfortunately, these dried up by the end of 2008). Also, they were encouraged to -- and did -- take on an enormous amount of pro bono work, which associates normally did not have the flexibility to take on. Skadden was always proud of being at the top of the list of pro bono contributors, and losing the staff attorneys will no doubt hurt.

Anyway, as one of the 50 (of 54) Skadden staff attorneys in NYC let go, I appreciate that lone voice of sympathy. Many, many of us were experienced attorneys in transition... losing our jobs may have given us a hard push into something new, but I have no doubt we'll all land on our feet and end up being exactly where we should be.

--A Former Skadden Staff Attorney

Why do people assume that associates doing doc review will be billed out at regular rates? They're almost certainly not being billed at regular rates, but as associates the firm has put a lot of money into developing them and wants to keep them around until the economy picks up. When they do real work again, they'll be billed at regular rates.

this kid i went to high school with was a skadden staff attorney

if you think i'm lying... please don't think i'm lying

133 -- If 50 of 54 NYC staff attorneys were let go then why are there still so many NYC staff attorneys on the website?

http://www.abajournal.com/news/skadden_cuts_staff_attorneys_and_at_least_25_other_staff/

There is statement from the firm in this story denying staff attorney layoffs. It doesn't seem like as many staff attorneys were laid off as everyone suggests.

i was interviewing at skadden last week for a paralegal position (i know, ridiculous, never gonna happen, i get it...) and I saw two people with boxes of their shit leaving the building, saying goodbye to people, talking about how they got the "boot" etc...

ie theyre firing associates, just quietly, and you all aren't reporting it.

Good luck to you all. It is a really different world out there now and it will take a few years for the legal profession to respond. But, biglaw as it was is dead.

138: not quite. Biglaw will remain (as it has through every other recession). Will it return to the pre-boom numbers of 2000-07? Maybe not. Will the firms stabilize by Q1 of 2010? Absolutely. To assume otherwise is ridiculous; although, it is consistent with the typical day-to-day fear mongering by the media.

137 - I'm a staff attorney. I have stuff. I might even carry it in a box when I get canned.

Dear 136,

I know you have a healthy bit of skepticism about anything posted here, but take my word for what it's worth -- I'm being honest.

Although I did check the Skadden website, and you're right -- I'm still in the attorney directory! However, I'm pretty sure that the exit interviews and the severance agreement I and the rest of us got trump the website evidence.

My guess? The support staff has been getting thinner over the last few months... probably no one's had time to update the website.

Interesting catch, though; thanks!

136-

We all got the ax except the oldest of the group, some woman on maternity leave and another diversity group member - probably gay- but corporate america loves to show how they support diversity at the expense of white men who want just to support their families. Thats a real travesty. Diversity is a charade ; it's divisive facade and firms just do it to prevent from being sued by overzealous ,indignant, people who ironically are inotolerant of what they think they deserve. Every group waves the diversity flag : women, asians, lationos, transexuals, indians, you name it there's a group for them- these attorneys have been doing it for years. Diversity was never meant to be an edge over white men- it was meant to correct the injjustices done to Afircan Americans( god forbid I refer to them as black) done in the 50s, and 60s. Every Big law firm is "committed to diversity" when in fact they couldn't care less.

The firm handled it with no professionalism or dignity; you dont' call pepole who have worked there for 4 years at 2 then tell them to leave at 5, cut off their medical that day and dont' give them access to get their belongings the next day. And then have some flaky,squiniting, patronizing, hr woman tell us we are giving you benefits( ie. Cobra) when the law gives us those rights already. The extra 500 was an extra added insult. I had over 2200 hours last year and was set to do the same this year.
Why was this displaced anger and lack of business competency directed at us? We didn't manage the firm into the red. If they had to let us go, that's fine, but then why wait till the afternoon, why not tell us the night before or early in the am. I couldnt' get all my stuff out much less say goodbye to the people who would miss me.
Why this spectacle? Stealh layoffs? That;'s bs, I never heard of some contruct to justify a weak display of power.
I've let people go before too but I've never done it in a less civil way.
Big law was dead in the 90s when partners made 7 or 8 figure salaires but that wasnt' enough. They had to make millions on all the associate and staff backs. And they never retire. They sit in their offices and justify their existence- they were lucky they got out of law school in the late 70s and 80s. The only ones that are worth that money are the rainmakers- and I didn't know too many of those- Lawyers aren't business people ; they are eggheads obssessed with words, exceptions, and their own specious reasoning and interpretations. They belong with the rest of the corporate culture of greed , self- absorption and individualism run amok.
There is no civilty or humanity or humility in treating people this way.
( How naive it may sound) Where are the leaders in this business/ law world?

142 - I agree with your comments except for your ENTIRE first paragraph concerning diversity. I understand you are angry and are trying to find some justification for why it is you were laid off and other staff attorneys (possibly the remaining four were not). In fact, if a female staff attorney is on maternity leave, then there is a good chance she is considered a "key" employee and that Skadden does not need to restore her position after her leave ends under the FMLA and may release her once she returns to work.

More importantly, posting comments like those in your first paragraph belittles the valid and heartfelt comments you posted in the rest of your post. Nonetheless, I am truly sorry for your loss.

DC Staff Attorneys - What is the status of DC staff attorneys? Has management informed you of the future of the program?

Former NYC Staff Attorneys - What advice would the laid off NYC staff attorneys give to the DC staff attorneys? Were all of the NYC staff attorneys busy like 142 - with annualized billables projected to be 2000+ hours. Is it true you received 2 months severance and was 2 months severance the amount given to staff attorneys laid off in prior months?

Support staff layoffs actually started quietly Wednesday at NYC. The scenario was similar to the staff attorney layoffs – get your coat, bring your keycard to HR and walk out with Security personnel. No packing, no goodbyes. Contract support staff were let go as well as floater secretaries, associate secretaries and at least one PC Support person. Perhaps you should all be updating your resumes and learning how to use the copy machines and scanners, instead of arguing about grammar usage and intelligence (or lack thereof).

The staff atty on maternity leave was let go, as well.

43,

Post 24 was a really bad flame. It's a shame that instead of recognizing it for what it was you resorted to a race based attack on the poster.

143 and 143:

There were TWO female NY staff attorneys on maternity leave, and BOTH were laid off.

Just setting the record straight on that point.

Comment board on this site is more pathetic than Youtube's.

This is horrible. I wish you all the best of luck.

What is the morale in Skadden's larger offices?

I left Skadden a few years ago, but I like that Outlook's spell checker suggests changing it to "sadden" whenever my former co-workers and I mock the firm in an email.

I just got canned at Skadden. The Staff Attorney program in NYC is down to 4 (those kept on for language skills and/or working on a big case for extended period). It was a great job and I'll miss it for sure.

Did the NYC staff attorneys who got laid off have work?

Skadden is a great firm. I'm sure any layoffs were made reluctantly. Good luck to those recently let go.

153 -- there were two rounds of layoffs... about 30 in January and another 20 last week. I can't speak to everyone's workload prior to the January layoff (though everyone I know was busy), but I believe that everyone let go last week was very busy.

Does anyone know if Skadden matched Latham's severance - 6 months pay and health insurance?

Also, can someone offer any rational explanation for why Skadden is in the running for "safest" firm? All the biggins are suffering; the safest firms are the ones that have already dealt with their pride issues, sucked it up and cleaned house.

We were all busy; I personally was being used on three different projects. Had 220 hours per month
Everyone konws there are no jobs out there( I was supervising temps three of them whom from Ivy league schools) but this was a mean spirited act - at least if you're going to fire us and tell us to get out in three hours say something with any decency. If you are so great a firm with such prestige why treat people with little or no legal future either that way.
Biglaw is an obselete business pyramid run by inept managers and overpaid/ technophobe partners. The associate track ultimately takes you out the door and into your own profitless practice.

Good luck to all of the people who were laid off last week. You will be sorely missed. It was a blood bath in the office last week. Management starting taking people out one by one with no goodbyes. Some of the support staff that were let go had been there as long as 26 years. Those of us who are left are still very upset and wondering about our own future with Skadden.

associates making 200k + being billed out at staff attorney = fired associates. start sending the resumes out. also, since you now its coming, feel free to point out all grammar/spelling mistakes so you can feel better about you're selves.