Step Away From The Ledge: Blank Rome is Coming to Penn
Obviously, things are not well in Pennsylvania. Ballard Spahr has canceled its 2010 Summer Program. Dechert is laying people off. Drinker Biddle is changing the nature of the Biglaw experience. WolfBlock … does not exist.
So it’s not surprising that people are becoming concerned about another titan of the Philadelphia market, Blank Rome. The firm has cut associate salaries, and it did lay off 79 people back in March.
On Wednesday, multiple rising 2Ls at Penn Law received information that led them to believe that Blank Rome was pulling out of on-campus interviewing at Penn. That made others speculate that Blank Rome’s entire 2010 summer program was in jeopardy.
But sources at the firm — including some partners — contend that the firm is going full steam ahead with its 2010 Summer Program, which will include recruiting at Penn. A firm spokesperson furnished Above the Law with this response:
I can confirm that we are currently scheduled to recruit at Penn and that we will be continuing our summer program.
How did so many Penn students get spooked about the Blank Rome recruiting situation? We investigate after the jump.
It seems that there was a big misunderstanding between Penn Law and its students. In this environment — where the class of 2011 is more terrified than a crab in the Chesapeake — any lack of clarity can produce a lot of stress.
Here’s how one rising 2L reported the situation:
I’m a rising 2L at Penn, and Blank Rome just pulled out of our OCI program. Our bidding closed Tuesday night, so a bunch of people are really upset that they wasted high bids on a firm only to have them turn around and drop us less than 48 hours later. We’re not feeling so great about Drinker Biddle or Dechert either (for obvious reasons).
On Wednesday night, a tipster sent a screen shot of Penn’s recruiting website that omitted Blank Rome:
But the omission was news to Blank Rome personnel. The firm assured us that they were going to be on-campus this fall. In fact, they’ve received confirmation from Penn that they are scheduled to be on-campus on August 14th.
Update (3:33): The firm now says its interview slot at Penn Law has been confirmed for August 25th.
Officials at Penn were also surprised that its students had the wrong impression. Here’s the statement we obtained from a Penn Law spokesperson:
Blank Rome IS interviewing at Penn Law this fall. I do not know why some students believe otherwise, but we would be happy to speak with them directly about this.
This appears to be a case of legitimately worried rising 2Ls freaking out over some kind of glitch in the system. Hopefully, law school administrators know that the class of 2011 is hanging on by a very thin thread right now.
It’s time to start lacing the water supply with Prozac.
Earlier: Nationwide Layoff Watch: Blank Rome Cuts 79
Nationwide Salary Cut Watch: Blank Rome Loves America
Ballard Spahr And Thompson Hine Cancel Their 2010 Summer Programs
(56) Comments
Comments
blah blah.
Quite clearly, the Class of 2011 is the lost generation
first to say Gates is an opportunist
They can't be on campus August 14th. OCR doesn't begin until August 24th.
I'll make the joke for everyone, maybe they got Penn & Penn St. mixed up?
Not only is Blank Rome TTT, it is paying first years $110,000 for the privilege of working there.
If I fail the bar, do I have to pay to re-take barbri in Jan?
4
explain the penn/penn st. joke. i don't get it
"Coming Penn"?
Wow! what a fucktard.
Jo-Pa will be relieved to hear this..
Top 10! WOOOOOO!
10 -- you are weak.
wow, PSU's career services is steppin it up with gettting Blank Rome to visit the boondocks of PA.
Elie -
FYI - this is not news. When you chase down a false lead, no one cares.
11 - But I'm one-up on you sucka!
-10
The managing partner of Blank Rome is seventeen years old. Not old enough to vote for president and they pick him to run the firm. Strange.
Blank Rome pulled out of PSU to visit McGill in Canada thanks to ATLs coverage of the situation.
10/14 -- nah, I was 1. Sorry.
- 11/1
Elie Mystal tried to gorge on a 24 foot subway sandwich, then realized it was actually a 24 inch black cock with tomatoes on it. Sill munched on saying, "I've come this far".
THAT true story would be more newsworthy instead of this pile of crap.
17 - prove it!
-10/14
18-
LOL
Latham NY laid off more than half the first year class
omg freakout.
IDIOTS, ALL OF YOU
HOGAN SECURE
If I fail the bar, do I have to pay to re-take barbri in Jan?
21,
this is the first i am hearing of this. i am a first year at u of t, transferring to mcgill, summering at latham, should i be concerned?
Haha, 18 for the win!!
I'm a rising 2L at Penn and even I don't care about this
PENN REMAINS
25 -- if you were a Seton Hall 2L summering at Orrick i'd be scared.
Philadelphia: 6 law schools, no clients.
18 for president! Given the past few articles, I'd say the cock belonged to one Mr. Gates (though I seriously doubt 24 inches).
PE must really be studying hard for the Bar. Haven't seen a post from him in a couple days ...
32 = PE
18 is offensive. Please remove. It used the word black. And also, a 24 foot subway sandwich is gross.
I have never heard of this firm. Do they have orifices outside Philly?
If I fail the bar, do I have to pay to re-take barbri in Jan?
23,
whats a hogan?
Can we grow it? Si se puede!
www.chiaobama.com
34,
I think you're acting "stupidly."
The reponse from Penn's Career Services has got to be a joke. They can't understand why 2L's think that Blank Rome isn't come? How about because they took them off the list and deleted that spot from everyone's bid list. That and the fact that Saul Ewing did in fact pull out of OCI right after bidding ended and Career Services still hasn't seemed to notice/mention that.
The reponse from Penn's Career Services has got to be a joke. They can't understand why 2L's think that Blank Rome isn't come? How about because they took them off the list and deleted that spot from everyone's bid list. That and the fact that Saul Ewing did in fact pull out of OCI right after bidding ended and Career Services still hasn't seemed to notice/mention that.
32
PE has legal troubles to attend to arising out of an incident on Martha's Vineyard this month -- something about being discovered with another man's schlong in his mouth when behind sand dunes adjacent to a family beach in Chilmark.
Is BlankRome really a "titan" in Philadelphia?
Can someone explain or point me to the Boston Sharting incident. Thanks, i have been MIA for a while.
Elie - If you do the pregnant lady, do your moobs swell?
Chub Wilcox was the best trial lawyer in Philadelphia before he retired.
44
Look no further than the thread on looking for love in Suffolk.
http://abovethelaw.com/2009/07/ladies_looking_for_love_try_suffolk.php
Step away from the Lidge, Philly fans.
People who go to Penn stay in Philly? I'm a rising 2L there, and everyone I know wants to get out (except for the awful townies).
That's good that the firm is conducting interviews, especially for students who relied upon their appearance by expending high bids. Under section 90 of the restatement second of contracts, these firms will be required to make at least some offers, maintain summer programs and not defer or lay off anyone hired. So its got to be a big relief.
49 -- what idiot would give these guys a high bid? They had three rounds of lay offs in one year! Anyone accepting an offer from them has no right to complain when their 2010 class is cancelled.
48 - Brooklyn is not that cool.
50,
I could not agree with you more. But I swear this is a direct quote from the TTTipsTTTer as published in Blue above
"I'm a rising 2L at Penn, and Blank Rome just pulled out of our OCI program. Our bidding closed Tuesday night, so a bunch of people are really upset that they wasted high bids on a firm only to have them turn around and drop us less than 48 hours later. We're not feeling so great about Drinker Biddle or Dechert either (for obvious reasons)."
Can you believe it? The ONLY options are, 1) he or she attends Penn State or 2) he or she figures their only chance at an offer is that no one else applies to one of these firms and they'll be hiring.
LOL
49
Blank Rome NY, like Reed Smith and MLB NY, is on its death bed. Sad for all.
Suck it, losers.
- MILBERG WEISS SECURE
18 is such a great post it gets multiple shout outs? Some real idiots commenting on this site.
Have Penn law students never heard of a phone? Call the firm's recruiting coordinator, and see if your career services office might have screwed up, or if yet another program was canceled. Problem solved in all of 3 minutes.
The sky is falling for us 2Ls, but sometimes, it isn't as bad as we think.