Good News for Ropes & Gray’s Future Associates
It seems like the summer associates just arrived, yet many are already packing up their Biglaw bags to head back to school. This may be due in part to shorter summer associate programs this year, but that’s besides the point.
Summer associates departing the offices of Ropes & Gray have big smiles plastered on their faces. The firm has delivered good news, say tipsters:
During the week or two leading up to the end of the summer program, the Partner in charge of the summers met with all the SAs for reviews. In these reviews, ALL SAs got offers. There is not even a buzz about anyone getting no-offered or cold offered!
We checked in with the firm. A spokesperson put a very slight damper on the excitement, but also delivered some good deferral stipend news for 2010 law grads, after the jump.
Despite multiple tipsters’ claims, the Ropes spokesperson would not confirm a 100% offer rate for current summers. She said:
Our summer associate class will be evaluated using our usual standards and we will have a very high offer rate. The Class of 2010 has been offered the opportunity to undertake one-year public interest fellowships. If they choose not to participate, they will start with the firm no sooner than January, 2011 (the start date has not been finalized yet).
We reported earlier this month that Ropes would be deferring the current class of summers until 2011, but there’s good news about that. These 2010 graduates will get hooked up with a $60,000 deferral stipend next year if they pursue public interest work during the deferral period. The spokesperson says:
Ropes & Gray Class of 2010 members participating in our public interest fellowship program will receive a $60,000 annual stipend plus medical, dental and vision coverage at the firm’s expense. Additionally, the firm will reimburse bar admission or registration fees. Program participants may also request a loan of up to $20,000, which does not have to be repaid until after the participant joins the firm.
While that’s been the norm for deferred associates at most firms this year, we’ve wondered whether the class of 2010 would be getting the same kind of put-off money.
Congratulations, Ropes summer associates. Skies are looking less gray for you.
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asdkskdafasdf
But...when will they start?
2 - never.
First to say that this is NOT good news for Ropes' current junior associates. Sounds like a Latham move--cull the people you spent recruiting and training in order to bring in fresh talent (which is not necessary given the workload).....
Hahaha! Eat it, PE!!
Hey Kash, how are you feeling today?
Better I hope.
Concerned guest
Why even pay the stipend for this year's class of summers? The SAs know full-well that their offer is for a start date far off in the distance. If they don't like that, they don't have to accept the offer. This is different from the graduating classes of 2008 or 2009 who got deferred. They accepted the offers thinking they would start in September. I think this is throwing money away.
I am a Suffolk 1L- what at my chances at R&G?
Ropes & Gray to still classy
Goodwin just lost 2 corporate partners today, too. R&G FTW!
This truly is a classy move on Ropes' part. Almost as classy as 1) firing all foreign associates, some of whom were hired just this past fall; 2) calling in associates on maternity leave to give them the axe; 3) firing associates who were a week away from going on maternity leave; 4) telling associates that they were being fired for "performance" reasons, even though those same associates had always received bonuses strongly indicating there were actually no performance problems; and 5) disporportionately firing associates who didn't work in Boston. It's actually great business sense to fire people who have actually put in time at the firm and have institutional knowledge. I'm sure clients would much rather have tons of people working for them who weren't admitted to the bar yet, had no work experience whatsoever, and considered passing the MPRE among their biggest accomplishments.
Any inside info on Sullivan & Worcester?
7 - Because it's somewhat unfair to lay out a business model in which you give an offer but force the person to wait a year before starting.
So you have Firm A on your resume for the Summer, and you're interviewing for a job for that one year. The interviewer asks you why you're not going back to the firm. You are forced to say that you will be, in a year, but how many employers would want to hire you then, when they know they're going to lose you after a year?
A deferral stipend just makes sense so the deferred can offer their services free, or for a reduced rate, which would offset the negative for the temporary employer of a no-more-than-one-year commitment.
10 - where did the Goodwin partners go?
DIdnt Ropes just fire first years?
11 = someone who found out the hard way that they aren't entitled to a job simply because they went to law school and just realized they were actually expected to perform.
How about being better at your job so that when they're reviewing associates your name doesn't come up as someone who is lazy or sucks at their job and has no future?
One Boston summer got no offer.
16 You must work at Ropes. Nothing about comment 11 deserves that response.
-not 11
hi
16 = Someone stupid enough to believe law firms are meritocracies. You'll learn soon enough. The longer it takes, the more it will hurt. It may even kill you.
-not 11
15: Wasn't like two or something? If you're among the worst two first-years of your class, you probably deserved to be fired.
And, once again making basically everyone an offer in what's a bloated summer class is stupid. You're telling me that they're weren't people who shirked assignments, billed close to nothing, and used the summer as a time to coast, make $3100 a week, and get drunk at social events rather than do much of any work? I'd rather Ropes cull the bottom of class now versus dragging the whole thing out and having to fire more people during their first and second years. And, this goes for other firms as well -- even in this economy, there's no way than more than say 90% of summers deserved an offer. In any summer class, you always have your clear screw-ups, and Ropes should just cut them loose now so that it has more flexibility in keeping their first-years and second-years who are actually trying to work.
16 = You actually have no idea what you're talking about. Do you even know any of the people that Ropes let go? DId you ever work with them? Are you even at Ropes? Nobody is immune in this economy-- even people who are good lawyers and worked hard.
Why are the comments disabled on the Gates tax concerns posts????????????????????????????????????
How much is Breaking Media trying to cross-promote its other blogs? The desperation for eyeballs is truly pathetic.
23: Because they're trying to direct traffic to their other site, Going Concern. For the most part, it hasn't worked well and even when posts are linked, they rarely get more than say 20 comments.
I think that this is great news. We're talking approximately 80K for nothing (including the 20K loan) if you were deferred, plus all SAs got offers.
21 I remember that blog .... consensus at the time was that Ropes did economic firings and tried to call them performance based.... its how they handled it that people objected to (and clearly still remember)
To 15: Ropes fired associates across the board, or at least who were up to 5th or 6th yrs.
Has anybody ever notice how bad the Ropes Boston offices smell?
Wow, will be really interesting to see what Goodwin does now.
11 - I'm curious. Do all big Boston firms fire people on maternity leave or about to go out? I wish we hadn't all signed severance agreements - we could get a good class action going!
I blame Mystal for everything now. He even killed my cat because it was white.
Thanks, fatty.
28 and 15,
So 2 were fired, but only 2 (and yes they were not good or did not want to do the work that was needed/ what they were asked).
28, When you get to 5th year you are no longer just going through the motions, everyone here knows at that point your eval process changes and you are moving toward partner track or not. If you knew a 6th year who was asked to leave they must have known this could have been coming coming for at least 12 months, if not years.
And it certianly looks like 100% summer offers. . .
11,
shh! not until the summers accept!
thanks,
coke
31-- I don't know about other big Boston firms, but it definitely happened to people at Ropes-- 3 or 4, I think.
WHY IS IT THAT EVERYONE ASSOCIATED WITH HUSSEIN HAS TAX PROBLEMS??????????
WHY ISN'T HUSSEIN EXPOSED FOR THE FRAUD THAT HE IS??????????????
33, so what part of "maternity leave" involves "going through the motions"? I wasn't breast-feeding correctly? You self-satisfied....whatever. You're obviously still employed there. That's punishment enough.
36--care to elaborate?
signed, a rising 2L female in Boston who would like to know more about firms' policies towards female associates, especially marrieid ones.
33 How do you know why they were fired? Do you work at Ropes? Isnt that the only way you would know about the first years? And if you do work there, (as it seems) why are you commenting on the (two!)individuals who are probably identifiable to people who read this ? Classless, at best.
Comment removed by moderator.
Ropes, as the last remaining top-tier Boston firm, has to represent.
Good show, old boy.
Is the pedophile from North Carolina still an associate at Roeps?
Ropes SUCKS!
Kash, your wording in this story ends up being a little confusing. To clear things up:
There is NO deferral stipend for the current summers who will be starting "no sooner than" Jan 2011.
For those who choose to take the year-long deferral (presumably starting Jan 2012), they get $60k+medical, IF they participate in public interest.
"While that's been the norm for deferred associates at most firms this year, we've wondered whether the class of 2010 would be getting the same kind of put-off money."
For the record, Cravath has given its deferred summers a $65k+medical+loan payments, and will be starting in fall 2011, not jan. 2012, and it is not conditioned on public interest work. I believe at least one other firm (Skadden? Weil?) has announced a deferral stipend for the current summers.
hth
moderate 40
Moderator -please remove 40
40 is out of line.
38 - it has also happened at Choate and Bingham. Wilmer is doing a lot of stealth layoffs now too - haven't heard whether those have affected people near/on maternity leave or not.
And by "a little confusing," I mean blatantly wrong. You say this:
"We reported earlier this month that Ropes would be deferring the current class of summers until January 2011, but there's good news about that. These 2010 graduates will actually get hooked up with a $60,000 deferral stipend next year, if they pursue public interest work during the deferral period. Says the spokesperson."
This is not true. Read what the firm says - the parts you quoted, in blue. Those deferred until January 2011 get nothing. Those who take the public interest deferral for a YEAR get the stipend. And they probably aren't getting the stipend "next year" when their year off doesn't start until Jan. 2011.
This is basic reading comprehension, Kash. And common sense - of course no firm is going to give someone $60k for the 3 months they are deferred from fall 2010 to january 2011.
-44
49: That's correct. In fact, Ropes has actually been one of the stingiest firms as to the January deferrals. Whereas most other firms have given a stipend of $15k-$25k, Ropes only gave its deferred incoming an associates an ADVANCE of $20k (as in, will be deducted from their paychecks for the next year). I would bet Ropes gives the Class of 2010 a similar option, because it's not even that generous -- it's a zero interest loan.
Ropes didn't stop the recent cuts at the 5th year level - they went even higher (as high as 8th years).
I wonder if clients consider this type of face-saving bs when they are hiring a firm.
So now biglaw is going to ask clients to bend over for the padded bill that includes not only clueless first years working on your matter, but public interest stipends for clueless deferreds, that aren't even "working" on your matter.
Jesus, people, if the economy is that bad, stop hiring! No one is buying your bs.
Kash - between your inability to read the words you take from other sources and your confusing "turkey basting your spouse" with "gay marriage legal troubles," you have failed.
Lat - of course Elie can't be trusted, so you need to step in and get new interns/editors. This blog's "reporting" is shameful.
Clearly, Boston sucks, both for the quality of life (asshole drivers!) and law firms stealth laying off people and the urban legend of explosive flatulence among Boston chicks (that'll do for a diet of beans, potatoes, and beer).
Keep crying, 54 & 52.
- ROPES SECURE
55 oxymoron
#40-- I saw what you did there. If you'd like to chat, let me know.
56 - mad you couldn't get Ropes?
57 - how?
58 nope.. didnt even try . And my comment isnt even anti-Ropes. Its just that no one is secure. Anywhere. So those '"fill in the blank" Secure ' s always makes me laugh.
I met a nice woman from Ireland playing Castle Age on facebook. Any suggestions on where to take her for lunch? (I'm in the US --) Any thoughts appreciated.
61
That's a big pond to have lunch.
The Azores? Canary Islands? Bermuda Triangle?
Help me help you out.
62,
You see the problem. I could always fly her to Chicago, but I was thinking maybe Bermuda. She has these erotic fantasy issues, however, -- and thinks the law utterly boring, so I'd like to be creative.
61
The law IS boring.
All those layoffs would be blessings in disguise if it weren't for the fact that many associates have humongous student loans that are unsupportable in more congenial jobs.
Ropes is so wonderfully Stepford, and their associates so supremely passive-aggressive. That being said, A+ for consistent (positive or negative, who knows) management. R&G lawyers may not make the most entertaining drinking buddies, but at least they can cover the bill.
60, I'm unemployed, so...
COUCH SECURE!!!!!!!!!!
51 - 8th years being fired? That's breaking news!
51 - 8th years being fired? That's breaking news!
Wilmer is having big time stealth layoffs.
Actually, if you decide to take the public interest fellowship, you can start that in Sept. 2010 (when you receive the stipend in one lump sum) and then start working at Ropes after that year-- Sept 2011. You don't have to wait until January to start the fellowship...
The summers all got offers because the firm would rather use a stealthy re-deferral later.
What? No quote from Harry Rubin?
What happened to Matthew Vincent, IP Partner at Ropes?
I can't imagine Ropes' corporate group is doing significantly better than the other Boston firms, e.g., Choate or Goodwin. Cuts will come eventually. Boston is a tiny legal market if deals are removed from the equation.