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Mixed Messages From DLA Piper to Incoming First Years?

Wednesday, July 8, 2009 11:04 AM - By Elie Mystal

DLA Piper logo.jpgIncoming DLA Piper associates have to feel a little queasy about the state of the firm. DLA has already laid off 180 U.S. employees (and 140 people in the U.K.). And the firm has pushed back start dates to January 2010 for some associates, while encouraging incoming first year associates to use its Public Interest Fellowship and defer until January 2011.

And the firm is moving away from a lockstep system, at some point.

We previously mentioned that DLA wanted people to seriously consider taking the full year deferral. A couple of weeks ago, the National Law Journal reported that half of DLA’s incoming first years have taken the opportunity.

But the option is still voluntary, right? A couple of our sources seem to have received mixed messages from the firm.

After the jump, DLA and our tipsters try to get on the same page.

Half of DLA’s incoming first years expect to start in January 2010. But a couple of sources who want to start in 2010 feel like they are being forced to start in 2011. One tipster reports:

DLA Piper is now asking [me] to start in January 2011. This appears to have been a recent development that has not been communicated to all of the 2009 class….

Thus, people are frantically trying to find work in this economy while studying for the bar - obviously many of the public interest jobs have been taken by other attorneys who were laid off or other graduates who were told that they would be deferred earlier this year.

Another tipster corroborated the feeling that the firm was strong arming people into 2011.

We talked with a DLA Piper spokesperson, who explained what is happening from the firm perspective:

We gave incoming associates the option of participating in this program, and had a great response across the board. My understanding is that a handful of people have been strongly encouraged to take the fellowship because there isn’t strong demand for extra support in the office/practice they have put in for.

This strong encouragement shouldn’t come as a total surprise to regular Above the Law readers. The firm included the following language when we initially reported on DLA’s start date push back:

Finally, while we are offering the pro bono and community fellowships now as a voluntary option, we will continue to monitor the economic climate and our work force needs between now and January 2010 and reserve the right to offer a fellowship assignment in lieu of a Firm assignment.

But the DLA Piper spokesperson told us that no associate has been told that they must take the public interest fellowship.

Should associates that are being strongly encouraged to stay away until 2011 take the hint? Or should they stick to their guns and start on the earliest possible date?

It’s a tough call, but there aren’t a lot of good options left for the class of 2009.

Earlier: Nationwide Layoff Watch: DLA Piper Lays Off 180
International Layoff Watch: DLA Piper Cuts 140 U.K. Employees
Nationwide Start Date Round-up… Yup, Another One
DLA Piper to Move Away From Lockstep … Eventually

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