Canceled Summer Program Watch: Loeb & Loeb New York Doesn’t Want Summers
Sure, firms can try to dump their bad news on a summer Friday, but Above the Law is open 24/7.
Today, emails started going around to rising 2Ls who were seeking interviews with Loeb & Loeb’s New York office. They were not happy emails:
Thank you for your letter and resume inquiring about the possibility of employment at our firm.In moving forward with our hiring efforts for the coming season and for the future, we have given a great deal of thought to the needs of the partners and associates in servicing our clients. In reviewing our client base and the matters that we are handling, we have come to the conclusion that in order to provide the level of sophistication and complexity required to service these clients, it will be necessary for us to recruit at a more senior level. We have reexamined our hiring efforts, and, in so doing, have determined to suspend the New York summer associate program for the foreseeable future. We intend to focus our hiring efforts on identifying associates with those levels of experience and practice specialties that will best enable us to meet the challenges of servicing our clients. If at any future time we feel that our needs and those of our clients would best be served by having a summer associate program, we will reinstate the program.
We very much appreciate your interest in Loeb & Loeb LLP and wish you every success in finding a satisfactory position.
Wow. That doesn’t even sound like the firm has decided to temporarily ratchet back recruiting because of the recession. “If at any future time we feel that our needs and those of our clients would best be served by having a summer associate program, we will reinstate the program,” sounds a lot more like the firm’s New York office has decided to totally dispense with the notion of hiring summers, indefinitely.
Is this a small glimpse of the future? The class of 2012 better hope not.
Earlier: Prior ATL coverage of Canceled Summer Programs — 2010
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First. And what's Lobe and Lobe?
FIRST!
i am first good god!!!
Nevermind
Fail
-2
So what should they do? Keep their summer program, string summers along, and then tell them there are no available positions after its too late for summers to look elsewhere?
This "news" is better than the "news" of ugly people from the east coast getting married.
Elie, your last sentence demonstrates that you don't understand this business. Fresh blood is a necessary part of the model. There is some work that is most appropriately done by junior associates, and clients will not (and should not) pay for that work to be done by anyone else.
MysTTTal, are you moonlighting for this firm? "...we have come to the conclusion that in order to provide the level of sophistication and complexity required to service these clients..."
It's funny, my clients tend to prefer that I not make things more complex.
Great news for laid-off midlevel and senior associates, plus old people generally: Loeb & Loeb is looking to hire you all!
"[T]o provide the level of sophistication and complexity required to service these clients, it will be necessary for us to recruit at a more senior level."
The ship be sinking...
LaTTTham
Honestly, who are these firms? I haven't heard of any of them.
can someone give me an update regarding the summer program for the rancho santa fe legal group, APC? will they offer any opportunities for eager law students to study the craft under the illustrious don mcvay?
I was under the impression that Loeb only held a summer program in Los Angeles.
"Is this a small glimpse of the future? The class of 2012 better hope not."
God Forbid!
You actually mean to say that law firms will no longer feel constrained to hire individuals based on school reputation and 1L grades alone, wine and dine them for a summer, and then extend associate offers to the majority of them without any serious evaluation of how they might actually function as attorneys?
Shocking.
You say, I only hear what I want to...
You say, I get deferred all the time...
Loeb & Loeb's New York office hasn't had a summer associate program in years, if ever... why is this news?
Who cares. It's Friday. Where's LEWW?
How you like me now?
16. And I thought I'd work forever, but now I'm not so sure. You try to tell me that I'm clever, but that won't pay me anyhow, or anywhere, with you.
--Elie
Woahhhhh, I don't miss youuuu
enough
LULz @ 17 & 20. Nice
how did they manage to use some variation of the word serve or service 4 times in 5 sentences?
You said "I lied because I could to you and now you've got to go." You tried to give away a keeper, and screw me 'cause you know you're just so ... scared of the future.
--Elie
Although not a peer firm, Loeb & Loeb is showing initiative in admitting the failures of having a summer program. There is no sense in subsidizing a young lawyer's career if they cannot hit the ground running during law school or after passing the bar.
Sir, prepare to be banned from Frodham forever!
I'm really glad that you guys got rid of that stupid wedding feature. If that Laurie Lin person and PE got together, they would create a race of super douchebags.
Loeb and Loeb does not have a summer program in NY.
7 -
You're an idiot. Anything that is "most appropriately" done by a junior associate can be much more cheaply and quickly be done by a paralegal or a secretary, with a lot less bitching.
LOL @ 27. Good stuff!
To be fair, Loeb & Loeb only had a summer program for one year in their New York office, and those people who summered allegedly didn't even get offers. So while this sounds significant, it really isn't. Loeb has always hired laterals in NYC because they have quality of life reputation that attracts top biglaw refugees.
whatever guys. in fairness to elie, that's a really stupidly-written rejection letter if they were never planning a ny summer program
worked at loeb in la...that's where the summer's have been, not new york. additional info about the firm's practices would have made this article less misleading.
Now here the good news, folks. At my law firm, Burger & King, we still have a summer program.
14, 17, 29---you are (mostly) correct. Summer program was always small and concentrated in LA, but NY office would have one or two associates (out of 5 to 7 firmwide total), so in that light, this really doesn't seem to be earth-shattering news. It still sucks though.
That said, Loeb has some terrific niche market practices and does some great work.
I worked at Loeb, and the attorneys & management personnel at that firm are some of the most truly evil and malicious people I have ever had the misfortune to meet!!!
I worked at Loeb, and the attorneys & management personnel at that firm are some of the most truly evil and malicious people I have ever had the misfortune to meet!!!
I worked at Loeb, and the attorneys & management personnel at that firm are some of the most truly evil and malicious people I have ever had the misfortune to meet!!!
On virtually every project there is work that can be done by low level people who bill less than those more senior. Guess Loeb & Loeb hopes that clients do not realize that they are paying more for more experienced people who are doing essentially work that could be done by first or second year associates. Loeb & Loeb has always also had a low partner to associate ratio so that means that partners also do work that can be done by cheaper associates.
On virtually every project there is work that can be done by low level people who bill less than those more senior. Guess Loeb & Loeb hopes that clients do not realize that they are paying more for more experienced people who are doing essentially work that could be done by first or second year associates. Loeb & Loeb has always also had a low partner to associate ratio so that means that partners also do work that can be done by cheaper associates.
40- Loeb is not a market firm, so the client gets a 3rd year for the cost of a Biglaw 1st year anyway. For niche firms like Loeb, poaching people with a strong background in a specialized area is a far better approach to hiring.
Why would they say this to people, and advertise their financial problems? If it was me I'd have said, "thanks for your interest, we are not able to offer you an interview at this time."
Loeb & Loeb, didn't they kill a neighborhood boy for kicks decades ago?