Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge, Summer Associates

Edwards Angell Wants Responses to Offers in Three Weeks (or Less)

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A couple of weeks ago, news broke that Sullivan & Cromwell was asking 2Ls to make summer decisions more quickly than the NALP rules suggest. You’ll remember that law schools banded together to pressure S&C to change its policy.
Will law schools react as strongly if other firms follow the S&C route? We could be about to find out. Above the Law is able to report that Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge has made offers for its 2010 summer program. But 2Ls have been told that they have three weeks to decide “or until the summer class fills up.”
The 2Ls we spoke with that have received offers from EAPD are asking if NALP is going to step in and prevent the firm from shortening the deadline. But as we have mentioned multiple times, Jim Leipold, executive director of NALP, has said that “there are no NALP police.”
Sullivan & Cromwell tried to keep its open-ended offer period secret from the general public. In contrast, EAPD is happy to explain why the firm wants quicker decisions from 2Ls.
The firm’s statement, after the jump.


Edwards Angell management isn’t shy about how it is approaching the 2010 summer program. A firm spokesperson explained the decision this way:

Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge is looking forward to hosting a 2010 summer associate program. We are giving students a shorter deadline to accept or decline their offer, which allows us to interview more students and make offers to more candidates. With many law students looking for jobs in a shrinking market, we thought this decision not only benefited the Firm, but also the law school community. We realize that accepting a summer associate job is a big decision for law students, and therefore we encouraged our candidates to contact us should they need more time to make their decision. To date, no one has expressed any concerns directly to us with the deadline we have set.

It’s not particularly surprising that summers, many of whom want to be first-year associates one day, aren’t complaining “directly” to EAPD about anything. What is surprising is that summers aren’t complaining to Above the Law either. The sources we spoke with had no problem making a decision about where to summer in three weeks.
They were marginally more concerned at having their offer rescinded if the class filled up. But they also felt that a lot of firms are flouting NALP rules; at least EAPD is being honest about it.
And that is probably the right way for 2Ls to approach this recruiting season. Assume disrespect for the 45-day period for holding offers open, and act accordingly.
Earlier: Harvard Law School to the Rescue
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