Other firms have moved up start dates too. The announcements were posted on ATL.

Whatever, 1. I'll take any not-depressing news I can get these days. And yes, I want ATL to report this stuff just be sure that "market" isn't defined these days as rescinding offers of 2/3 of the incoming class.

Katten no-offered 60-70% of their 2009 summer class because they are a terribly managed and disingenuous firm. What a shitty place.

2 - Sidley (link at end of post). I think Howrey too.

I didn't get this message. That can't be good.

Between its New York and Chicago offices, Katten made offers to 40 summer associates in 2008. Recalling a whopping 6 out of 40 for early employment is scarcely cause for celebration.

What is Katten? Stupid name. Go work for a real firm like Dickelstein, Shappenheimer & Brownstain.

Sweet. This makes my no offer look even better.

Although not a peer firm, Katten has apparently pulled off a commendable publicity stunt that will generate positive feedback in the legal community. Peer and non-peer firms take note: terminate 10 young associates via stealth layoffs, then recall 6 from the entering class to start earlier than their already deferred start date and *poof* instant headlines of "green shoots" and "Strong firm calls 6 lucky associates to start early." I just hope no one paid a public relations firm thousands of dollars to come up with this "plan."

Glad to see you guys are trying make up for your shortcomings over the past week or two by working on Saturday. (I'm being serious, here. Nice effort.)

what's the salary? if it's $128k to work 2000 hours, i'd be looking for another job.

The sooner the new associates start, the sooner they can be subjected to performance reviews.

PE happens to have hit the nail on the head this time. There's a first for everything.

My V100 firm called me last week too. I was told I'd be starting in Dec. instead of Jan. Not a big difference, but a good sign.

Concur with 14. PE's comment was actually worth reading for once.

DLA informed staff and paralegals on Friday that year-end bonuses will be paid in January and that the firm expects to pay merit increases next July. Also, they'll resume profit sharing contributions to staff and paralegals for 2010.

Intellectual Property Law is the way to go!!!!!

My V100 firm called me about two weeks ago exploring possibilities of starting early. Last week I was told that I would be starting Oct. 5 rather than Nov. 2. Sucks though as I was enjoying my vacation.

Our firm did this for incoming bankruptcy associates. Green shoots.

Sounds like mounting evidence of green shouts. Although even if firms are doing what PE suggests they are, I'm okay with that.

- Law student

Can we get a list of firms that have called in associates early please? Come on people, spill the beans!

This is bad news for ATL. I didn't even know this site existed before the great recession began. Having read it regularly for about a year now, I can't imagine what reason people would have to read this blog when there aren't industry-wide layoffs. I assume this why the editors insist the green shoots are not real.

This is bad news for ATL. I didn't even know this site existed before the great recession began. Having read it regularly for about a year now, I can't imagine what reason people would have to read this blog when there aren't industry-wide layoffs. I assume this is why the editors insist the green shoots are not real.

22,

I think you want information on practice areas called back more than firms. For example, Mayer Brown is a shithole that no-offered a huge percentage of the recent summer class, deferred 09, had multiple rounds of layoffs, yet called in a few 09ers to start earlty. . . mostly bankruptcy I think. So mostly practice areas not firms I would presume are what is telling.

25 -

I'm well aware of which practice groups are hot right now. What I want to know is which firms are calling people in for certain practice groups.

26,

Well then I don't see what you care. You have a firm, you can't change that. All your gonna do is go "damn it, I should've worked there" and that does nothing. MAN UP and STOP BEING WEIRD.

What is Elie doing in the office on a Saturday?

I’m guessing Lat treated the staff to takeout last night and Elie came in today because he wanted the leftovers for himself.

I think PE's analysis is wrong. If firms bring on new associates early, this is something they want to make public for good PR. At the same time, I think most firms want to make departures as painless as possible both for the firm and for the departees. Just like most firms wait until summer associates have left the firm after summer to make layoffs they wouldn't purposely fire some associates while hiring others early.

29,

Pass the crack pipe or that glass of Obama Kool-Aid. Hooray, despite the increase of the unemployment rate, the Biglaw recession is over!

Seriously though, I have heard from several partners in litigation that have said things appear to be getting more active. Some of the work is starting to come around it seems.

I know litigation at my firm is very busy.

While I appreciate people sharing that several partners have told them things are looking up, or that litigation "at my firm is very busy," but could you please provide specifics. If not the firm name, then how about location, size, etc.

Simply saying you're firm is busy doesn't really do a whole lot. I know a solo-practice attorney who is busy as hell right now...

33 - Please be more specific. What city is this solo-practice attorney in? What type of law does he/she practice? Is he considering hiring associates?

V100 firm. IP litigation. NYC. busy as hell.

I don't think Katten paid the standard 10k stipend, but it should be interesting to see what happens with that. Will a firm ask for that money back of they start you early?

The real question is why do you have to clap hard to keep Tinkerbell alive? I checked out the link and found no reference to clapping sustaining Tinkerbell. Where's the real journalism here?

I criticized Elie in the Wildman thread for hyping offer revocations and thereby giving firms cover to claim that revocations are normal in this market. I now commend Elie for this story that helps the class of 09 by raising the bar for treatment of the deferred.

I agree with 38 -- this news makes it harder for firms to ass-rape the class of 2009. There is (some) hope....but not a lot. Most of us won't start.

For what it's worth, my nonBiglaw (Corp, M&A,securities work) firm has seen a dramatic pickup in the amount of work in the past six weeks, and we weren't slow to begin with. It's tempting to start complaining, but I'll never dream of doing that after what I've been through the past two years

Didn't this firm Katten have the worst AMlawyer midlevel associate satisfaction score?

Katten partners needed fresh pussy.

Thank you 42. I was worried that I was going to be the first to make a pussy pass comment.

Will ATL do a piece on the profiles of these "law school hot" early starters?

42 and 43, are your comments about Katten or about Biglaw in general?

ATL is not a news website. They just "stories" for schock value. Thats why you see stories about threesomes and jobs data shoulder to shoulder.

Also: Fordham is a TTTerrible law school. I am transfering out immediately.

45,

If you knew how to spell words like "shock" and "transferring" I might find your comment about Fordham being a terrible school more credible.

My V50 firm named our precise January start date a few weeks ago after having promised "January 2010" last May. We are signing employment/tax papers this week and getting a second installment of our salary advance.
Stuff isn't perfect yet, but it appears far more stable.

But Fordham actually is a terrible school. Just an all-around awful place.

46 - I suspect 45 was discussing the "schlock" value of ATL postings. Doesn't resolve the spelling problem though.

And Fordham really isn't worth the price so transfering (sic) is not a bad idea.

Lastly, the pussy-pass phenomenon is general to most (all?) biglaw firms. But it only gets the hotties in the door - doesn't last beyond 18 months to 2 years.

Really not a bad mechanism for hiring since pussy-pass associates don't seem to wash out at a higher rate than associates who get in by way of GPA, school name, or other criteria.

How does Katten NYC Corporate TTT pussy pass associate still have a job?

That's the more pressing question for me!

She's an idiot.

Hey 4,

Which firm or firms are not shitty?

Just wondering.

Out of all the piece of shit firms out there, this one is one of the shittiest. LA office particularly bankrupt in values.

First !

45 here:

sorry i don't edit things i put on this bullshit site. losers.

You all should have gone to medical school. The law biz is a dead end with limited partnerships and compensation. Companies are now actively working to cut lawyers out of the loop and/or switch to smaller firms to control legal costs.

Wiley Rein in DC also push up the start dates of 10 or so attorneys. The new associates started last week.