Biglaw, Contests, Fabulosity, Parties, Summer Associates

ATL Contest: Which Is the Best Event for 2010 Summer Associates?

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Some summer associates are already halfway through their Biglaw summer experiences. We hope that Northwestern’s “No More I Love Yous” is not ringing true for you, and that your offices don’t bear any resemblance to the photo from our last Caption Contest.

We have heard that you’re not eating out as often or spending as much on lunch. That is inexcusable! Sure, times are tough, but the firms have brought in far fewer SAs this year, so they should be able to splurge a bit.

Skadden and Paul Weiss both had 102 summer associates in 2009, and have just 34 and 58, respectively, this year. Cravath cut its summer class from 121 to 22. Weil dropped from 96 in 2009 to 20 this year. With those drastic reductions in numbers, being a summer associate this year should be like being an only child — you get spoiled.

(By the by, we hear that a San Diego office dropped its numbers by one this month — anyone with information, email us!)

Please tell us about your spoils. Which firm has the best summer associate event this year? We’re holding a contest: make your submissions for Biggest & Bestest Biglaw Event of Summer 2010 by email or in the comments.

We had five finalists for the prize last year: Cleary Gottlieb, Sidley Austin, Cadwalader, Carlton Fields, and Fish & Richardson. Which firm won?

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Last year, ATL readers rewarded creativity rather than extravagance when it came to summer events. They voted to give the 2009 award to Fish & Richardson’s Harpdrygal roller derby. The Harpdrygal series was a long-running counter-culture event created by Dallas-based partners Geoff Harper and Kip Mendrygal, who had wearied of the typical lavish events and indulgent dinners for summer associates.

Mendrygal told us last year that there were many possibilities for this summer’s Harpdrygal event:

Though Harpdrygal I-V have covered many of the things that make Texas awesome, dozens of Texas-specific activities remain, including cow tipping, water witching, beef jerky making, animal husbandry, and donning masks and chainsaws and chasing teenage tourists through the woods.

But it looks like last year’s winner may not be in contention for the crown this year. Mendrygal has left Fish & Richardson for Locke Lord.

Declining Summer Associate Classes [Wall Street Journal]

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Earlier: Victory for Fish & Richardson in ATL’s Summer Associate Event Contest (and the Mark Cuban Insider Trading Case)
ATL Contest: Best Summer Associate Event of 2009

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