McDermott Will & Emery Converts Three Offers to Discovery Attorneys

In a couple of months, the class of 2012 will embark on its quest to find an elusive Biglaw summer associate gig. But let’s not forget that many in the class of 2009 are still sitting on the sidelines, waiting to start.

Most of McDermott Will & Emery’s 2009 class has started already. But last week a few of the stragglers received some bad news. A tipster reports:

Just a heads up, McDermott Will & Emery rescinded offers to most of their deferred 2009 graduates on Wednesday via a phone call.

We reached out to MWE, and their spokespersons strongly disagree with characterization that offers to “most” of the deferred associates were rescinded….

Spokespersons for McDermott gave us some updated stats about their still-incoming class of 2009. Here are the numbers:

* 54 offers to the class of 2009.
* 37 started on time.
* 17 deferred or seconded to clients.
* 3 offers rescinded.

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But McDermott didn’t rescind the three offers outright. Instead, according to MWE, the three people have been offered discovery attorney positions. The position is non-partnership track, but the salary is $77,500 per year, plus benefits and a bonus.

Yay? That’s better than being unemployed, but an entirely different job than the one these people were offered when the finished their summer associate gigs back in 2008. Another source puts it this way:

Offered a non-partner track position doing doc review for approximately what [we] were making with the stipend. It was made very clear that taking that position would in no way [result in] an associate [position].

Sources tell us that partners have been making calls to the rescinded summers, pushing the great (non-partner track) opportunities available in McDermott’s discovery center.

So what happened between the summer of 2008 and last week to turn three people from potential associates to potential discovery attorneys? McDermott spokespeople wouldn’t say.

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But the firm did say that the 14 other people still waiting to start will be at the firm by the end of the year, and some of them might even be able to start as soon as July 1.

Here’s hoping that MWE clears its incoming associate backlog before the class of 2011 shows up looking for work.