Career Center: The Mysterious Summer Offer Rate

So how do firms decide how many summer associates will get permanent offers? Why do some firms have high offer rates, while others tread closer to the 50% offer range? The law firm recruiting process is very similar to the rush process of fraternities and sororities. There are a ton of drinking and “rush events” that summer associates partake in as law firms try to woo in new associates; but on the flip side, summer associates still have to “prove themselves worthy” enough to be accepted in the Brotherhood of Six-Figure Salaries or in the Sisterhood of Big Law Prestige.

Unlike sororities, you will not have to strip down to your underwear as current members take black sharpies and draw marks on the parts of your body that can use some “improvement.” Rest assured, however, that you will still have to work to impress the people at your summer law firm to keep the number of black sharpie marks on your file to a minimum, and ultimately secure that coveted permanent offer….

With that in mind, with the help of Lateral Link’s Frank Kimball, we examine the summer program from the firm’s side of the table, so you can understand how and why firms make decisions.

The better your understanding of the firm and its business, the greater your likelihood of short and long-term success. Law firms want you to succeed. The vast majority of firms manage the size of their summer program carefully and the vast majority of students who perform up to the firm’s standards will receive offers.

Click here to read on and get a better understanding of how firms determine the number of summer associates who will be offered permanent offers.

Tell us what it is like to work at your firm as a summer associate, by participating in the: Summer Associate Experience Survey. Finally, for additional career insights, as well as profiles of individual law firms, check out the Career Center.