Earlier this month, we asked you if holiday parties were still on this year. Many people said that they were, albeit more subdued than the halcyon days of yore.

But one deferred associate had this question:

Aside from the question of which firms may be abandoning their holiday parties this year, it would be interesting to see which firms are inviting their deferred associates. As of now I don’t think the firm that deferred me is …

You know, it never occurred to me that firms would invite deferred associates the holiday party. At first blush, the idea sounds ludicrous. Why would they invite people who are not employees to the employee party?

I’m willing to bet that it never occurred to most firms either. But remember, deferring incoming associates is a completely new thing. There are no rules for this stuff; the legal industry is making it up as it goes along.

So, as long as we are setting new standards here, why shouldn’t a firm invite deferred associates to the party?

A discussion and a reader poll after the jump.

Sensible shoes are for liberal chicks. Say hello to fabulous Federalist footwear!

As you may have noticed, from our two posts late on Monday night and one from Tuesday morning, we’re engaging in some after-the-fact blogging of last week’s Federalist Society National Lawyers Convention.

As in past years, the social highlight of the conference was the Thursday night banquet (black tie optional; and many availed themselves of the option, ‘cause that’s how conservatives roll). The speaker at the dinner was none other than Justice Samuel A. Alito, who delivered an insightful and hilarious speech that was a delight to listen to. Just as one might say of, say, a newscast by Jon Stewart, much of the entertainment value was in the delivery — Justice Alito is so dry and deadpan, and yet his remarks make you bust out laughing.

Interestingly enough, we haven’t come across many news accounts of Justice Alito’s speech. There was also no video recording allowed at the address. So we feel we can add some value with this write-up, despite its belated nature.

There may have been some confusion over the ground rules governing reporting about the speech. From the BLT:

Justice Samuel Alito Jr. spoke to the Federalist Society [last Thursday] night, but photos of him doing so are hard to come by. That’s because photographers other than the Federalist Society’s own were barred from the event. Keith Appell, a spokesman for the Federalist Society, said cameras were prohibited by Alito’s security detail….

Kathy Arberg, the court spokeswoman, said “The justice’s policy was that the event was open to still cameras and pencil press,” and that the Federalist Society was informed of that policy before the event.

Well, photos from the event aren’t hard to come by on Above the Law. Nobody told us that we couldn’t take photographs — so we did. And, as members of the “pencil press,” we jotted down notes in our reporter’s notebook. (We left the laptop at the hotel that night.)

Check out a slideshow of our pictures, along with a discussion of Justice Alito’s highly engaging and entertaining address, after the jump.

Tipsters report that Goldman Sachs — they of the magnanimous bonuses — has sent the word out that holiday parties will be canceled this year. Even “personally funded” parties are being discouraged.

If that is what is happening at mighty Goldman, what paltry party offerings can Biglaw associates expect?

Last year’s season can best be summed up by Cravath. Usually the firm shindig is at the Rainbow Room. Last year, the party was at the firm cafeteria.

Cravath also canceled its biennial “Cravath Prom” last year. Is there any indication that the good times are coming back to Cravath?

What are the party prospects elsewhere? I would think “surviving 2009” would be a great theme for this year’s extravaganzas, if anybody has any money lying around to be extravagant with.

Perhaps I’m expecting too much? Will this holiday party season involve more coals than diamonds? Tell us what you think in the comments.

Earlier: Cravath Continues to Think Ahead

Last month, we asked you to share your stories of summer associate craziness. Based on the responses we received, I feel very sorry for the 2009 summer associates. Obviously the days of summers peeing off the side of a Duck Boat are long gone.

This story we received from summers at Weil Gotshal in New York illustrates the difference between summer 2009 and actual fun:

Did you hear about the Weil partner who got a summer so wasted from shots the summer barfed on himself in the bathroom at a firm event?

Were this year’s summers really so dull that partners had to be the ones to encourage after-work debauchery? I mean seriously, if you can make it to the bathroom, you probably could have had at least one more shot.

The Weil summer rallies after the boot, after the jump.

Fall is here, reflected in the chillier temperatures we’ve been experiencing here in New York. But here’s an opportunity for reminiscing about the glorious days of summer.

Check out this slideshow of photographs from our fabulous summer rooftop gathering, sponsored by our friends at Applied Discovery. If you’ve ever wanted to see our very own Kashmir Hill play Wii Tennis, this is your chance!

If you’d be interested in sponsoring an Above the Law event, please email us at advertising@breakingmedia.com (subject line: “ATL Events”). Thanks!

Earlier: An ATL Event: Rooftop Gathering with Applied Discovery

If you’ll be in New York on Monday, August 24, you might be interested in this event, brought to you by Above the Law and our friends at Applied Discovery:

SPACE IS LIMITED. To request an invitation, please email InviteRequest@breakingmedia.com. Please include your name, employer, and job title in your response. If we can accommodate you, we will send you a confirmation by email.

Thanks! We hope to see you on the 24th.

If you’ll be in New York on Monday, August 24, you might be interested in this event, brought to you by Above the Law and our friends at Applied Discovery:

SPACE IS LIMITED. To request an invitation, please email InviteRequest@breakingmedia.com. Please include your name, employer, and job title in your response. If we can accommodate you, we will send you a confirmation by email.

Thanks! We hope to see you on the 24th.

If you’ll be in New York on Monday, August 24, you might be interested in this event, brought to you by Above the Law and our friends at Applied Discovery:

SPACE IS LIMITED. To request an invitation, please email InviteRequest@breakingmedia.com. Please include your name, employer, and job title in your response. If we can accommodate you, we will send you a confirmation by email.

Thanks! We hope to see you on the 24th.

If you’ll be in New York on Monday, August 24, you might be interested in this event, brought to you by Above the Law and our friends at Applied Discovery:

SPACE IS LIMITED. To request an invitation, please email InviteRequest@breakingmedia.com. Please include your name, employer, and job title in your response. If we can accommodate you, we will send you a confirmation by email.

Thanks! We hope to see you on the 24th.

This year’s batch of summer associates are roughing it at Biglaw summer camp, with fewer meals out on the firm and less lavish events. To make matters worse, some summers are being told now that their future job will be deferred. Summer associates at Skadden and Ropes & Gray have been informed that they can’t come back to the camping ground until 2011. Tents can’t be repitched at Orrick until 2012.

This seems like a good time to focus on the light side of the summer associate experience. For the past month, we’ve been soliciting entries for our Summer Associate Event Contest of 2009. They came trickling in slowly, whether because there aren’t many events to brag about or because summer associates are too busy (or too scared) to email us. One SA was so fearful of “tipping” us that the announcement about the firm’s event was sent anonymously via snail mail. [FN1]

One ATL reader from a small firm had this to say about the environment at firms this summer:

Our firm does a lot of corporate bankruptcy work, so we’re faring better in this economic storm than most, but we had to scale back our summer associate program a bit. We do not have as many summer associates as we used to, and we are not having as many major, expensive events. No more big-ticket concerts; no more dinner theater on a river boat; no more renting out an entire movie theater for a pre-release movie showing….

Certainly, the difficulties of this economy are showing in the makeup of our summer class: because we have a summer program at all (unlike many law firms), we’re getting students from higher ranked schools. Most of them are from Top 20 law schools, all of them from Top 75 law schools, none of them from the fourth-tier local law school that usually supplies some of our summer class. And our summer associates are noticeably more stressed about the experience and their prospects than I’ve seen in the past 10 summers.

Despite the foregoing, we have a nice selection of events for the contest. We ask you to vote on the best one, plus offer a few honorable mentions (for events involving public urination and broken bones), after the jump.

Thanks to everyone who attended last week’s cocktail hour and panel discussion, Market Volatility & Your Finances. The well-attended event — held at the headquarters of AXA Advisors, in a spacious room with stunning views of Central Park (see above) — was informative and fun.

A special thanks to Larry Bahr and AXA Advisors for hosting the evening. If you’re looking for a financial advisor to help you navigate these challenging times, you should definitely drop Larry a line.

We’ll be doing more Above the Law events in the future. If you’re interested in possibly sponsoring an event, please contact our sales and marketing director, Elyse DiPierri, by email (subject line: “Event Sponsorship”).

Check out the pictures, after the jump.

Vroom, Vroom, the party starter?

The people over at SubtleDig have put together a list of the top party law schools:

Though these rankings pages purport to rank the “party-ness” of the top 102 law schools, they might better be described as “quality-of-life” rankings. Why the misnomer? Sensationalism mainly. Don’t be too disappointed though, these “quality-of-life” rankings have far more utility than any strict “party” rankings could provide. Below you will find the top 5 and bottom 5 Party Law Schools. Please consult the navigation bar above for more.

This list seems totally appropriate given the state of the economy. There’s no point in going to law school if you’re looking for an actual job, might as well pick a school where you can have some fun for three years while you wait out the market crisis.

Here’s the top ten party law schools:

Can you come up with one other list that would show Alabama and Harvard tied for something? Anything? I have this vague idea of the most interesting law school mixer of all time, met on the neutral ground of Washington, D.C. or something.

Meanwhile, how the heck did ASU beat out Tulane? Tulane students party so hard they manage to cross the line in NOLA. “Say what you will about the tenets of nationalized socialism, but at least it’s an ethos.” Then again, all ASU law students do is beat the bag out of would be criminals.

We have to check out SubtleDig’s methodology, after the jump.

As we’ve previously noted, when it comes to disputes between lawyers and their former firms, there are several sides to every story. For example, compare Yolanda Young’s claims against Covington & Burling with the firm’s response (PDF).

We try to cover both sides of these controversies. Having previously covered Roofiegate — aka Moor v. Bingham McCutchen, a complaint filed by ex-associate Michelle Moor against the firm, alleging that she was slipped a date rape drug at the firm’s holiday party — we now bring you this update.

The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) has dismissed Michelle Moor’s complaint:

Based upon the Commission’s investigation, the Commission is unable to conclude that the information obtained establishes a violation of the statutes. This does not certify that the Respondent is in compliance with the statutes. No finding is made as to any other issues that might be construed as having been raised by this complaint.

Details, plus a link to the Commission’s ruling, after the jump.

Despite the depressed mood here at the NALP conference in Washington, some folks are still up for fun. We’re about to head off to karaoke night, sponsored by Major, Lindsey & Africa, which we’ve heard is not to be missed.

Last night, SJL Attorney Search hosted a swanky reception at the National Portrait Gallery. Attendees availed themselves of the open bar to dull the pain. At the emcee’s instigation, a dozen brave female volunteers took the stage to “do the twist”:

One spectator was unamused: “Fiddling while Rome burns.”

But hey, a little dancing can’t hurt. When the emcee exclaimed “Now turn it around! Turn it around!”, surely he was referring to the economy.

A few pictures — don’t get your hopes up, it’s not as extensive as this morning’s slideshow — after the jump.

As law firms scale back, our nationwide perk watch has shifted to a reversed perk watch. The firm giveth, and the firm may taketh away.

Debevoise & Plimpton is ramping up for its annual firm dinner on February 24. Or should we say ramping down? This was last year’s announcement for the big event:

This year, there will be no Pierre. In fact, there will be no dinner. Here’s the invitation to the cocktail reception, in lieu of the firm dinner, to be held on the firm’s very own 33rd floor:
In the words… or word… of our tipster: “Classy.”

Free food. Free drink. Ample networking opportunities. What’s not to like?

Practical Law Company (PLC) — a U.K.-based company that just started offering its services here in the U.S., which we’ll be writing more about later — is holding a launch party next week here in New York. The festivities will be attended law firm folks (partners and associates), in-house lawyers, legal journalists, and others connected to the profession. The party will be held on Wednesday, January 28, from 6:30 to 10 p.m.

If you’d like to attend, please RSVP. The first 25 ATL readers to respond will be placed on the guest list. If you’re in the first 25, you’ll receive a confirmation email. (We will also append an update to this post after all the spots are filled.)

If your firm canceled its holiday party last year, here’s your chance to chuckle at inebriated law firm partners. Several members of the ATL crew will be in attendance. We hope to see you there!

P.S. Disclosure: PLC is an ATL advertiser.

Update: The 25 spots have been filled. Thanks for your interest!

The Innovation Agenda: Practical Law Company Sets Up Shop in NYC [Am Law Daily]

Back when Cravath, Swaine & Moore announced its bonus structure, you’ll remember that there were two surprising aspects to the memo. The cash money was less than people expected to be sure. But at the time we also noted this surprising language:

Given the uncertainty of the economy and the business climate going forward, we will not be able to address the issue of whether there will be any year-end bonuses in 2009 until this time next year. However, associates should be prepared for the likelihood that the economy and the Firm’s financial performance next year will not show a significant improvement over this year and they may receive significantly reduced or no year-end bonuses next year.

Now, there is more — albeit anecdotal — evidence that Cravath is looking into their 2009 crystal ball, and planning further cutbacks. This year, the firm proceeded with their usual holiday party plans. But next year, things could be different:

Normally, they have a HUGE holiday party in the Rainbow Room. Word on the street is that next year, the party will either be in the “Cravatheteria” (the firm cafeteria) or not at all.

And that might not be the only Cravath cutback. More after the jump.

If you thought the Kirkland & Ellis holiday party reminder was out of step with these sober times, here’s an invitation you might find more appropriate:

Quips our tipster: “Nothing says ‘holiday cheer’ like preemptive admonitions against bringing anyone to the party you might actually WANT to talk to, driving home Toonces the Cat-style, or groping your peers.”

P.S. In fairness, the “no spouses / guests” policy is par for the course at firm holiday parties. Most firms aren’t as nice as Kaye Scholer on this score.

Earlier: Kirkland & Ellis Sends Holiday Party Reminder

Kirkland & Ellis sent out one over-the-top holiday party reminder, yesterday. They made the planned festivities sound so great that I briefly missed the feeling bourgeois accomplishment that comes from working in Biglaw in Manhattan. Take a look at some of the highlights:

The Holiday Party is this Thursday, and we are expecting about 530 people to attend!

The Plaza

For the first time the party will be held at The Plaza, on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Central Park South. The Plaza has just gone through an historic restoration and the event spaces are more beautiful than ever. Our party occupies three of the most famous
rooms: The Palm Court, The Terrace Room, and the Terrace Room Foyer.

Unlike previous years, the entire party space will be open from start to finish. Drinks and passed hors d’oeuvres will be served at 6:00 p.m., the buffets will open at 7:00 p.m., with the skit, raffle and Employee Recognition Award being presented around 7:30 p.m.

Even a law student knows that a lawyer’s life is not glamorous. But occasionally, when you get your ticket punched by Biglaw, you get to act like you’re respected and important. Every now and again the yuppie dream becomes a physical reality.

More party details and a reality check after the jump.

Thanks to everyone who attended last week’s “Meet the ATL Editors” happy hour, held here in New York at Professor Thoms’. The party, sponsored by Major, Lindsey & Africa, was a huge success.

About 100 people — including law students, Biglaw associates, and even some partners — passed through during the hours the party was on. It was scheduled to end at 11 p.m., but when this exhausted editor left at midnight, the festivities were still going strong. The free cocktails we provided to kick off the drinking were quickly consumed, and the supply of Above the Law t-shirts was also exhausted.

We’ll be doing more events in the future — some in New York, some in other cities — so please keep an eye out for them. If you’re interested in possibly sponsoring an ATL event, please contact our sales and marketing director, Elyse DiPierri, by email (subject line: “Event Sponsorship”).

Once again, thanks to Major, Lindsey & Africa for sponsoring the party.

Check out the pictures after the jump (or just click here).