We’re hearing reports of significant no-offering out of Winston’s Chicago summer program. We don’t know the exact numbers, and we probably won’t know them until the next cycle of NALP data on summer program offer rates. But preliminary reports suggest an offer rate below 70 percent, with about 10 of 30 summer associates not getting offers of permanent employment.
“They made everyone think the firm was doing well and offers would be universally handed out at the beginning of the summer,” said a source. “But about halfway through, word started coming down that no one was safe.”
“It’s not a huge number of no-offers in an absolute sense,” a different tipster told us, “but the rate is shocking. I don’t know about other offices.”
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Over at Top Law Schools, a poster wrote: “As a heads up, a friend of mine who summered at Winston in Chicago just told me that roughly one third of their class got no-offered. Might not be the best choice if you have other options.”
We contacted Jill Delaney, the firm’s new public relations manager, about both the layoff and no-offer news. (Darryl Van Duch, whom you may remember from the Adam Kaiser affair, is no longer at Winston.) Delaney issued this brief statement: “Winston & Strawn policy dictates we do not comment on personnel matters. Should this change, I will be sure to get in touch.”
This policy is understandable, and Winston certainly isn’t alone in declining to comment on personnel matters. But that won’t stop us from continuing to investigate these issues.
If you have additional information about personnel matters at Winston & Strawn, in Chicago or any other office, please email us or text us (646-820-8477). Thanks.
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