Biglaw firms that employ mandatory arbitration agreements as a condition of employment have been put on notice — law school student activists are coming for you. Harvard Law student activists, organized as the Pipeline Parity Project, have made it their mission to take down firms that require employees to arbitrate employment issues. The group has already targeted Kirkland & Ellis and DLA Piper (with Kirkland reversing course on the issue) and now their sights are set on a firm they claim has been deceptive about their arbitration stance.
This morning, Pipeline Parity Project (PPP) launched #DumpVenable. In response to a survey sent on behalf of T14 law schools, Venable said the incoming summer associate class would not have to sign mandatory arbitration agreements. However, according to an email obtained by PPP and sent only a few weeks after their survey response, the firm reversed course. The firmwide email, from partner G. Stewart Webb, Jr., announced a change in the firm’s arbitration position, stating, “The Firm has adopted a Mandatory Arbitration Provision that will be applicable to all Venable Personnel.”
In a statement, the student activists are specifically calling out the “deceptive” actions of Venable:
A Career In Legal Services: Practising Law Institute Honors Toby J. Rothschild
PLI honors Toby J. Rothschild with its inaugural Victor J. Rubino Award for Excellence in Pro Bono Training, recognizing his dedication and impact.
Why did Venable intentionally deceive an entire class of incoming associates? What do they have to hide that has caused them to expand their use of forced arbitration at a time when their peer firms are renouncing its use? And what will Venable’s future employees say when they learn they have been lied to?
And it’s really the perception that law students have of being lied to about an incredibly important issue that is sticking in the craw of many. A Harvard Law 1L, Beth Feldstein said:
It’s unacceptable for any business to make its employees or customers sign away their legal rights. Venable publicly claimed to be doing the right thing, then turned around and deprived its workers of their day in court. We’re not going to let them off the hook.
Similar to their other dump Biglaw campaigns, PPP is encouraging law students not to interview with Venable and for student groups to not accept sponsorship from Venable until they do away with the mandatory arbitration provisions.
Thomson Reuters Brings The Human Touch To Artificial Intelligence
A “human-in-the-loop” approach helps us bring responsible and effective AI solutions together.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, and host of The Jabot podcast. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).