Biglaw

Biglaw Firms Can't Seem To Decide What They're Going To Do With Summer Associate Programs

But remote work and delayed start dates certainly seem more appealing than canceled programs.

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Earlier this month, with worries about the COVID-19 pandemic increasing as law schools closed their doors and law firms employed remote workforces, we wondered if this year’s summer associate programs would go forward as regularly scheduled. Would the upcoming summer programs possibly be postponed or canceled outright?

At the time, some seemed confident that everything would be “just fine,” but now that some areas of the country are in lockdown mode, others seem to be having changes of heart. Rather than doing away with programs completely, delayed start dates and even remote work now seem like they could be real possibilities.

“Many firms we advise are now talking about the possibility of pushing back their start dates,” said Zeughauser Group consultant Kent Zimmermann. “All plan to hire some associates out of their summer classes. They don’t want to get behind on their talent pipeline or taint their firms in the minds of law school leaders and students, which happened to some firms after 08.”

Firms like Boies Schiller, Caplin & Drysdale, Covington & Burling, Fried Frank, and Paul Weiss are planning to go forward with their summer programs — with some keeping remote work at top of mind. The American Lawyer has additional details:

For Nick Gravante and Natasha Harrison, managing partners at Boies Schiller Flexner, the decision to keep the firm’s summer associate program was a quick one. … “If we have to work at home because that’s where lawyers are working when summer associates start arriving in mid-May, then we will incorporate the summers into our work-from-home routine.” …

At Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, chairman Brad Karp said Thursday that the firm still hadn’t decided whether to change its summer associate program. But he noted that delaying summer associate programs beyond their usual mid-May starting point could dovetail with the decision by most law schools to delay their on-campus interviews from about August 2020 until early 2021, freeing up students later in the summer.

Still other firms haven’t quite decided what they’ll be doing with their summer programs, which is worrisome for law students who thought their career plans were all set. Nathan Peart, a managing director at recruiting firm Major, Lindsey & Africa’s associate practice group, said, “In the next two weeks, I think that’s when we’ll get more clarity on these things.”

While we genuinely hope that things will work out, things could indeed look different in a few weeks if people don’t stay in their homes and practice proper social distancing procedures. Please stay inside and wash your hands so we can work to contain the coronavirus and stop the legal market from being driven further into chaos.

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Is your firm planning to hold its summer associate program as planned, despite coronavirus concerns? Please text us (646-820-8477) or email us (subject line: “Coronavirus Summer Associate Program”) and let us know. Stay safe.

Earlier: Could Coronavirus Play A Hand In Biglaw Firms Canceling Summer Associate Programs?

Some Firms Press On With Summers, While Others Wait and See [American Lawyer]

Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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