Will More Biglaw Firms Join In On The Associate Deferral Party?

Now that it's been started, other firms may be less fearful to do the same.

Sad guy is standing and looking down. He is upset. Man is holding a wistle in his mouth and has a birthday hat on the head. Isolated on blue background.[Some firms] may take the opportunity to let go of attorneys because they can do so without being in the spotlight.

I’m not convinced it’ll hit the industry across the board. Given how much work has slowed, some firms may have overhired. But I don’t think every firm fits into that category.

Summer Eberhard, a legal recruiter at Major, Lindsey & Africa in San Francisco, in comments given to the American Lawyer on Gunderson Dettmer’s decision to defer the start date for the firm’s incoming associate class. As we first reported, the firm confirmed the delay, and a spokesperson stated that “this is a personnel matter and we have nothing more to say.”


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.