After Layoffs Last Year, Cooley Delays Start Date For First-Year Associates

More austerity measures at the firm.

sad unhappy womanAt the end of last year, Silicon Valley Biglaw mainstay Cooley LLP instituted layoffs for associates due to “overcapacity” issues. But that didn’t signal the end of their issues.

According to a tipster at the firm, “they emailed incoming first years yesterday that they will be pushed to January 2024” — the class was originally scheduled to begin their employment in November of this year. As reported by Bloomberg Law, to help the soon-to-be associates deal with this change in status, they’ll receive a $10,000 stipend from the firm.

Back in September, however, after things had just started to go south, the firm was said to have implemented an associate hiring freeze, but denied the official existence of such a program at the time.

Best of luck to those impacted by the firm’s decision.

If your firm or organization is reducing the ranks of its lawyers or staff, whether through open layoffs, stealth layoffs, or voluntary buyouts, please don’t hesitate to let us know. Our vast network of tipsters is part of what makes Above the Law thrive. You can email us or text us (646-820-8477).

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Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. 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

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