Legal News

Law students suffer another job prospect blow with lowered associate offer rates

By Richard Binder

Summer associate offer rates are down significantly at many big California firms.

Some firms are still compiling numbers, but most offer rates are in the range of 60 to 85 percent.  One firm, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, offered jobs to only 30 percent of associates.  That's down from an average of more than 90 percent in recent years at most firms.

The trend is a double blow to students, after a summer in which firms invited 30 to 50 percent fewer students to join their programs.

Robert Depew, managing director of Major, Lindsey & Africa's San Francisco office, said in the past, the major hurdle for law students was obtaining a summer associate offer with a reputable firm, not getting an offer of full-time employment at the end of the summer. This year, firms have raised the bar, and even smart and polished associates won't make the cut.

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Full post as published by Legal Pad | LA on September 04, 2009 (boomark / email).