We already knew that Biglaw companies had been stepping away from utilizing legislation faculty interview packages as their predominant supply of recruitment in favor of alternative hiring plans, however one elite legislation agency simply made a transfer which will spell doom for on-campus interviews if extra companies resolve to observe its lead.
Latham & Watkins — a agency that introduced in $5,688,226,000 gross income in 2023, placing it at No. 2 on the Am Legislation 100 — will now not be taking part in legislation faculty interview packages to recruit summer season associates. As a substitute, the agency is encouraging all candidates to ship their purposes on to the agency. Bloomberg Law has extra particulars:
The Los Angeles-founded agency had been reducing on-campus interviews, dubbed OCIs, over the past three years earlier than opting out totally this 12 months, in line with the particular person [familiar with the matter], who spoke on a situation of anonymity. The three,000-lawyer agency has directed legislation college students to use on-line for the summer season affiliate positions which are the principal pathway for graduating legislation college students to get jobs.
Because the Nationwide Affiliation for Legislation Placement reported earlier this month, the vast majority of gives (56%) made through the 2025 recruitment cycle resulted from different hiring packages. Within the wake of Latham’s transfer, Nikia Grey, NALP’s govt director, now believes that OCI will shift to changing into “extra of a major instrument for regional and native companies. For these massive nationwide companies, it’s going to change into one thing that they maybe take part in to prime off or spherical out their class.”
What number of Biglaw companies will step away from on-campus recruiting now that Latham has formally put one other nail in its coffin? Solely time will inform. Is your legislation agency planning to kick OCI to the curb? Please tell us. You may email us or textual content us (646-820-8477) if in case you have any intel. Thanks.
Latham Scraps On-Campus Interviews to Recruit Summer Associates [Bloomberg Law]
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Legislation, the place she’s labored since 2011. She’d love to listen to from you, so please be happy to email her with any ideas, questions, feedback, or critiques. You may observe her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or join together with her on LinkedIn.
