Biglaw’s recruitment of legislation college students is nicely and actually damaged. That’s not a shock — in 2018, when NALP announced it was eliminating the recruitment guardrails, the race to the bottom was on. Seven years later, it’s awful out there. Main legislation corporations are peace-ing out of on-campus recruitment. 1Ls are securing their 2L summer time jobs *earlier than* their 1L summer time jobs. Provides for summer time affiliate jobs that explode earlier than the primary yr of legislation college is even over have change into a factor. It’s insanity — and it uniquely disadvantages legislation college students with no built-in community of Biglaw contacts, people who suppose a Cravath is only a misspelling of an Ascot-style tie.
However it’s additionally a battle for Biglaw corporations attempting to stack their summer time affiliate courses with the very best and brightest. At the very least two Biglaw corporations have struck upon a somewhat… fascinating technique to draw expertise. Based on Above the Legislation tipsters Sullivan & Cromwell and Paul Weiss have tapped legislation college students to deal with some key recruiting features for the corporations. Upperclass college students at prime legislation colleges (ATL hasn’t heard of the apply exterior of the T14) that already accepted provides on the corporations have been given the authority to wine and dine 1Ls as a part of the agency’s recruitment. It’s strolling round cash for 3Ls who aren’t but full fledged attorneys to deal with their associates to the advantages of a Biglaw expense account.
Above the Legislation reached out to Paul Weiss and Sullivan & Cromwell for a remark, however haven’t heard again.
It’s a daring transfer that, on the one hand, frees up full-time associates to proceed billing, however places the necessary screening perform on college students with a essentially restricted expertise with the agency. It’s additionally fascinating that the corporations ATL has heard of collaborating within the apply are ones on the receiving finish of plenty of MAGA-related destructive publicity (Paul Weiss was the first Biglaw firm to capitulate to Donald Trump and ink a deal providing him with millions in pro bono payola for conservative causes and purchasers, S&C is representing Trump in his criminal case and was reportedly concerned in the negotiation of Paul Weiss’s take care of Trump). 1Ls don’t have probably the most expertise with Biglaw, however the Paul Weiss and S&C tales have crossed over into mainstream information. Throwing cash round most likely helps to negate a few of those negative associations.
However Biglaw recruiting is cutthroat, and I’ve to think about the apply will unfold… if it hasn’t already.
Do you could have expertise with legislation college students recruiting on behalf of Biglaw? In that case, e mail ATL along with your story or information on different corporations doing the identical. All tipsters are stored strictly confidential.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Legislation, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the very best, so please join along with her. Be happy to e mail her with any ideas, questions, or feedback and observe her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Mastodon @[email protected].
