Deferred Associates Turn Backs On Big Law

by Jared Solovay
Director of Employer Relations & Administrative Director of HLP

As you've no doubt heard, a number of big law firms reacted to the recession by deferring their offers to incoming first-year associates. Some of these deferred associates collected their stipends and cooled their heels on the beach, but many others chose to work in the public sector.

This approach seemed like a win-win-win scenario under the circumstances. Firms held on to the attorneys they spent so much time and money recruiting and training as summer associates, while cutting costs by paying them a fraction of their regular firm salaries (which, in the upside-down world of attorney compensation, still turned out to be higher than many public interest salaries). The cash-strapped public interest groups obtained the services of talented law school graduates without having to pay them anything. And those newly-minted attorneys managed to get some valuable experience, burnish their legal credentials, and help other people along the way.

As it now turns out, according to this story in yesterday's New York Times, some deferred associates are now choosing to leave law firm life behind and switch to public interest law.

Still trying to chart your own path and choose between the private sector and public interest law? Make an appointment with an LCS counselor today.