Top-Tier Law Schools Report an Increase in Summer Associate Hiring
Students at top-tier law schools are securing more summer associate positions, though the job numbers still fall short of levels before the recession.
Reuters collected summer hiring statistics from top-tier law schools and found:
• At New York University, about 70 percent of incoming third-year law students got summer associate positions in 2011, up 15 percentage points from the previous year.
• At the University of Chicago, about 77 percent of 3Ls obtained summer associate positions last year, up eight percentage points from the previous year.
• At Yale, about 75 percent of 3Ls obtained summer associate jobs, up three percentage points from 2010.
• At the University of Michigan, about 55 percent of 3Ls obtained summer associate jobs, an increase of four percentage points from 2010.
Paula Alvary, principal of consulting firm Hoffman Alvary, told Reuters that increased litigation and transactional work are spurring some law firms to increase summer hiring plans for 2012.
But the outlook isn’t as bright for students at lower-tier schools where firms outside BigLaw are recruiting, Alvary said. “Top-end firms continue to rely heavily on summer associate programs, but mid-level firms are reassessing their processes for training lawyers,” she said. “There’s a differentiation in the market.”
The Careerist noted the story.
