Posted by wlansden |
Filed under recruiting
By Kathleen Pearson
American Lawyer's Annual Summer Associate Survey article again highlights the disconnect between law student’s perspective and the reality law firms face with respect to the recruiting process. Law students want a longer summer experience and remain frustrated with law firms not committing to the number of students that will actually be hired.
Why can’t firms make a decision now about your future? Because they don’t know how many of you they will need this far in advance.
Law firms begin interviewing students during the fall of the second year of law school - two full years (at least) before the class of new associates will start. Because OCI has been moved so far back, firms must forecast how many new associates they will need to hire well before the client demand for them exists. Unfortunately, luck and guesswork make up much of the equation, with many firms guessing wrong, causing a serious pipeline issue.
As long as firms continue to start the hiring process so far in advance, students will continue to be left in the dark about how many will actually be hired and what positions they will be hired for. Firms are experimenting with new models that address these issues. Jones Day moved it’s on-campus visits up one month this fall.
"The current system discourages the efforts of law firms to learn about all the competencies (over and above grades) of potential associates," according to David Van Zandt, dean, Northwestern Law. "It also requires firms to make employment decisions and predictions about their hiring needs too far in advance of permanent start dates.”
Waller Lansden has moved to an apprentice model during the first part of the 3L year, with students applying for actual job openings. By moving the timing of the program, the firm will be able to align hiring needs with client demand and provide a stable opportunity for students.
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