25 -

I'm well aware of which practice groups are hot right now. What I want to know is which firms are calling people in for certain practice groups.

I don’t understand what took them so long to decide they have no need for (half of the) incoming associates. Why couldn’t they have let the poor souls know in August or September? January is now only a couple of months away. Deferred associates should know whether they are going to start.

If there are any other firms out there waiting to make this decision, I urge you, on behalf of all deferred associates with mythical start dates, to let us know NOW.

At what point can incoming associates scheduled to start in January feel (relatively) secure that they will actually start? I would have thought that by November firms would have made the hard decisions. Are firms going to re-defer a January 15 start date on January 1?

To the ATL editors:

I have an idea that can help both ATL’s bottom line and incoming associates. Look into the firms with January start dates – see lawfirmchaos.blogspot.com – and reach out to them asking for confirmation that incoming associates will actually start when scheduled. Create a thread with the results and I assure you ATL will get a record number of page views.

Someone needs to force the firms’ hand already. We are not entitled to start, but we are entitled to some degree of certainty this close to our supposed start date.

44 nailed it. It is extremely difficult – if not impossible – to look for jobs when you are deferred (but not quite revoked). The first question a firm (or company) asks is whether you plan on going back to the firm. So the only options are to either (i) lie and tell them that the offer was revoked, or (ii) be honest with them about the deferral, in which case you have no chance at landing the job.

As I have maintained all along, none of us feel entitled to a $160k job. All we ask for at this stage – 3 months before we are supposed to start – is for some clarity so we can plan our lives.

58 – a big fuck you from all of us deferred associates. You have some nerve making a comment like that. You don’t know anything about us – how hard we worked to get here, our familial situations, our debtload. Jesus, put yourself in our shoes for one fucking second. We are stuck in limbo right now.

I'm at a loss for words. This is such an ugly thing to do. I know many of you are annoyed with me, but I really am a hardcore capitalist. I think KS should cut half of the incoming associates if that's what it needs to do to stay profitable and keep current associates busy.

What I take issue with, however, is stringing the incoming associates along -- literally, dangling a carrot in front of them -- for months upon months. What has changed since August? If they didn't know, with 100% certainty, that they could take on these kids in August, they should have made the cut then.

These firms want to pick and chose in which ways they behave like real businesses. On the one hand, they want to provide minimal job security like businesses do; on the other hand, they are so concerned about their reputations, that they are often paralyzed and unable to act when necessary.

And if the partners at KS think they are being innovative by doing this, they are delusional. Seriously, I want what they are smoking. All they will accomplish is to create a nightmarish scenario with a class divide akin to the fucking Titanic.

Well, the re-deferral trend has finally made its way into the V50. As I have maintained all along, the firms simply picked these January start dates at random--they never expected any of us to actually start unless things picked up dramatically.

So now the rest of us going to V50 firms wait for the phone call. This week and next is when it will all go down. But at least they didn't string us along and then wait for the last possible second to make a decision, right?

17 - While I do believe there is some level of arbitrariness involved in deciding who to re-defer, I would bet that what happens is this:

- Every practice group tells the hiring committee how many new bodies it can handle;
- The hiring committee looks at which groups the summers picked as their top choice;
- The practice groups will look at a list of the incomings who selected their group, and will try to remember who they "liked" from the summer of 2008.

If the firm actually picks at random they are more retarded than I thought.

35 - No, my firm thinks it's a good idea to string us along for as long as possible before making a decision. I do, however, expect to hear soon (probably this week or next).

52 - I will out the firm if/when I get re-deferred/revoked.

90 - Nope, Proskauer is not the firm that is about to ruin my life.

I am truly in shock about how late the firms have waited--and are waiting--to "deal" with the January starters. Any guesses on which firm is next?

My guesses on which firms will follow the re-deferral trend:

1. Mayer Brown
2. Milbank
3. Dewey

*Ropes strikes me as the type of firm that will honor its commitments.

121 - How do you know this? Firms are just now telling their incoming associates that they won't be starting in January.

What have you heard from Ropes?

Describe this email. I have received communications mentioning it, but no real confirmation.

127 - You misunderstood. My firm (not Ropes) did not send a specific orientation email. I am curious about what Ropes said in their recent message to incomings.

As someone who has been deferred until January--with a $10,000 stipend to hold me over--I can empathize with both sides of this debate. On the one hand, many of us are indeed getting money to not work; the firms don't owe us anything; and we are indeed better off than most people.

On the other hand, the firms are paying out stipends for a reason. They strung us along and many of us gave up other Opportunities because we believed our firms--naively or not--when they shook our hands and made us a full time offer. Also keep in mind that this mass deferral situation is unprecedented; indeed, nothing like this has ever happened before in the legal profession. The firms are simply recognizing that we got caught blindsighted by this situation and giving us something for our troubles.

As for myself, I am using my deferral period to gain some skills. I am living off of my deferral stipend and am working for a non-profit for free doing interesting work. I personally feel fortunate that the firm provided me with the cushion to do this.

I should also note that my firm has not re-deferred me, and I am confident that I am starting on time. Consequently, this will be my last post.

7 - Everyone at Milbank is slow as shit, and none of us know how they will find work for all of the incoming associates starting in January.

170-171 -

Name the firm or don't bother posting.