MoFo latest firm to lay-off associates. This sucks.

[Jake_MONDATTA]

http://www.abovethelaw.com/layoffs/

[jacy85]

And according to friends that are in other firms, lay offs are going on *everywhere* and only a very small percentage of them ever make Above the Law.

(although they're of course not called "lay offs" - most firms are still operating under the "normal attrition" and "performance related decision based on our normal annual review process" fallacy.

[TheDudeMan]

Don't fret, it's everywhere.  Also, bare in mind that USUALLY first years are insulated from layoffs (and sometimes even second years).  That means if you get an offer at the end of the summer, you should be alright.

[TheDudeMan]

Yeah, that IS troubling.

Laying off First-years is inexcusable in my opinion.  These firms shouldn't have hired them if they couldn't afford to keep them.  It's going to make their recruiting hell next year.

[Jake_MONDATTA]

Yeah, that IS troubling.

Laying off First-years is inexcusable in my opinion.  These firms shouldn't have hired them if they couldn't afford to keep them.  It's going to make their recruiting hell next year.

it's pretty stupid, but it happens.  what happens too is that first year offers get put off or rescinded.  I saw that happening in my sister's law school class in 2001.  It's going to be a lot worse this year.

[nealric]

I guess I really should have applied to Weil.

[Jake_MONDATTA]

Even Fish and Richardson is now laying off.  This is pretty much the best IP firm in the world... and considered to be relatively immune to difficult times in the financial services industry.

[,.,.,.;.,.,.]

Let's not panic.  Yes, the economy is terrible, and, yes, we took out thousands in loans to pay for school, and, yes, if we don't land BigLaw, we're in deep poo, but let's not forget about the really important things in life, like our health, our families, and our friends.

I know I don't usually advocate perspective, but this is the time for it.  You can't live your life with a mood dependent on the workings on a wicked economy.  I've been there; I tried.  All you can do is get up in the morning and do your best.  And if that's not good enough for whichever heartless group of PPP-addicted "yes" men decide to pay me a salary uncommensurate with my experience level and maturity, then so be it!  At least I'll say, "I tried, BigLaw . . . I damn well tried"!

[nealric]

[Jake_MONDATTA]

Well, there's no reason to panic.  At the end of the day, money isn't everything and everybody is suffering.  Everybody except people in the financial services industry who've retained their bonuses despite the fact that they completely wrecked the economy.  Incidentally, many of those firms laying people off or who have instituted associate pay freezes were still making profit last year.

Anyway, we're not going to be entering the legal market we thought we were when we took the LSAT.  Not the end of the world, but adjust your expectations accordingly.