Download App | FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Upload Your Resume Employers / Post Jobs Subscribe for $1.25 / week

Press Room

Law Firm Job Cuts Deepen; LawCrossing Continues to Find New Legal Openings
March 06, 2009
Pasadena, CA — In the crumbling legal job market, LawCrossing added 8,000-plus new legal jobs in the first week of March. Meanwhile, the job cuts have been perennial across the nation. In last week itself, numerous law firms axed nearly 1,300 jobs across the nation and globally. ''The largest job cuts announced recently at Latham & Watkins has shaken the legal job market. Legal jobs are disappearing but if looked at right places, one can still find options. LawCrossing has made it possible for job seekers to find jobs even in this downturn,'' says Harrison Barnes, CEO of LawCrossing. Most recently, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, announced to cut 100 attorneys and 200 staff worldwide. In the last week of February, Latham & Watkins announced 440 staff cut, which included 190 associates and 250 staff. This was the largest cuts to date by a US-based firm. Another Los Angeles-based law firm O’Melveny & Myers LLP decided to give pink slips to 90 attorneys and 110 staff in its corporate practice. New York-based Dewey & LeBoeuf also announced to cut nearly 100 positions in the US, and 15 lawyers in its London office. Meanwhile, Shearman & Sterling LLP has decided to strike out its legal staff positions, which include 60 secretaries and administrative staff in the US and 18 staff positions in London. ''The job cuts have mostly been attributed to the economic downturn which resulted in a slowdown in legal work. In fact, at some firms, the legal staff to associate ratio has become 1:4, i.e., one support staffer for every four attorneys. This is forcing attorneys to take on more legal research work and other duties once handled by paralegals,'' adds Barnes. LawCrossing, on the other hand, added more than 8,000 new legal jobs, brining its job count to over 121,000 legal job openings for attorneys, law students, and legal staff. ''Despite all the mayhem, LawCrossing has consistently added new jobs every day. Our members ask us how we manage to find so many jobs. It’s simple — we research. Besides listing all jobs available on any Internet job board, we go a step further by monitoring the jobs listed on employer web pages, newspapers, legal publications, and numerous other places,'' adds Barnes. For more details, log on to www.lawcrossing.com. Contact: Mary Wilson, Editorial Coordinator 626-243-1821 LawCrossing mary@lawcrossing.com About LawCrossing LawCrossing is an affiliate of EmploymentCrossing, a powerful and comprehensive organization dedicated to helping professionals find jobs that will enhance their careers. LawCrossing consolidates every legal job opening it can find in one convenient location. LawCrossing was ranked 72nd on the 2007 Inc. 500 list of the fastest growing companies in the US. The website also offers a seven-day free trial to new members.
Back to press room