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Paid positions for summer associates decreasing as law firms and their clients look to cut costs
June 15, 2010
Pasadena, CA — Law students are finding that paid positions for summer associates are being offered without pay, if at all in a tough economy. Citigroup Inc has announced that it will not be paying its outside counsel for the law students' time. Other big law firms like Skadden, Cravath, and Dewey & LeBoeuf among others are also taking on substantially fewer summer associates this summer compared to 2009 according to the National Association for Law Placement.

Also, summer associates are being expected to put in more work and although this does give the law students more experience and ends up looking good on a resume, it is also a sign that law firms and their clients are in for some belt-tightening. A big factor has been the increasing reluctance on part of the law firms' clients over the past decade to pay for what some consider as on the job training by law students.

“The key to getting those paid summer associate positions is to apply everywhere. There are several regional law firms where you can work as a summer associate and gain valuable experience. So, by the time you graduate, you can show that you have done some work in your field” says A. Harrison Barnes, CEO of LawCrossing, a job aggregator site for people in the legal field.

LawCrossing currently lists 843 summer associate and 16,459 law student and clerkship jobs.

For more information on LawCrossing, please visit www.lawcrossing.com.

Contact:
Roger Croft
Editorial Coordinator
LawCrossing
626-243-1801
rogerc@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 three-day free trial to new members.
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