First-year associates usually begin their full-time careers at BigTex firms as fall begins. They put on their best suits and report to work after they take the Texas Bar Examination and then perhaps spend a few weeks of downtime on a beach or traveling in Europe.
That’s not the case this year. Most baby lawyers at Texas’ largest firms are starting their careers later than usual. Some firms have delayed the start dates for first-year associates by just a few weeks, while other firms have delayed start dates by several months or even a year. And at least four of Texas’ largest firms have not yet decided the starting salaries for their latest crop of first-year associates.
