Should the deferred do something useful?
It’s one of the most well-worn cliches to assert that what happens in the US soon finds its way over here, but there is one legal development stateside having little success crossing the ocean. So while US and UK law firms were both engaged in substantial job cuts in Q1, American firms have led the way in offering deferred lawyers enhanced compensation to take on pro bono or community services work. Among those to have made the most impressive commitment is Latham & Watkins, which in February announced it was offering deferring US lawyers $75,000 (£53,000) a year for taking on community service. Not all US law firms have been so generous, though quite a few have put in place some kind of scheme to channel or encourage deferred lawyers towards non-profit work. It seems like a no-brainer, a classic win-win in that it gives incoming lawyers something worthwhile to do and broadens their skills, and gives law firms a chance to head off bad publicity and support the community. And while it costs hard-pressed law firms money, the expenditure is relatively minor given that it has become standard practice to offer compensation to the deferred regardless.
