Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom is cutting the size of its 2010 summer associate class and adjusting its recruitment strategy by making all of its offers on a single day in late September, according to a copy of a letter the firm will send to prospective summers. The letter does not specify how small Skadden’s 2010 summer class will be, only that it will be “substantially” smaller than its 2009 class, which numbers 225 firm-wide with 107 in New York. It also contains good news for 2009 summers: The firm plans to offer full-time positions to 95 percent of them, although they will not start until 2011.
Those landing spots in Skadden’s 2010 summer class will receive offers on the same day, Sept. 22, which the firm has dubbed “Skadden Offer Day.” The firm will continue to give those who receive offers 45 days to evaluate them in compliance with informal guidelines set by the National Association for Law Placement. Howard Ellin, the partner in charge of recruiting, and Carol Sprague, the director of associate and alumni relations and attorney recruiting, were not immediately available for comment.
