A commission charged with revamping the recruiting of summer associates has recommended law firms and schools adopt a system in which top firms are not allowed to make formal offers until a set date in mid-January.
The commission, organized by the National Association for Law Placement (NALP), released its report last week. It is designed to address concerns from both firms and schools over a 2L recruiting schedule that has moved into August as some top schools have rushed to be first to get their students in front of firm leaders. Firms have said that interviewing so early amounts to making hiring decisions two years in advance—and several months before firms have a handle on their year-end financial data.
