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Law360 (May 6, 2020, 5:06 PM EDT ) Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP confirmed Wednesday that they have shortened the duration of their summer associate programs, becoming the latest law firms to modify their offerings as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on.
Kirkland informed participants this week that it has reduced its summer session to a two-week virtual program set to begin June 15. All participants will be fully paid for the length of time they were originally scheduled to be at the firm over the summer, a spokesperson for Kirkland said Wednesday.
The firm has offered full-time jobs to all participants who graduate next year, while 2022 graduates will be invited to participate in its 2021 summer program, the spokesperson said.
In addition, the spokesperson said, Kirkland has encouraged its summer associates to volunteer or find other ways to give back to their communities over the next few months.
Meanwhile, Cravath confirmed Wednesday that it will offer a shortened program that's slated to run between June 15 and July 24, and that associates will be guaranteed pay for 10 weeks.
Previously, the firm had announced that its program would start virtually with the hope of possibly transitioning to meeting in-person. But on Tuesday, Cravath told participants that shifting the program on-site is looking increasingly unlikely, given the ongoing pandemic.
Foley Hoag LLP is another firm that has made changes, on Wednesday confirming it plans to host a fully virtual summer program for associates. The announcement follows the firm's decision in early April to delay the start of a six-week summer associate program to June 15.
Also this week, Milbank LLP and Fenwick & West LLP said their summer programs will be virtual. Milbank will offer a 10-week program that is set to begin June 8, while Fenwick will operate a six-week program that is scheduled to start June 15, according to firm officials.
Other firms have opted to cut their programs entirely. Nixon Peabody LLP confirmed Monday that it has canceled its 2020 summer associate program. Dechert LLP last week confirmed it had chosen to cancel its offering, saying its leaders didn't think a remote program would allow the firm to deliver on the substantive training, mentoring and personalized social interactions it views as the hallmarks of its summer program.
--Additional reporting by Kevin Penton. Editing by Alanna Weissman.
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