The shift of Biglaw recruitment timelines has been causing ripple effects throughout the industry. In what was once a structured process, with initial interviews for summer associateships that bridged into post-graduation employment offers conducted in the weeks leading up to the second year of law school, has turned into a rush for potential candidates.
Law firms and schools are now in a race to secure the best candidates as early as possible, with some firms even accepting direct applications during the first year of law school. This has led top law schools to modify their on-campus recruitment programs to adapt to this new trend.
This change in the recruitment landscape arose from the National Association for Law Placement’s (NALP) decision to do away with their rules outlining when firms could contact potential candidates in 2018, seemingly crafting a scenario with no governing structure. The consequences of this decision have been substantial.
One consequence in particular is that this system has been found to potentially hamper diversity. Students who don’t have lawyers in their family circle may find themselves disadvantaged by the need to step into the recruitment arena early during their first year of law school, which has led to challenges for diversity in recruitment.
An Indiana University survey found that 53% of Hispanic law students, 36% of Black law students, and 28% of Asian students are the first in their families to pursue law, in comparison to 21% of their White counterparts. The absence of prior familiar knowledge of the law industry potentially creates a skewed playing field.
Ultimately, the rapid recruitment culture could lead to a less diverse class of incoming associates, and thus, Biglaw firms are presented with the task of making sure this expedited hiring does not translate to a lack of diversity. As Dru Levasseur, the DEI director at the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association, reasoned, a level playing field is crucial to ensure that the most talented individuals are also discovered and become part of the Big Law community, regardless of their background.