Simpson Thacher & Bartlett offices. Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi/NLJ

More big firms are incorporating pro bono and community service elements into their summer programs, at a time of soaring unemployment and high stress on small businesses and nonprofits.

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett told summer associates Thursday that the firm's approach to their compensation would be structured around community service.

Like many others, Simpson Thacher will have a five-week virtual program, from July 13 through August 14. Their summer associates will get eight weeks of pay. But Simpson is also offering summers an additional $7,500 stipend for community service work, according to an email sent to summer associates Thursday.

"We are incorporating a focus on giving back into our 2020 summer associate program," the email said. "The combination of 8 weeks' salary and the $7,500 stipend will result in total compensation of slightly more than 10 weeks of summer associate pay, which is the average duration of our traditional summer program."

To be eligible for the stipend, the firm's email said, it expected summer associates to "volunteer your services for a set minimum amount of time" to a charitable, nonprofit or community service group of their choosing, or outreach program of their own design, by Sept. 1.

The firm said the services don't need to be legal in nature and could range from organizing food drives or safely helping the elderly with shopping, leading nonpartisan voter registration initiatives, continuing to help a client from a law school clinic, assisting a nonprofit or small business with Paycheck Protection Program paperwork, "or otherwise identifying a need in whatever community you are living in this summer and developing a way to meet it."

"Now more than ever, we are in this together, and our approach to community outreach is designed to reflect that," the email said.

The firm did not detail the minimum amount of time summer associates would need to commit. The email said summer associates would be contacted in the coming weeks with more details about the program and the community service aspect.

Simpson Thacher also said it anticipates "providing full-time offers in the normal course, just as we have done historically, upon the successful completion of our program." The summer program would still include the same opportunities to learn about the firm's practice groups, clients, and its deals, litigation and investigations, said the email, signed by Simpson Thacher hiring partners Rajib Chanda, Brooke Cucinella and Pete Gilman.

While Simpson's program appears unique in offering associates a stipend in exchange for community service, other firms are encouraging community service or pro bono work in their programs too.

Milbank told summer associates in an email this week that its program will incorporate pro bono. The program was delayed to June 8 and would be offered fully remotely, but the program would still last 10 weeks and participants would receive full pay. Besides roping in summer associates on related work for major bankruptcies and financings, Milbank said its summer associates would get involved in the firm's COVID-19 relief work, in which the firm is helping community groups in the distribution of relief funds and developing emergency grant agreements.

Meanwhile, Cahill Gordon & Reindel has said it would give its summer class a chance to assist remotely with the firm's pro bono work during its program. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati will give summer associates credit if they do six weeks of legal work for a qualified nonprofit organization of the associate's choice.

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