Davis Polk & Wardwell.

With many firms still undecided about the fate of their summer associate programs, Davis Polk & Wardwell told its 133 summer associates on Wednesday that it will still pay them and offer them full-time jobs upon graduation, regardless of whether the program happens as planned.

The firm's hiring partners, Maurice Blanco and Dana Seshens, said in an email that they "are evaluating our alternatives" to the typical summer program experience because of the hazard posed by the coronavirus pandemic. Many firms have yet to finalize adjustments to their summer programs, which are typically heavy on social interaction and start around mid-May.

"We are evaluating our alternatives for our summer program in light of the current COVID-19 circumstances, all with an eye on providing a meaningful summer associate experience for each of you," Blanco and Seshens wrote. "At this point in time we are not able to provide further details other than our strong desire to hold our summer program, in whatever form it takes, this year."

Neil Barr, Davis Polk's managing partner, said the program was originally set to start on May 4, with 107 summers in New York and smaller numbers in Washington, D.C., northern California, Tokyo, Beijing and Hong Kong. He said a range of options are on the table, including doing the program remotely or, if the risks posed by COVID-19 lessen enough, delaying the start and conducting it in-person.

"Our philosophy during the entirety of this crisis has been to share information as and when we have it, even if the information is incomplete," Barr said. "As we were analyzing the various possibilities for our summer program, the common denominator among them was that we would uphold our commitment to our community, and our community includes our summers."

He said the projected cost of the program—over $4 million—wasn't a factor, saying, "we were very focused on and we will continue to be focused on investing in our people." Davis Polk has not had to reduce working hours, cut salaries or reduce partner draws, as some firms have done, he said.

The news comes on the heels of a report earlier this week that Cahill, Gordon & Reindel would suspend its summer program until circumstances improved, but would still pay summers and offer them jobs.

Boies Schiller Flexner has said it's going forward with its summer program, remotely if need be.

Several firms have shortened their summer programs, and some have plans to conduct those programs virtually. DLA Piper said in an email to Law.com that its current plan is to run its summer program from June 29 through July 31, or six weeks. The firm didn't say whether it would take place remotely or in-person. Cooley has also said it will delay the start of its summer program.

Some firms have canceled their programs altogether, however, citing cost concerns and worries about the feasibility of remote work.