As in just about all areas of the legal world in 2020, law firm summer associate programs at New Jersey firms and offices have changed in a pandemic year—with a few firms suspending their programs, some shortening them, and still others going entirely or mostly virtual with them. In all cases adjustments are being made.

The overall number of New Jersey-based summer associates at 17 bellwether firms is down for this year, but not dramatically so. The group of firms is hosting a total of 60 summer associates this summer, compared with 77, 79 and 78 in each of the last three years.

But even for those firms who went ahead with their programs in the face of COVID-19 restrictions, things are different.

Yelky Perez summer associate with Lowenstein Sandler and rising 3L at Rutgers Law School in Newark.

For instance, at Lowenstein Sandler, which this summer has taken on its largest number of associates in recent years (three 1L associates and 15 2L associates), the program is six weeks in duration rather than its usual 11 weeks, and the start date was pushed back. Still, "the firm has done a great job of putting stuff in our schedule that matters," according to Yelky Perez, a 2L (rising 3L) associate attending Rutgers Law School in Newark who is spending her second straight summer with the firm.

"At least here, a lot of the things that were happening last summer are happening now," such as Friday coffee, lunch (now "e-lunch") and other elements, Perez said in an interview. "It can't be 100% the same … but in terms of what's meant to be accomplished by a summer program, I don't think those things are missing."

Meanwhile, three of the 17 bellwether firms canceled their 2020 programs entirely: Day Pitney; Lindabury, McCormick, Estabrook & Cooper; and Sills Cummis & Gross.

Day Pitney managing partner Tom Goldberg said in a statement that the firm "made the difficult decision to cancel our 2020 Summer Associate Program, as we do not believe that we would be able to provide the professional development opportunities that our summer program typically affords while working in a remote environment. We have made offers of permanent employment to each of our summer associates, and hope that they will join us in the fall of 2021."

Lindabury "suspended our summer associate program this year and are taking a wait-and-see approach as to next year," according to a firm spokesman.

And at Sills Cummis, according to an email from chief talent and strategy officer Milvia Burns: "Unfortunately, this year we will be pausing the program and hope to have it back in place for next summer."

Beyond cancellation, there have been many types of adjustments made this summer, according to the firms, who each year share information with the Law Journal about their programs.

Archer brought on eight total hires: one 1L and seven 2Ls. The firm has had either seven or eight total hires in each of the last three summers.

According to hiring committee co-chairs Patrick Doran and Sarah Gribbin, the firm changed its program from 10 weeks to five, started it late (on June 29) and made it fully remote. The program "includes a total of over 15 fully-remote Zoom training sessions, presentations/fora on pertinent topics and social events. Most of our practice groups have scheduled Zoom meetings during July which will afford each Summer Associate an opportunity to make an oral presentation to a group. We also adopted a team mentoring approach in an effort to ensure that the Summer Associates have regular contact with as many of our attorneys as possible in these difficult circumstance," Doran said in an email.

Connell Foley, with four total hires, decided to start its program about a month later than usual and push out the end date. "The summer associates will work 50% remotely and 50% from the office, consistent with the firm's COVID-19 reopening plan and guidelines," a firm spokeswoman said. "Connell Foley will follow the guidance and regulations set forth by the [state] and will make adjustments to its summer program accordingly."

Fox Rothschild brought on five total associates to its New Jersey offices (in Morristown, Princeton and Atlantic City), which is on par with the size of the program in recent years. This year, though, the program went fully remote and was shortened to seven weeks, according to Jessica Greene, professional recruitment coordinator.

Greenbaum Rowe also went fully remote and shortened its program. "Despite these limitations, we are providing our associates with the same level of work and are planning remote social activities such as trivia night and a virtual escape room," litigation partner Stephanie Reckord, who leads the summer associates program, said in an email.

The start of McCarter & English's program was delayed two weeks, and it is fully virtual. The  firm has two 2L and three 3L hires, the same as last year.

"Christine Lydon, McCarter's Chief Human Resources Officer is making sure that the informal mentoring and camaraderie that organically happens in an office setting is replaced by a scheduled series of virtual coffees and mentoring calls so our summers can interact with as many people as possible. Each summer associate has been assigned four to five virtual mentors," according to a firm statement.

"The summers will have a minimum of two training sessions per week. One hour minimum for each session, by Zoom. Our Executive Committee and firm leadership are actively involved in many of these training sessions."

McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter, which has seven total hires like last year, started its program July 7. Its orientation was both virtual and in person, depending on each associate's discretion, the firm said.

Scarinci Hollenbeck continued with its summer program even though the economic issues

Scarinci Hollenbeck's 2020 summer associate class and firm lawyers. Standing left to right: Laura M. Miller and Donald Scarinci; Seated left to right: Priya Angara, Amir Botros and Sarah McConnell.

resulting from the pandemic led it to furlough some staff and lay off some attorneys, according to a recent report in the Mid-Market Report, a Law Journal affiliate. Founder Donald Scarinci said the firm has gone ahead with a 10-week program and never considered canceling. "When we were looking at the cuts we needed to make and what needed to be done differently, the summer associate program wasn't something we needed to cut. We thought we needed it," Scarinci told the Mid-Market Report. He added that the program is "an important component institutionally for the firm," which "needs to take some responsibility to train future lawyers."

Reed Smith, with two summer associates, has moved to five weeks and is fully remote. "The first several weeks comprised of Reed Smith University classes, practice group leader coffee talks, writing assignments, and Ted Talks Presentations to the Summer Committee," Princeton managing partner Diane Bettino said in a statement. "The summer Associates are taking on several projects over the next 3 weeks and are continuing to meet with firm leadership, including a Global Managing Partner's Forum that Sandy Thomas hosted. We have had a Virtual Escape Room event, event with the NY, Tysons, and Miami Summer Associates. We are hosting a hosted Quizzo event with the Princeton Associates and have several other virtual events planned for the remainder of the program."

At Lowenstein, according to Perez, "the firm has done a great job of providing substantive work."

"The firm is really busy. I've had just as many or more assignments than I had last summer," she added, noting that there have been a number of overview sessions with practice leaders since in-person networking isn't available, and there have also been workshops. "It's very engaging. … It's turned out to be quite hands-on." Summer program coordinators "really pushed their attorneys to reach out to us," Perez added.

Perez works in Lowensten's corporate department, and is interested in tax, tech and private equity practice areas. A Board of Immigration Appeals advocate before enrolling in law school, she wanted to branch out beyond immigration law, and joined Lowenstein in 2019 as a summer associate through Rutgers Law's Minority Student Program, she said.

Diversity

Several firms, Lowenstein included, have used their summer hiring programs as a strategy to improve diversity in the attorney ranks, often through programs such as the one at Rutgers Law.

Kerry Lunz, directer of legal talent acquisition at Lowenstein, said in an email: "The diversity of our workforce has always been important to Lowenstein Sandler. We are proud that a majority of our summer associates and incoming first year lawyers have been women and students of color for the past several years."

Lunz added that the firm is "committed to expanding opportunities for qualified first-year law students of diverse backgrounds through our LS Scholars Program, which provides 1Ls a paid summer associate position and a $10,000 scholarship toward their second-year tuition upon successful completion of the summer program. Scholars may also return to the firm for their 2L summer and receive an additional scholarship for their third year."

Burns at Sills Cummis, whose program is suspended, noted in her statement that, "in a normal year," Sills "awards one of our scholarships to a Rutgers Minority Student Program participant" and "provides the Chuck Walsh Scholarship given to a Rutgers student who is academically outstanding."

Of Archer's eight summer hires, seven are women, and six are diverse, according to Doran and Gribbin.

At Riker Danzig Scherer Hyland & Perretti, according to a firm spokeswoman, "Our 1L is a member of the Association of Black Law Students at Rutgers School of Law-Newark. Also, Riker Danzig is a participant in the Minority Student Program of Rutgers University School of Law, Newark and each summer employs a student recommended through this program."