Law Firm Associates Just Happy to Have Jobs

It appears that almost every quarter the Wall Street Journal publishes a story that would make any self-respecting lawyer or soon-to-be lawyer or wanna-be lawyer just run for the proverbial hills and abandon all hope. It’s just the beginning of the year and, already, the vanguard of financial journalism is at it again.  According to this recent story (subscription might be required), law firms might be recovering from the recession but they’re still not hiring more entry-level lawyers, preferring to outsource work to contract attorneys and outsourcing firms.

Mega-firms such as White & Case, for example, with nearly 2,000 lawyers around the world, will only be hiring 60 new associates this year compared with pre-recession classes of 90 to 100, according to the article.  Hiring partner Bill Dantzler told the WSJ that not having “armies of young associates” is good for the clients and “good for everybody.”

Well, if law firms aren’t hiring you can always change profession using your law degree, according to the U.S. News.