Here is a somewhat interesting article about the state of affairs for summer programs in Bay Area law firms. The exact thrust of the story is somewhat elusive, but here are a few take-home points.
People have a dismal view of the Bay Area legal economy, but it's coming back! It totally is!
Latham & Watkins couldn't fill their summer program, so why the hell didn't I get an offer?
Summer Associate activities aren't as extravagant now as they once were. This is actually kind of an interesting point in the article. They make hay of the fact that cocktail parties are now held at partners' homes rather than fancy restaurants, but this strikes me as something that's actually advantageous to the law firm in terms of recruiting. It's much more telling to see a partner's huge giant house than a swanky cocktail lounge.
Despite the fact that the SF Chronicle is a Bay Area paper reporting on a Bay Area issue, the reporter focuses intently on East Coast law firms, taking her sweet time to get to any mention of Stanford or Boalt.
I've felt fairly effectively wined and dined to date, and I haven't been the one taken out to lunch every day. It doesn't take much to impress people living on a grad student budget.
that should be east coast law SCHOOLS, not firms, damn my eyes.
You should have seen it in 2001, 2002. Bloody slaughter, in SF. You'd have a firm with a dozen or so summer associates, and one would get an offer.