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Law360 (May 8, 2020, 6:26 PM EDT) -- Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP, Morrison & Foerster LLP, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP and two other BigLaw firms on Friday confirmed plans to conduct remote versions of their summer associate programs, just the latest round of industrywide COVID-19 adjustments.
O'Melveny & Myers LLP and Proskauer Rose LLP will also be holding their summer programs completely virtually, the firms said Friday.
Bryan Cave's program will take place from July 6 to Aug. 7, spokesperson Brian Kiefer confirmed. Participants will be compensated for those five weeks, rather than 10 weeks as originally planned. Job offers are guaranteed to participants.
The firm is also open to hosting in-person events as long as they comply with local guidelines. Bryan Cave decided this week to go remote, and associates were notified Thursday and Friday, according to the firm.
MoFo will host a virtual, six-week program for associates starting June 15, according to a statement shared with Law360. First-year students are guaranteed return offers to next year's associates program, and second-year students will secure a spot at the firm for 2021.
"We believe that providing certainty on offers is critical for our summer associates during these very challenging and uncertain times," the company said in a statement.
The firm told Law360 that although the program was initially scheduled to last 10 weeks, associates will now only be paid for the six weeks that they're employed.
"The delayed start has allowed us to work out the challenges of running a remote summer program and ensure we provide our summer associates with an engaging and rewarding experience," MoFo said.
Meanwhile, Akin Gump's virtual summer program will span five weeks from early July to early August, the firm said in a memo sent to its associates Friday. However, associates will receive full compensation for the 10 weeks the firm had initially planned.
Second-year summer associates can expect job offers after graduation, and first-year associates should expect invitations to return next summer, Akin Gump said.
"We wish we would be able to have an in-person program, but we can assure you that we are putting together a strong array of opportunities for you to get to know more about the firm and our practices, connect with your classmates, build professional and legal skills and network with our lawyers," the firm told its associates.
Proskauer's program will also be virtual and "condensed," a spokesperson told Law360. It will run for five weeks starting July 6.
"We will be making offers to all participants at the conclusion of the program," the company said in a statement.
O'Melveny's program will last six weeks beginning in early July and associates will only be compensated for those weeks, according to a statement from the firm's hiring partner, Jeeho Lee. This year's group of law students is shaping up to be the firm's "largest summer class in memory," Lee said.
O'Melveny will extend job offers to its second-year summer associates and also plans to invite its first-year summer associates next year. Second-year associates will also come away with a $10,000 advance on their regular associate compensation before they return, Lee said.
"We are mindful of the critical need for legal assistance in our communities, and the devastation felt by so many, during this time of crisis," Lee said. "For these reasons, our entire class will spend a substantial part of the summer on legal projects addressing the urgent needs the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored across this country by uniting around a select handful of meaningful national causes."
Friday caps a busy week of announcements regarding summer associate programs.
On Thursday, Sidley Austin LLP, Venable LLP, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP and Cozen O'Connor all confirmed changes of plan, pushing back start dates, slashing weeks and moving programs online.
Compensation plans vary. For example, Simpson Thacher scaled back to five weeks but will pay for up to eight weeks, plus a possible $7,500 stipend for volunteer work.
Sidley scaled its program back to four weeks but says it will still compensate associates for up to 10, depending on what they originally signed up for, according to an internal memo.
Sidley also clarified Friday that it hopes to bring its Dallas associates to that office in mid-June, after two virtual weeks starting June 1.
"However, we fully intend to abide by state and local regulations and requirements and are prepared for a full virtual program," spokesperson Kellie Mullins told Law360.
Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP confirmed Wednesday that they had also shortened the duration of their summer associate programs.
Milbank LLP and Fenwick & West LLP also went virtual this week, while Nixon Peabody LLP confirmed Monday that it has canceled its 2020 summer associate program.
--Additional reporting by Kevin Penton and Michele Gorman. Editing by Orlando Lorenzo.
Update: This story has been updated to include the summer program plans for Akin Gump and O'Melveny.
For a reprint of this article, please contact reprints@law360.com.
