By Xiumei Dong

Law360 (May 11, 2020, 7:19 PM EDT) -- Ballard Spahr LLP and Thompson Hine LLP confirmed Monday that they have postponed this year's summer associate programs, becoming the latest law firms to modify their offerings as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the legal industry.

Ballard Spahr's program will take place from June 15 to July 24, a firm spokesperson confirmed, saying that the firm has shortened the program to six weeks from the nine weeks it had originally planned.

"Our summer program has been and remains a critical part of the firm's growth strategy and source of lawyers who contribute immediately to the firm," chairman Mark Stewart said in a statement to Law360. "The structure of the program has changed by necessity, but our commitment to it has not diminished."

The Philadelphia-based firm said it will be hosting the program virtually but declined to provide further details, such as whether it will pay the associates full compensation.

Meanwhile, Cleveland-based Thompson Hine also told Law360 on Monday that it has pushed back the start date of its program to July 7 to increase the likelihood of "face-to-face" interactions. The program will run for six weeks, the firm said.

"Thompson Hine is committed to diversity and the need to create and promote initiatives that fuel the pipeline of diverse lawyers. The firm's 2020 summer associate class is comprised of over 62% diverse lawyers," a firm spokesperson said in a statement. "We are proud of our summer class and look forward to welcoming them to the firm for an in-person program."

Since the firm did not cancel its summer program, it will consider and extend offers in the normal course, the firm said, adding that it is also paying associates for the weeks they work.

Ballard Spahr was supposed to start this year's summer program on May 26, while Thompson Hine had an initial start date set in early June.

Shearman & Sterling LLP, which on April 27 confirmed the delay of the start date for its summer program, sent Law360 an update on Monday, saying that it will also be conducting its five-week program virtually across its offices. The New York firm's summer program will start on June 22 and run until July 24. Summer associates will still receive 10 weeks' pay, the firm said.

"While the program will be virtual, if summer associates currently reside in the location of their hiring office, the specific office may arrange for some in-person interactions depending on local conditions," the firm added.

Similarly, Vinson & Elkins LLP, which also confirmed in early April that it was delaying its summer program, told Law360 on Monday that it will be hosting a virtual program from June 15 to July 17.

"All summer associates will be compensated based on the number of weeks they were originally committed to work with the firm (up to the maximum of 10 weeks) rather than the reduced number of weeks in the virtual program," the firm's hiring partner Steve Gill said in a statement.

Because the program is starting later than originally planned, the firm will pay summer associates an advance of one week's salary on May 30, Gill added. The Houston-based firm also expects to make full-time associate offers to all second-year students and return offers to all first-years, as long as they actively participate in the firm's virtual program.

Many firms have opted to amend their summer program offerings in the novel coronavirus' wake.

Last Friday, five more BigLaw firms — Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP, Morrison & Foerster LLP, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, O'Melveny & Myers LLP and Proskauer Rose LLP — confirmed plans to conduct remote versions of their summer associate programs.

--Additional reporting by Emma Whitford and Hailey Konnath. Editing by Alanna Weissman.

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