The summer hiring landscape for U.S. law firms has reached an unprecedented low, with firms taking a cautious approach to recruiting in 2024, according to new data from the National Association for Law Placement (NALP).
The number of summer associate offers has dipped below the 11-year low set in 2023, with the median number of offers per law firm office shrinking to six—the lowest recorded since tracking began in 1993. Even as overall hiring stagnated, the average number of offers per firm held steady at 22, signaling that firms are consolidating opportunities rather than expanding recruitment.
Law firms have increasingly prioritized hiring experienced lateral attorneys over bringing in new associates, a shift driven by uncertain client demand and declining lawyer productivity. The hiring boom of 2021 and 2022—fueled by a surge in legal work following the pandemic—left many firms overstaffed, forcing them to recalibrate their workforce strategies. Despite strong profits, firms are now tightening their recruitment pipelines, particularly for entry-level positions.
Adding to the shake-up, traditional on-campus interviews (OCIs) have taken a backseat in summer associate hiring. More than half of this year’s recruits—56%—secured positions through direct recruiting, referrals, or resume submissions, bypassing formal law school recruiting events. This marks a sharp increase from the 47% recorded in 2023.
Only 24% of summer associate hires resulted from on-campus interviews held in mid-to-late summer, while 20% stemmed from “early interview programs” that law schools have rolled out in response to shifting industry trends. These early recruiting initiatives, conducted in the spring or early summer, allow firms to secure top law students well before traditional hiring cycles begin.
The pandemic-era shift to online interviews has further decentralized the process, giving firms greater flexibility in scouting talent outside of structured law school programs. In-person campus visits, once a staple of summer hiring, have become less critical. The scrapping of NALP’s voluntary recruiting guidelines in 2018 has only accelerated this transformation, as firms now set their own schedules to lock in top candidates.
For law firms, getting ahead in the hiring game has become a necessity. “Securing top talent now requires an earlier and more strategic approach,” noted Erika Gardiner, director of talent acquisition at McDermott Will & Emery.
With hiring timelines moving up and competition for the best candidates intensifying, the traditional law firm recruitment model is undergoing a fundamental shift—one that shows no signs of slowing down.
