Mark L. Silow and Jean Durling were quoted in the New Jersey Law Journal article, "NJ Firms Say First-Year Hiring Status Quo, Despite NALP Report." Full text can be found in the June 27, 2014, issue, but a synopsis is below.
While first-year associate hiring nationwide is on the rise at the largest law firms, a recent report from NALP says the trend has yet to show at many of New Jersey's large firms. Some New Jersey firms say first-year hiring has stayed consistent, despite what the report says.
Fox – with 161 attorneys in our four New Jersey offices – "has always had a conservative approach to hiring, at least at the entry level," said Durling, the firm's chief talent officer and president-elect of NALP.
According to Durling, Fox expects 11 or 12 hires in the fall, which is on par with the firm's typical class size. Durling noted, however, that due to a large summer class this year, there could be as many as 15 hires in fall 2015.
"Our numbers have been fairly consistent across the board for many years," she said.
Mark Silow, firmwide managing partner of Fox, echoed Durling's sentiments, noting that firms are likely a bit hesitant to increase recruiting following the recession.
"Nobody wants to get ahead of themselves," Silow said. "The memory of 2008, 2009, 2010 are too fresh."
"That was very painful for a lot of firms," Silow added. "I'm sure nobody wants to repeat that. I'm sure a lot of people are saying, 'prove it.'"
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