Good bye lunch expense account

Our last survey tried gauge how the economy is affecting one of the perks of large law firms--the summer associate lunch. It appears the belt-tightening continues at most big firms even though many (at least those with strong litigation practices) assert that their business is healthy. Well, not healthy enough to reinstate last year's summer lunch policy. Seventy-seven percent of our voters say that their firms imposed sever cut backs to their firms summer lunch policy. The rest of the voters were split between (1) new spending limits, or (2) no change at all.

We will have to see if this is an overall change in the culture of recruitment at big law or if it is merely a anomaly formed from caution and fear.