Written by: Amanda O'Brien

Law firms reduced the volume of offers to law students for 2024 summer associate programs, according to a new report from the National Association for Law Placement.

The organization’s 2023 law student recruitment report found that, as a result of overhiring during and after the pandemic, firms cut back on their 2024 summer associate program recruitment efforts as a means of addressing overcapacity concerns.

“Although 2023 ended with numerous announcements of record firm profits, several key industry reports suggest that these profits were in fact driven by increased fees and that lawyer utilization rates overall remained low through the end of the year,” the report said. “At the very least, firms across the industry appear to be projecting excess capacity in the near term—or at least a decreased need for new talent—resulting in one of the softest recruiting cycles since the Great Recession.”

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