New York’s Simpson Thacher & Bartlett is sending some of its associates to year-long stints at nonprofit organizations.
The firm has extended the duration of its public interest fellowships from three months to one year, with the expectation that the associates will return to the firm after their service.
The law firm is offering fellowships to 15 associates with one to three years of experience and paying them $60,000 up front. They will not remain employees of the firm while they work for the nonprofit, although they can keep their insurance benefits.
The starting salary for Simpson Thacher associates is $160,000. No layoffs have been reported at the 869-attorney firm during the recession, although legal blogs have reported rumors of associate cutbacks there.
Public interest entities have experienced funding declines due to belt-tightening among donors. At the same time, many report that the need for their services has grown because of layoffs and repercussions from the economy’s nosedive.