Throwing Roses, Tomatoes at Recruiting Sites (Legal Pad)

Well, not literally. But our colleagues at Law Technology News, an affiliate publication, have been taking a hard look at the Am Law 100’s summer recruiting Web sites. Columnist Robert Ambrogi just came out with his second of two columns giving thumbs up — and down — for their effectiveness.

It’s just his impressions, but that makes it all the more fun to follow his trail and see whether you agree. Among those that made his list of “flubs, duds and missteps”:

Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice — Ambrogi faults their career center for offering a video library with just one video, calling it “a flagrant case of overpromising and underdelivering.”
Goodwin Procter — He admits this one almost made his list of favorites, but says that “after much discussion with myself, I concluded it was just too over the top for a recruiting vehicle. … Everyone appears to be defying gravity and having way too much fun.”
Venable — “What distinguishes Venable from other firms?” Ambrogi asks. “Two words: rooftop bocce. Are law students really that shallow?” Legal Pad weighs in: We think it’s a good thing Venable is very lawyerly about claiming uniqueness here. (The firm’s site carefully states that, “To our knowledge, Venable is the only firm with its own rooftop bocce court.”) Because to our knowledge, there’s at least one other. Back in 2003 (the year Venable moved into its bocce-suited D.C. offices), Coblentz, Patch, Duffy & Bass was already giving up its rooftop bocce court, pictured at left* — long the site of bocce tournaments like those Venable has now — by moving out of its Kearny Street offices. Though Coblentz hasn’t built a new court at its current digs, the old one on Kearny Street is still in law firm hands: Adams Nye Sinunu Bruni Becht took over the space.

Despite his criticisms, though, Ambrogi listed far more firms in his column on “the more innovative” sites, like:

White & Case — For what Ambrogi calls “the most extensive library of lawyer videos of any site we visited.” Plus, they can be sorted by topics like diversity or pro bono.
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft — Ambrogi particularly likes the “Real Time” section; you can mouse over each of four lawyers to see what their “typical” daily schedule is like, and each activity is illustrated by a brief slideshow and audio narrative.
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman — He goes for elements like 360-degree views of associates’ offices (click on "A Day in the Life"). Legal Pad would like to note: These 360s were the first place we spotted unapologetic, matter-of-fact allusions to working weekends and digging through boring-looking boxes of documents — and we applaud the honesty.

This is by no means an exhaustive run-down — Ambrogi names tons of other firms, like Howrey, Ropes & Gray, Akin Gump, McDermott Will & Emery, Gibson, Dunn, Sullivan & Cromwell, Patton Boggs, and Simpson Thacher. (Read the full columns to find out who made his good list, or his bad one.)

What do you think? Has Robert Ambrogi given (and taken away) points for the features that matter to would-be attorneys? Has he missed any gems or duds out there that you’ve come across? Hit comment and let us know.

* Photo update: We dug up this August 2003 photo by Recorder freelancer Christine Jegan of attorneys Stephen Lanctot, left, and Richard Patch, on what was then Coblentz, Patch's bocce court.

— Pam Smith

Comments

Why does it seem like both the "new York" and the "San Francisco" associate in the PWSP 360 recruiting ads work in the same building -- one that certainly does not look like Times Square

Posted by: Anon | September 13, 2007 at 02:44 PM

Ah, you have so busted PWSP, Anon! We went back for a closer look and the two "associates" are definitely overlooking the same street, one another editor here thinks he recognizes as San Francisco. And just when we were giving them props for honesty ...

Posted by: Pam Smith | September 13, 2007 at 07:28 PM