Some BigLaw firms abstain from alcohol-centered events for summer associates
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Some major law firms are opting for healthier and cultural-based events for their summer associates.
Two law firms making the switch are Goodwin Procter and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, the American Lawyer reports.
Goodwin Procter will schedule cooking classes, spinning classes, and cultural events such as museum tours.
Orrick, meanwhile, is planning events that focus on the whole person, according to chief talent officer Siobhan Handley. “We want to get away from this idea that every social event for the summer associates has to have a bunch of alcohol,” she told the American Lawyer.
Both firms are also including training for their lawyers and summer associates. Goodwin Procter is requiring anti-harassment training, while Orrick’s training focuses on law firm policies and discusses proper workplace conduct.
The change is part of a recognition that alcohol can lead to bad behavior, according to Patrick Krill, a legal industry behavioral health consultant. “In light of #MeToo movement, an open bar at a summer associate event is potentially a tinderbox of liability,” Krill told the American Lawyer.
