By Casey Sullivan
Feb 11 (Reuters) - Hiring for entry-level positions at U.S.
law firms was flat in 2012, reflecting caution among managing
partners about the state of the legal market, said a report
released on Monday by the National Association for Law
Placement, an industry group that provides career information
for law students and lawyers.
More than 120 law schools and 275 law firms, ranging in size
from fewer than 100 attorneys to more than 700, participated in
the NALP survey, which is released annually.
According to the report, 90 percent of summer associates
were offered full-time jobs in 2012, compared to 91 percent in
2011. The average class size for summer associates was also
flat, with firms hiring an average of nine law students per
summer program in 2012, compared to an average of eight law
students in 2010 and 2011, the report said.
James Leipold, the executive director for NALP, said the
findings reflect ongoing uncertainty among law firm leaders
about demand for legal services.
"I would expect flat and faltering to be characteristics of
the entry-level law firm hiring market going forward," said
Leipold in a statement.
The report also indicated that law firms in New York,
Silicon Valley, Seattle and Portland participated in law school
job fairs more frequently than law firms in other regions
throughout the United States.
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