James P. Flynn, Managing Director of the Firm and Member in the Litigation and Employment, Labor & Workforce Management practices, in the firm’s Newark office, was quoted in Reuters, in “Another Zoom Summer? Firms Rethink Associate Programs as COVID-19 Restrictions Lift,” by Nate Raymond and David Thomas.
Following is an excerpt:
After being forced to hold their 2020 summer associate programs remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, several U.S. law firms are opening the door to having summer associates in the office this year.
The shift back toward an in-person experience could intensify as virus case counts diminish and after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that fully vaccinated people generally don't need to wear masks indoors or out, industry consultants told Reuters. …
Other law firms, including Epstein Becker Green; Fish & Richardson; Selendy & Gay; Sheppard Mullin; Sidley Austin and Vinson & Elkins, told Reuters they will allow summer associates to work in the office even though their programs were designed to function virtually. …
James Flynn, Epstein Becker's managing partner, said while his firm plans to onboard its 10 summer associates virtually, it will offer them the same invitations it’s extending its attorneys to work in the office if they are comfortable doing so.
"We want to replicate for them the normal attorney experience," he said. "So we think it’s normal to give them the same opportunities that other attorneys at the firm might have."
He added that the firm had decided that all social and formal educational events would be held virtually.
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- Managing Director / Member of the Firm