What was happening was that people were being assigned to departments that were not one of their first three choices but departments with open slots. It was a real morale-buster. Now, the firm informs associates what department he or she will be assigned to when they are given offers. However, because of the size of the 1998 summer class, the firm was not able to guarantee that summers would receive their preference. Proskauer is trying to shuttle people into their corporate and tax groups, one insider says.
Most associates here work less than at virtually all other big New York firms, one associate says.
It s all relative, says another. The hours are livable compared to other attorneys but still unreasonable by normal standards. Most associates report billing about 50 hours a week. And Proskauer associates, unlike many of their industry compatriots, seem more inclined to accept their hours as part of the package. It s a New York firm, reports one associate.