We
already
knew
that
Biglaw
firms
were
stepping
away
from
using
law
school
interview
programs
as
their
main
source
of
recruitment
in
favor
of
alternative
hiring
plans,
but
one
elite
law
firm
just
made
a
move
that
may
spell
doom
for
on-campus
interviews
if
more
firms
decide
to
follow
its
lead.
Latham
&
Watkins
—
a
firm
that
brought
in
$5,688,226,000
gross
revenue
in
2023,
putting
it
at
No.
2
on
the
Am
Law
100
—
will
no
longer
be
participating
in
law
school
interview
programs
to
recruit
summer
associates.
Instead,
the
firm
is
encouraging
all
candidates
to
send
their
applications
directly
to
the
firm.
Bloomberg
Law
has
additional
details:
The
Los
Angeles-founded
firm
had
been
cutting
on-campus
interviews,
dubbed
OCIs,
over
the
last
three
years
before
opting
out
entirely
this
year,
according
to
the
person
[familiar
with
the
matter],
who
spoke
on
a
condition
of
anonymity.
The
3,000-lawyer
firm
has
directed
law
students
to
apply
online
for
the
summer
associate
positions
that
are
the
principal
pathway
for
graduating
law
students
to
get
jobs.
As
the
National
Association
for
Law
Placement
reported
earlier
this
month,
the
majority
of
offers
(56%)
made
during
the
2025
recruitment
cycle
resulted
from
alternative
hiring
programs.
In
the
wake
of
Latham’s
move,
Nikia
Gray,
NALP’s
executive
director,
now
believes
that
OCI
will
shift
to
becoming
“more
of
a
primary
tool
for
regional
and
local
firms.
For
those
big
national
firms,
it’s
going
to
become
something
that
they
perhaps
participate
in
to
top
off
or
round
out
their
class.”
How
many
Biglaw
firms
will
step
away
from
on-campus
recruiting
now
that
Latham
has
officially
put
another
nail
in
its
coffin?
Only
time
will
tell.
Is
your
law
firm
planning
to
kick
OCI
to
the
curb?
Please
let
us
know.
You
can email
us or
text
us
(646-820-8477)
if
you
have
any
intel.
Thank
you.
Latham
Scraps
On-Campus
Interviews
to
Recruit
Summer
Associates
[Bloomberg
Law]
Staci
Zaretsky is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
her
on Bluesky, X/Twitter,
and Threads, or
connect
with
her
on LinkedIn.