Comments on: It’s Just Business, Baby

By: dlasucks

dlasucks — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 21:47:43 +0000

do they give you your koolaid for free or do they make you pay for it?

you are the sound of one hand clapping

By: Realist

Realist — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:57:35 +0000

What do I have to be unhappy about? I like most of the people I work with. I get interesting cutting edge work (yes, some tedious boring work too). I've gotten a huge level of responsibility, particularly for a relatively junior person. The only thing I don't like is the hours. But that's a blessing in this economy. And those I know in Mid Law and in-house actually work plenty too. So, i'm not really sure a way around that. Nor is this unique to the field of law.

I'll concede that some of the things noted in this article are true, but I think they are highly exagerrated and don't apply to nearly that degree in many firms. More than anything I guess this article bothers me for its vague generalities and criticisms that I feel don't apply across the board without any concrete suggestions as to what would be a better model.

I won't disagree that there are some problems with the Biglaw model, largely caused by lemminglike behavior because what works at one firm at a particular level and that it can afford to do, is copied by other firms that can't pull it off.

By: Kaylee

Kaylee — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 16:22:03 +0000

From my limited experience with BigLaw in a satellite office, I can agree with junior partner that the partners often have little say in how the "business" of BigLaw is run. From numerous conversations with my managing partner and several other equity partners in my office after my lawyoff, they have told me that they were given no say in who was laid off in our office.

Be all that as it may, I don't think BigLaw has to be the way that it is. I worked as a junior accountant and CPA for years in BigCPA in a big office (500 professionals) in a big city before going back to law school, and while the hours there definitely rival those of BigLaw, I did not see the same unhappiness as I hear from BigLaw lawyers in big offices in big cities.

There are many models to practicing law (see the post below, LA Boutique…, see Virtual Law Office…see so many other ways to do things). Clients may start to see that BigLaw, although prestigious, is not necessarily providing them with the best legal services.

By: junior partner

junior partner — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 16:57:49 +0000

I'm was a junior partner before I left BigLaw for family reasons. This post actually resonates quite a bit more than I'd like to admit with how BigLaw is run. These are some basic business concepts, sure, but I think BigLaw can definitely improve in these areas without a doubt.

The business world that I am in now is "ruthless" but I'm not sure it is "more ruthless." It is differently ruthless, if that makes any sense. But it is true that the business world is more innovative and I think it's because it is more diverse than in BigLaw. Additionally, because of the type of ruthlessness and competitiveness in business, it keeps business on its tip toes as requires that it constantly evolves and changes. BigLaw on the other hand has not evolved and changed much at all.

I also don't think the poster is blaming BigLaw for being laid off. I think he is criticizing BigLaw and has every right to.

Like I said, I was a junior partner not a managing partner but I do know a little about how BigLaw works. And the truth is, most partners don't have a say themselves on how the firm is run and we wish we did. Alot of us just have to carry out orders or go along to get along with the firm's decisions.

My last words are, to "Realist", that I didn't realize how unhappy I was in BigLaw until I left. I was really unhappy and I saw junior to senior associates to senior partners just as, if not more, unhappy than I was. Unless you have drank the koolaid yourself, I don't understand how you could possibly say that the things that people are complaining about "largely don't even exist" when they are pervasive from the staff to the partners. Perhaps you are the .01% who has found perfect bliss in your job in BigLaw, if that is the case, please enlighten the many, many BigLaw attorneys who haven't.

By: Toughlove

Toughlove — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 07:31:22 +0000

So now that you can throw a couple of Jim Collins' aphorisms around you think you can teach the managing partners a thing or two about running a multi-million dollar law firm/corporation? Guess what – businesses lay people off too when the economy tanks. Even the "best" ones. Methinks a little humility might suit you better.

I suggest you try not to blindly idealize the business world you are now exploring. It is routinely more ruthless and often rewards the biggest buffoons at the cost of thousands of hard-working capable folk. You are angry and I don't doubt you have reason to be. But the sooner you recognize that you have developed some valuable skills as a lawyer and can forgive yourself for not taking some initiative earlier, the sooner you can stop blaming the entire profession for being laid off. Sure biglaw has flaws, serious ones, but by throwing everyone under the bus you are doing yourself and your readers a disservice.

By: Realist

Realist — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 01:09:54 +0000

"Like I said, my experience with BigLaw is only peripheral, but it sounds like a very unhappy place to be, even before this downturn in the economy (or collapse, whatever you want to call it."

It's not. And BigLaw can hardly be judged based on this guys sophomoric posts or the asinine people who tend to post on AbovetheLaw. Sure, grains of truth. But mostly just rants about things that largely don't even exist and as fair as real, practical suggestions for a better model from most of the biggest detractors? Crickets.

By: Kaylee

Kaylee — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:51:27 +0000

Perhaps, except in certain circumstances and certain transactions or litigation matters, BigLaw has had its heyday and will either evolve, or die. Check Darwin on that one. Survival of a species and all that. Now I only tasted BigLaw koolade from the small satellite office perspective (if that is even possible), but perhaps the best and most innovative lawyers are the ones being laid off, who will rise to the top of whatever they choose to do, rather than continue in lockstep with BigLaw. I guess money is an amazing drug, but should it make one do all the things and tolerate all the things that I hear in all the BigLaw blogs? At what price will you sell your soul, your pride, your professionalism, your ethics, your life, your future, your spouse, your children…..on and on and on it goes. Like I said, my experience with BigLaw is only peripheral, but it sounds like a very unhappy place to be, even before this downturn in the economy (or collapse, whatever you want to call it.