Dear Diary:
Thanks to Tyra Banks and her stupid show, most of middle America and maybe people in the rest of the country with nothing else to do but watch her stupid show is now aware of this concept of “Go-See” in the fashion industry.
If you’re not, basically, in my limited knowledge of the concept and since I don’t watch the show but have had to endure listening to girl friends talking about it at the bar, the model (or wannabe model) has to run around to a bunch of designers’ stores and try on their latest fashion, walk around, shake it a little, and then hope the designer books them for their upcoming show.
Much like our BigLaw interviews.
However, now there seems to be a disconcerting trend of law firms holding “go-see”s but unlike their designer counterparts, they don’t actually have a fashion show to book the aspiring anorexic models-to-be.
Firms are posting openings with recruiting companies or on their website and interviewing laid off attorneys or employed attorneys wishing to lateral (probably because they’re afraid of getting the ax) just to see their resume and talk to the associate as recon to get inside information.
It’s like going through your neighbors’ garbage cans to see what they’re throwing out.
Firms also do it to maintain the facade that they are still healthy (which is funny because some firms who have had massive rounds of lay offs also have postings here and there in the section they had laid people off from). I don’t know if they do this to save face with their colleagues or if they do this to boost morale with its own lawyers or both. Either way, it stinks.
Sure it’s possible that they find a real gem and create a position for him or her, but it’s also possible that I shit solid gold tomorrow, retire, and ride off into the sunset.
This is bullshit.
And a waste of time.
And yet another step in the ethical degeneration of our profession. Nevermind how we treat society and lay people, look how we treat each other.
Related posts:
I think they're really just trying to create the illusion that they're still somewhat healthy.
Many fashion go-sees are legit. Apparently, some are not. But along with the fashion business, the advertising world has been holding bogus "go-sees" for years. Bored art directors and copywriters call in freelance sheep (unsuspecting photographers and commercial artists, or their agents) and string them along on projects that do not even exist. They will borrow the portfolios overnight ("to show the client") and then make copies of the sheep's best work. Next thing you know, the sheep's portfolio samples are mocked up for client ads.
Law firms are just late to this game.
Why this massive BIGLaw obsession with illusion? It's not like any law firm has a good reputation – maybe a reputation for doing solid work, but not a reputation for being a good guy.