The Myth of the Monolithic Law Firm

Many associates expect their firm to be consistent in its policies, its expectations, its treatment of associates, and the quality of its work. Maybe larger firms cannot be stereotyped by such reputations anymore, but the people with whom you work are often more important to your experience there than the type of work you do. The working style of one partner may drive you crazy, yet you may get on fabulously with the partner down the hall. Work that is rated as above average by one partner may be merely mediocre in the eyes of another. Do a super job for one partner, and your reputation may precede you and color each person's view of your work. More than you can imagine, the people who are your supervisors or become your mentors will influence the experiences you have, the types of matters you handle, your rate of learning and growth, and whether you make partner.




"Career dissatisfaction" became a buzz word of the 1990s. A recent survey of the legal profession performed by the Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association indicates, however, that the majority of lawyers are satisfied with their careers. Although the trend is in the wrong direction-dissatisfaction has increased in all sectors of the legal community since 1984-there are aspects of law firm practice, large, medium, and small, that contribute to a good legal career.

Is private law firm practice the right career track for you? Many law school graduates get drawn into this path of least resistance because firms, more than other employers, recruit at law schools. Consider law firm practice, assess yourself-your goals, life-style, and personality- and make an informed choice at the outset.

During the heyday of the 1980s, law firms grew like wildfire. Small firms became medium-sized and large firms became national, multi-office behemoths. Large firms ate up smaller ones-firms with respected, long-lived names, disappeared into new conglomerates. But recently, the house of cards has become unsteady. Many new associates have joined firms only to be told that they are being let go or that the firms are dissolving. Even senior associates and partners are being dismissed. For example, the recession of the early 1990s combined with the problems of the real estate and banking industries, surely affected the legal community. After all, the clients themselves were businesses that foundered. So while some client misfortune fuels the legal business with increased litigation, other setbacks result in a decreased ability to pay legal fees or a dearth of legal work.

The impact on new graduates is predictable: a decrease in summer associate positions (the stepping stones into a firm), a plethora of graduates vying against each other and the recently unemployed attorneys in a shrinking job market, and an increase in lost jobs and stagnant (or de-creasing) salary expectations. Even when the national economy is healthy, the legal profession is not likely to see the growth of the 1980s again.

Small, Medium, or Large?

The size of a firm is relative and varies from city to city. As a guideline, however, small is less than twenty, medium is about twenty-plus, and large is when your firm takes over more than one floor in the office building.

Smaller has some obvious advantages. Attorneys in small firms usually agree on philosophical matters: quality of life versus work hours, type of clients versus business to be turned away, and the style of management and direction of the firm. In short, the group may be more homogeneous and decisions made with each partner's input in a unanimous fashion. The firm may sport a family atmosphere, and everyone may know the cases or the types of matters others are handling. There may be more control and more independence. On the other hand, the work might not be varied, and the fate of the firm could rest on whether forces-economic or political-favor the type of practice in which the firm specializes.

From an associates perspective, smaller firms pay more attention to each associate. Associates are not interchangeable but, rather, intricate participants in the practice. Client contact is instantaneous and absolutely necessary, and each associate's work makes a tremendous difference to the firm.

The other side of this coin, however, is that small firms, especially overworked ones, may not have the luxury of training associates and oftentimes thrust them into the fray with minimal supervision. Some small firms are committed to their slow-growth policy-leaving little opportunity for additional partnership positions. But one thing is certain: a good associate in a small firm will spend much less time researching in the library or summarizing depositions.

Larger firms can afford more structured training programs, the work may be more sophisticated, and the remuneration may be higher. There may be opportunities to rotate through different practice groups before settling into one-thereby getting a taste of many areas of practice. A large practice usually can foot the bill for computer terminals for every attorney, continuing legal education, bar association work, pro bono, and civic activities with greater ease than a small firm (although even large firms cut back these activities in tough economic times). More time may be available to discuss and set policies, and one may find more consistency in decisions made by large firms. An individual attorney in a large firm does not normally have to worry about administrative matters, since large firms usually have administrators, personnel directors, recruitment coordinators, librarians, and the like. Nonlegal tasks such as billing and accounting may also be handled by staff members.

For some, the disadvantages of a large firm outweigh its advantages, leading them to avoid large firms or to change jobs after a few years. Associates tend to get lost in large firms. Unless one has a mentor, good work may go unrecognized. Unless a special effort is made, associates might not meet attorneys in other departments or obtain choice work assignments. Competition is more intense among associates as they perceive that not all of them will make it to partnership. Client contact, especially in the early years, may be limited. As previously mentioned, the hours may be longer.