tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18502518.post113078852936529720..comments2023-10-25T00:54:05.329-07:00Comments on Law Career Blog: Most Associates Don't Want PartnershipGregory W. Bowmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12793221328956712830noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18502518.post-1150145371490595952006-06-12T13:49:00.000-07:002006-06-12T13:49:00.000-07:00I would walk away in an instant if I had the oppor...I would walk away in an instant if I had the opportunity to work for a big firm. I would make such choice because I am an associate who realistically may never make partner despite my efforts. Nonetheless, I believe that if such an opportunity presented itself, I still believe that I would aim at partnership within the big firm.<BR/><BR/>I agree that supply and demand plays a part in the whole idea that associates now don't necessarily value being a partner. I also believe that there seem to be trends among generations and their work ethics. I went to law school as a career change and as an "older student," then only being only 26. I understand, as someone who held a job prior to law school, that it is going to take hard work to succeed. Easy money passed with the bursting of the dot.com bubble. I think once some of these younger associates get some exposure to the workforce, they may realize that no matter what career they choose, if you want a certain lifestyle, you are gonna have to work for it.... or at least that is how I like to see it, even if it is just delusional of me!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18502518.post-1149819195419658772006-06-08T19:13:00.000-07:002006-06-08T19:13:00.000-07:00Now THAT is a great comment! Thanks for weighing ...Now THAT is a great comment! Thanks for weighing in. It all really is a matter of supply and demand--as well as a question of what the local market structure is like for partnership. In many areas of the country, making partner is so difficult, and you can make great money without being a partner, so people voluntarily step off the partnership track. In smaller markets it is sometimes easier to make partner, but there's less money in it (and is there possibly a relationship between those twom factors?).<BR/><BR/>Your comment indicates you are in a market where supply of lawyers exceeds demand. So you make less, but don't work less. And you are not about to walk away from a job that was hard to land. That's an excellent reminder that while we can talk all we want about general national trends, often what matters for you is what is happening in your local market. So thanks for making that excellent point.Gregory W. Bowmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12793221328956712830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18502518.post-1149817271879166442006-06-08T18:41:00.000-07:002006-06-08T18:41:00.000-07:00Not everyone who comes out of law school has a cho...Not everyone who comes out of law school has a choice. I am not making big firm money, as I work about 50 miles outside of NYC, in a firm that takes advantage of the fact that there are more lawyers than jobs. Every single one of us associates is working very hard to make enough money to support ourselves and our families. The common miscoinception of smaller firms is that we bill less and make less. We work just as hard and have requirements just as strict as in NYC, but we work for less money. Darn right we are going to want to be partner!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18502518.post-1145042374475129342006-04-14T12:19:00.000-07:002006-04-14T12:19:00.000-07:00I think for a lot of young associates (particularl...I think for a lot of young associates (particularly those based in New York City) they begin to realize that their clients are making a lot more money than they are and they are not putting in those horrific hours. So, for many of them, business and the world of entreprenuership seems to be a much better career option. You can get to be a lot more creative, you can work reasonable hours and the payoff can be just as high.<BR/><BR/>Most traders in NYC work from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. and they make more than many of these associates who are pulling all nighters.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com