Quote:
Originally Posted by Unregistered
Why can't law firms change the way they work by reducing the hours, have greater mentorship, and create a more conducive environment for the young associates?
In long run, these associates will gain more in terms of staying longer, and contributing to the firm and the industry as a whole. No?
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Short answer is that there is no incentive to do so when partners are under pressure to just bill and meet their monthly or annual targets. Their focus is on the short to medium term, usually in timeframes of 6 months to 1 year at max.
Everything they know about management they learnt from their bosses back in the 80s or 90s, and we know how little emphasis was placed on employee/personnel development back in those days.
It also doesn't help that due to the non-collaborative nature of law school and the nature of business of law, and perhaps self-selecting personality types, lawyers make terrible managers.
If you haven't realised already, a law firm is not so much a single economic entity but made out of groups of different businesses led by different partners with different economic goals.
It will take a fundamental shift in the delivery of legal services for any real change to occur, but unfortunately that will result in a lot of casualties especially at the junior level.