| Topic Name: |
$125k -- still too low |
| Message Name: |
"prestige" firms |
| Date Posted: |
02/14/2000 |
| In Reply To: |
If there's any "mistake" it's the belief that, as a result of being associated with a prestigious firm, one will become a prestigious attorney. But there are a plethora of attorneys no one has ever heard of who have worked (and are now working) for prestigious firms. Conversely, there are quite a few that virtually everyone seems to know who never set foot in any such firm.
After a certain period of time, associates who begin their careers at prestigious firms start to realize that the prestige the firm enjoys doesn't necessarily attach to them; at least not on a personal level. That, in part, may induce a high level of dissatisfaction which, in turn, leads to the high turnover rate these firms experience. As stated earlier, the prestige =does= have resume value and that, in itself, can be leveraged. Hence the initial draw.
I've seen enough that has led me to believe "these very smart people" are a bit overrated. Many of the most successful people I know I would consider to be only slightly above average in the intellect department. They =all= seem to be at the very top in terms of interpersonal skills, however. These are the people who can make it rain buckets. Unfortunately, this skill doesn't appear to be "teachable" (at a top school or otherwise). |
| Message: |
No, in the final analysis, I don't think that's true. The "prestige" firms do certain work for certain clients that one cannot get at a "non-prestige" firm. IE, IBM is going to entrust its big antitrust cases to Cravath or a similiar firm. That doesn't mean you can't do anti-trust cases for electronics firms at many other firms - it's that IBM's cases (and similar quality clients) are going to Cravath or Wilson or etc.
The difference is often illusory, but in some cases, it's going to be true that working for a "prestige" firm is different than a "non-prestige" one. Do you do different things for IBM than Youneverheardofus Systems? No. But other legal employers listen a lot better when you say "IBM" or "Sun Microsystems" than when you say "BongoBongo Mainframes R Us" or "Henderson Pipe & Steel".
My two cents.
|
|
