An article about severe cutbacks at a major U.S. law firm, which included the termination of 30 associates and 110 support staff and cuts to partners’ salaries, recently appeared in the “DealBook” section of the New York Times. The piece raised a general alarm about the financial challenges facing the legal profession, quoting
Managing Client Perceptions of the Billable Hour
A recent op-ed piece in The New York Times by Northwestern University Adjunct Professor Steven J. Harper explores the challenges and drawbacks – both to law firms and their clients – of determining legal fees on the basis of hourly rates. The article is interesting, and well worth your consideration.
Despite what Harper refers to
A Low-Paid Corner — Stripping Pay and Prestige from the Practice of Law
According to NYT journalist, Catherine Rampell, in her May 23, 2011 story: At Well-Paying Law Firms, a Low-Paid Corner, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, WilmerHale and McDermott Will & Emery are "creating a second tier of workers, stripping pay and prestige from one of the most coveted jobs in the business world".
Catherine goes on to