<p>“I guess when youve been in biglaw in the partner race for so long, you see this whole thing as a race – must make partner; if I dont make partner, must make a quick move to another firm where I can make it etc. There has never been a moment to stop and breathe.”</p>
<p>Back in 2006 (as I started approaching partnerworld), I looked at the entire picture and said:</p>
<p>“Well, I had better jump now before I’m pushed either now or later as a fake partner.”</p>
<p>Not that I have any career security. But at least I’m not on the associate scrapheap conveyor belt.</p>
<p>I used family contacts <em>before</em> there was any reason for mass panic. And I also took a 40% pay cut but long term, I figured that I was in trouble.</p>
<p>I actually <em>(semi-)regret</em> this decision because I would have snagged a very nice book of business, <em>however</em> that is only because a partner made a really stupid move and the firm kept the client, which would have then probably landed in <em>my</em> lap. However, that’s neither here nor there, since it would never have occurred to me that someone would have done something as profoundly stupid as he did. </p>
<p>What’s funny in law is that you see people do things that make absolutely no sense whatsoever. Generally, they are making very emotional decisions that are completely devoid of logic to the point where it’s basically a form of shooting yourself in the foot on purpose.</p>
<p>I’m going to check with one of my litigator friends who was tossed on the associate scrapheap about 18 months ago to see what life is like in the Bos-Wash corridor these days. Maybe he knows something, although he had to small law himself to survive (first he tried DC, which failed).</p>