<p>Needed: a tech savvy reader (Sally, Sybbie and many others) who can post todays article from NYT Sunday Styles Section p.1.</p>
<p>article stating “Young associates are stuck with depreciating law degrees.” and is about grads at Biglaw firms trying to stay afloat. Nothing earth shattering in the article, but I thought it interesting that it is covered in Sunday style section of NYT. Article also makes reference to new TV show “The Deep End” , which is about BigLaw Associates and starts this week on ABC.</p>
<p>*THE first-year corporate lawyers of “The Deep End,” a series that has its premiere on ABC this week, inhabit an alternative legal universe, where advancement on the partner track seems measured by their perfect grooming and ability to model designer suits and trade flirtatious banter.</p>
<p>In the sleek offices of the fictional firm Sterling Huddle Oppenheim & Craft, high above the Los Angeles smog canopy, life is a colorful, quip-filled adventure. “This is your lucky chance, your break in the clouds, your four-leaf clover,” a senior lawyer informs Dylan, a fresh Columbia Law School graduate, during his interview.</p>
<p>Associates may grumble that the firm is a pit of back-stabbing, a machine that grinds young lawyers down. But they still find time for laughs over beers, games of basketball on a rooftop court and, of course, sex.</p>
<p>Adventure? Laughter? Among law associates? This must be a period drama.</p>
<p>In fact, “The Deep End” was conceived in 2007, that halcyon era of $160,000 starting salaries and full employment even for law grads who had scored in the 150s on their LSAT’s.</p>
<p>It wasn’t the article per se- it was that it was in the sunday style section that I thought was a bit strange. Of course the item did lead with info about the new ABC series- so maybe it just acted as a “product placement device”/plug for ABC.</p>
<p>So are you saying there is sex on an irregular basis at Biglaw?</p>
<p>If so, then that doesn’t sound dissimilar to regular life. Let’s face it: very few people in any industry who aren’t in committed relationship have sex on any regular basis anyway.</p>
<p>I hope some of you saw the trailer. Lots of things made me chuckle:
Super-prestigious firm making only 5 offers, including to a girl from Case Western Law. Not to be an elitist, but for Case Western, LA isn’t exactly the market most graduates from the school seek. Same for the guy from Cambridge Law.</p>
<p>2) Sex in the office. Really? I mean, I’m sure it happens. But when people catch wind of it, I can’t imagine the partnership being so forgiving.</p>
<p>3) The depiction of partners seems off. I know partners <em>can</em> be acerbic, arrogant, torturing, etc., but this show seems to get it all wrong.</p>
<p>4) Associate behavior is similarly off: they behave like frat boys, doing the most unprofessional things. Again, I wouldn’t have expected a firm that only made 5 hires to hire them.</p>
<p>5) Finally, the interviews. One guy mentioned he wanted biglaw because of the girls. He got the job. REALLY?</p>
<p>Apparently the creator is a biglaw alum. I would normally say, “I expect better,” but let’s face the facts: Any show that accurately depicted biglaw would not garner a viewership in worthwhile numbers. Spice it up with sex, humor, and models… and well you got yourself the ingredients for a popular show.</p>
<p>You know what I’ve always wanted to see? A show about management consultants. Each season could be a brand-new project (or heck, they could do a new project every episode), and a “cast” of five would rotate through different sectors. They’d have interesting puzzles, a lot of new egos to manage, and an interesting dynamic in that they work for companies that they don’t really work for.</p>
<p>Of course you’d have to change a lot of it, since management consulting is often… well, really boring. But they change lawyers and doctors all the time anyway.</p>