Among the issues facing law firms is how to train new law school graduates in the art and practice of law in the midst of billing pressures and client concerns that they are footing the bill to train newly hired lawyers. There may be no tougher job in the legal profession than facilitating the transition of a first-year attorney into a functional, successful professional. According to a 2011 study by the Association of Corporate Counsel for The Wall Street Journal, internal cost controls have resulted in more companies refusing to pay for the work of first-year lawyers.
New attorneys graduate from law school with little, if any, practical experience. The cost of recruiting and then training young lawyers is enormous. Clients are no longer willing to pay for this learning curve. They want only experienced attorneys working on their matters, believing that they work more efficiently, saving the company money, notwithstanding higher hourly rates. The conundrum is that knowing the law is but one component of an attorney’s development and it is a universally accepted truth that the best way to become a good lawyer is by doing.
