There has been much talk lately of the legal profession’s elitism, but an interesting piece of research puts a new spin on the topic by arguing that large law firms suffer many of their problems with staff engagement because they hire excessively from a privileged academic elite.
The core idea, based on research tracking 5,000 lawyers who began practising in 2000, is simple. Large corporate law firms are strongly focused on recruiting the most able students from a handful of prestigious institutions. But these institutions produce individuals with the strongest sense of entitlement, a sense of collective “mutual eliteness”. This group is also likely to consider high-flying careers in finance or consulting, or at least know peers that do. The researchers, from the University of Toronto and Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles, conclude this group is the most easily dissatisfied with law, often rejecting the sacrifices required for partnership. They may still join large law firms, but increasingly see such jobs as a small step on the path to grander things.
