“Lean” has long been used as a slogan by firms who trumpet their staffing models as offering the best value for clients. A lean associate-to-partner ratio is presumably better than a doughy one. The client forgoes having a team of lawyers work on their case, in exchange for lower cost and a more direct approach.
In the academic world, lean has a far different, less favorable connotation. A new report indicating that law schools across the country but especially in New York are in “belt-tightening mode” (NYLJ, Oct. 2) is actually good news for the profession.
