Everything may be bigger but not necessarily better in Texas when considering the ubiquitous caste system that separates attorneys from business professionals at law firms.
The perception of such a two-tier system persists around the country, as The American Lawyer recently reported, and many Texas firms seem to fall into line, based on interviews with legal professionals throughout the state. But several business professionals who have worked at Texas firms said there may be an encouraging trend emerging—while they have seen the worst of the hierarchy firsthand, the divide may be shrinking as older lawyers retire and firm leaders rely more on professional staff to ease the administrative load.
