Barside

In the final episode of this season, the gang reflects on how each of them have grown over the years, what it's been like to explore an alternative career path, and what they think about the future of the practice of law.

The gang discusses the impact of layoffs, affordability of Biglaw, office politics, and whether the associates do have it better these days.

With Alex out of commission this week, Matt and Cece cover the latest in the legal world, including the ethics of AI technology, workplace norms, and the differences between Biglaw and small firms.

The gang discusses a sales employee recording herself getting laid off, a study about the political leanings of law firms, and a discrimination lawsuit against a major Biglaw firm.

00:29 Recording your layoff
04:11 Generational differences
07:23 Political orientation of law firms
10:11 Biglaw and pro bono
17:44 Discrimination lawsuit against Biglaw firm
20:47 Why realization rates matter
26:56 Evaluating discrimination claims
29:29 The two different types of non-billable work

The gang talks about elitism in Biglaw, their deepest life goals, and the New York Times' lawsuit against Open AI.

00:45 Shout outs
06:33 Rent seeking Yalies
09:49 Elitism in Biglaw recruiting
15:24 Life goals
20:46 What if you were a trust fund baby?
29:58 NYTimes vs. OpenAI lawsuit
34:02 Legal vs. Business/Tech perspective
35:55 Courts deciding cases involving technology
39:18 Mooting the case

The gang’s all back together for 2024 and there’s a lot to discuss, including the billable hour, legal technology, business development, and the rise of the independent lawyer. 

00:39 Calculating billable hours targets for the year

03:39 Differences between Biglaw and insurance defense

12:08 Improving work-life balance as a partner

17:54 Using AI to figure out flat fees

22:23 Biglaw lawyers going solo trend

31:27 Rise of the independent lawyer

36:52 Referral engine

42:34 Solos vs. Boutique firms

This week, Alex and Cece look back on 2023, and share listener feedback and reactions to the pod.

01:11 Cece and Alex review their years
16:13 Memorable legal events of 2023
24:16 Reading from the listener mailbox
25:50 Are we too cynical?
31:24 Why partners don’t use social media
36:18 How law schools make money
39:07 Are we boring?

The gang discusses the Squid Games lawsuit, an unusual perk for Kirkland partners, the state of legal AI, and subtle marketing tactics of law firms.

01:50 George Mason update
05:15 Threatened Squid Games lawsuit
13:45 Firms requiring 4 days in the office
17:21 An unusual perk for partners with private equity clients
21:30 Legal AI at an inflection point?
28:35 Subtle marketing: from latte art to AI-powered tech
31:37 Pre-2008 summer programs
34:30 “Best law firm swag” Twitter thread

This week, join Alex, Cece, and Matt as they discuss the latest legal news, including a law school that might be in trouble, ideas on how to best develop associates, and a new set of rankings of law firm social media accounts.

Show notes:

00:43 - Attorney fraud derailing a monumental ADA case (Acheson Hotels v. Laufer)
04:02 - Valve lawsuit
06:57 - George Mason University hit with notice of non-compliance from ABA
10:45 - Law firms: the bigger, the better?
16:43 - Generative AI’s threat to junior associates
19:56 - Law firm rankings for social media (yes, really)
26:37 - Why partners are bad at social media
37:37 - A D-league for firms

Welcome to the first episode of Barside! This week, Cece, Alex, and Matt grab a seat and discuss what they are up to, Big Law raises and bonuses, and an argument that makes you really read between the lines.

SHOW NOTES:

00:21 - Who we are
05:39 - Biglaw salary raises
13:41 - Why Biglaw associates make more than other associates with similar years of experience
16:18 - The math behind why Biglaw clients are willing to pay millions in fees
20:15 - The “double space” case
23:26 - Focusing on form when you don’t have a good substantive argument
26:43 - Why fighting over time extensions is so silly
27:55 - The judge’s ruling
29:56 - Why lawyers think longer arguments are better