August 30, 2006
I ran across a cute article today that, tongue-in-cheek, seeks to define common slang as used in large law firms. Tricky stuff, like associate, partner, paralegal, etc. Check it out here.
What’s notable to me about this article and about the lifestyle at which it (not entirely gently) pokes fun? First, humorous as it is, there’s a hint of truth (or perceived truth, anyway) to most of the definitions. How many BigLaw associates do feel at times like grunts or cogs in a wheel that turns with little notice of them? Talk about disillusionment and a depression-inducing way to live.Â
And second, whether it’s a breeze of truth or a gale-force wind, isn’t it also true that each lawyer has the power to decide whether to play within this slang? In other words, if an associate feels like a Cog, doesn’t she have the power to make herself useful to the other lawyers with whom she works and to the firm itself so that she’s no longer one of the “interchangeable associates”? If not, the associate certainly has the ability to search out another firm, or another practice setting entirely, where she does have that power.Â
So, bottom line: it’s an amusing article. Read it once and laugh… Then read it again and ask where you fall in its hierarchy, where you want to be, and what you need to do to get there.
Welcome back!
