Questionable arguments

Recruiting vs hiring. “Drastically reducing a summer program would send the wrong message” about a firm’s confidence in the future, says Chadbourne & Parke recruiting chair Scott Berson… but rescinding the offers of incoming associates doesn’t.

Tracking or trapping? The best way to wring “fat” from big law firms is to establish a tiered system in which new lawyers’ “partner potential” is assessed before they even begin their careers. Then the firm only has to invest resources in developing the skills of those potential partners, while other “specialty lawyers” receive less pay to do lower-level go-nowhere work. Does this “cutting-edge” system sound familiar?

Virtual intimacy. Want closer relationships with your clients? No need for in-person socializing; computers are the way to go. According to Legal OnRamp founder Paul Lippe, “Web 2.0 technologies (of which Twitter is just one) actually offer the best way to reestablish Intimacy.”

- posted by vera