Leverage For Lawyers

Posted by Elizabeth Zelinka

Law firms have begun the clear process of deconstructing the long-lived “lockstep compensation” structures that associates have always enjoyed.  This move probably makes very good business sense, and it will add an important measure of flexibility as Big Law continues to right-size its talent base in response to the declining demand for legal work. 

What does this mean for Big Law associates?  Oddly, it probably means even more pressure and longer hours as associates try to justify their existence and seek to avoid layoffs or reductions in salary and bonus.  Under the lockstep regime, the periodic downtime enjoyed by associates between intense matters did not threaten their compensation or job security.  As lockstep disappears in favor of “merit-based” compensation, associates will increasingly be evaluated by the only data point that big law firms reliably measure—billable hours.   

Let’s face it—for all of the lip service paid by law firms to conducting meaningful associate performance reviews, none of us inside of Big Law have ever been clear to what extent they are ever considered relevant.  And judging from how many firms laid off lawyers across numerous offices—without any consultation with supervising lawyers or any regard to associate contributions or responsibilities—the new “merit-based” systems will simply translate into an analysis of how beneficial any particular lawyer is to the firm’s bottom line.  And maybe that’s all that ever really mattered anyway.

Elizabeth Zelinka is a Consultant and Career Strategist with Zelinka & Prince Search Partners.  She can be reached through her website at www.zpsearchpartners.com.

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