Leverage and Substantive Work Forum

[Anonymous User]

If an office has more partners than associates, is that a pretty good sign that you're going to get good work?

[Johann]

depends on the firm. just post the firm if you are posting anony.

[los blancos]

depends on the firm.

Yep. In theory the answer is yes, but sometimes upside-down pyramid-shaped firms can result in partners hoarding work if they're not doing so hot on the business development front.

[Anonymous User]

In my experience, there is a much stronger correlation between lean staffing and getting substantive work than there is between leverage and getting substantive work. We have a group in my office that is very partner-heavy and does big-ticket cases. It's not a good group for young associates - the cases are big enough to staff a ton of people on, and the partners (and senior associates) gobble up all the fun and interesting work. By contrast, we also have partners who primarily work on smaller matters for more cost-conscious clients. They typically prefer to staff matters with no more than 1-2 associates, and you tend to get very cool work (depositions, brief-writing, etc.) from those cases.

[Anonymous User]

In my experience, there is a much stronger correlation between lean staffing and getting substantive work than there is between leverage and getting substantive work. We have a group in my office that is very partner-heavy and does big-ticket cases. It's not a good group for young associates - the cases are big enough to staff a ton of people on, and the partners (and senior associates) gobble up all the fun and interesting work. By contrast, we also have partners who primarily work on smaller matters for more cost-conscious clients. They typically prefer to staff matters with no more than 1-2 associates, and you tend to get very cool work (depositions, brief-writing, etc.) from those cases.

So, asking associates at the firm how leanly staffed the cases are is a question to ask?

[Anonymous User]

Yes, "how are your cases typically staffed?" is a fine question.

[RaceJudicata]

Yes, "how are your cases typically staffed?" is a fine question.

Not only is it a fine question, you'll get a relatively wide variety of answers and give you some insight into workload. FWIW I ask this in every interview.