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 layoff04:11 Generational differences07:23 Political orientation of law firms10:11 Biglaw and pro bono17:44 Discrimination lawsuit against Biglaw firm20:47 Why realization rates matter26:56 Evaluating discrimination claims29:29 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 outs06:33 Rent seeking Yalies09:49 Elitism in Biglaw recruiting15:24 Life goals20:46 What if you were a trust fund baby?29:58 NYTimes vs. OpenAI lawsuit34:02 Legal vs. Business/Tech perspective35:55 Courts deciding cases involving technology39:18 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 years16:13 Memorable legal events of 202324:16 Reading from the listener mailbox25:50 Are we too cynical?31:24 Why partners don’t use social media36:18 How law schools make money39:07 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 update05:15 Threatened Squid Games lawsuit13:45 Firms requiring 4 days in the office17:21 An unusual perk for partners with private equity clients21:30 Legal AI at an inflection point?28:35 Subtle marketing: from latte art to AI-powered tech31:37 Pre-2008 summer programs34:30 “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 lawsuit06:57 - George Mason University hit with notice of non-compliance from ABA10:45 - Law firms: the bigger, the better?16:43 - Generative AI’s threat to junior associates19:56 - Law firm rankings for social media (yes, really)26:37 - Why partners are bad at social media37:37 - 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 are05:39 - Biglaw salary raises13:41 - Why Biglaw associates make more than other associates with similar years of experience16:18 - The math behind why Biglaw clients are willing to pay millions in fees20:15 - The “double space” case23:26 - Focusing on form when you don’t have a good substantive argument26:43 - Why fighting over time extensions is so silly27:55 - The judge’s ruling29:56 - Why lawyers think longer arguments are better