The “promised land” of a BigLaw partnership may not be all it’s cracked up to be, according to recent commentary by an anonymous partner in a major law firm. Describing the journey to partnership like “wading through treacle,” the partner expressed deep disillusionment upon finally achieving their goal.
“In advance, I didn’t seriously think this by the time I got there, but when I was much younger, when I was first [employed], I was expecting a huge change but actually when you get there, it’s much of a muchness and I’m paid more money, but nothing has changed,” – commented the aforementioned partner.
This sentiment was highlighted in a study conducted by the University of Bath which was reported on by Law.com International. The study outlined four key stages of emotion that those on the partnership track tend to experience: aspiration/excitement, anxiety/uncertainty, pride/joy, and lastly, disillusionment/disappointment.
The trajectory of these emotional stages suggests a deep-seated pervasive issue with the structure and perceived benefits of Biglaw partnership, the realities of which may need to be addressed by firms to prevent this widespread disillusionment. The detailed findings of the study call into question the long-held view that reaching the pinnacle of partnership is the ultimate aim and suggests that firms need to do better in setting reasonable expectations and nurturing the wellbeing of their aspiring partners.
For more context and details, the full article can be found here.