Legal Lab

I keep hearing that the LLP is under siege. Yet it’s being attacked by… other LLPs. Let’s pause for nuance. Good post by OP (satirically spot on) - big law is cutthroat in ways you don’t get unless you’re in it. And from a service perspective it keeps getting better and faster and harder to stick around. But it’s easy to find a new gig. Wanted to add some color to this, aka ‘big law bumper cars’ - the way ppl come and go between firms. I’m a product of this. Have done it. And that’s a beautiful thing bc it’s a reflection of utility and merit, good things. My mentors didn’t do this bc they didn’t have to. Until now. You get what you start with, what you can keep, and what you can TAKE. Big law is every bit the latter right now. Naysayers and chore lawyers read the Weil Washout as “big law is cooked” or “the tech won” or “the billable hour is dead!” These aren’t even red herrings. It’s just wrong. Square peg round hole. Weil’s profile was a perfect storm for flight - and they’re now the poster child of modern v15 woes. They were totally elite, but not tippy top elite. FOMO partners with prestige chips were bound to seek an outsized return as soon as they could, and the time was now - it’s a banner year for ivory tower legal. 2026 is about the “take” for those who can. Weil partners could. And they took off. Anyway, associates at Weil will lateral just like the partners who caused the collapse did. They’ll be largely okay. Some even better off. Ping me if you need a pep talk Big law is booming 🧨

Lawyers, firms cutting junior associates to boost profit per partner are living on credit. In five years they'll need senior lawyers they never trained.