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Links in radical move to reject over-specialisation

So firms get associates that are easier to move into other departments when things get quieter, and associates get greater flexibility at the cost of expertise.... So who loses out as these associates get more expensive but not all that more experienced in any one area? Clients... And who wins?... the partners, since they don't have to get rid of so many people, and can move people around when departments get busy. Oh, and the partners don't hand so much of the client relationship to the associates, so less risk of them becoming chummy with the clients and stealing them. If they are going to create an army of generalists then there really is no reason to stay with the big firms unless you need a massive amount of people on a piece of work (and even then the smaller firms may be able to mobilise an army of contracted lawyers)... clients go to the massive firms FOR specialisation.

7-Dec-2009

10:09 am