4. Making work expectations clear

The proposition requested the law firms to join in the group’s commitment to putting a stop to the escalation of associate salaries and billable hours.  It subtly warned that before the fall interviews take place, the group would notify students at the top law schools of “which law firms have and have not signed on.”  In a very sober tone their email stated, “We recognize that changes in work structures come with an economic cost, and we are willing to be paid less in exchange for a better working life.”  In a more sober tone, their website page on “Principles for a renewed legal profession” recognized “that law students have become part of the problem by focusing on paychecks and bonuses, while avoiding the tough questions about the conditions of working lives and associate satisfaction.”

I must comment that one rarely finds such greatness nowadays as shown by this group out to change the world.  Some people who do not appreciate greatness made nasty comments at Peter Lattman’s blog on the Wall Street Journal like calling them “morons” and trying to take the “lazy track.”  Some even went as far as calling them “resource sucking parasites.”  I do not wholly agree with those opinions.  Nor would I be so heartless like the blogger Kafka who posted “Dear students, if you want to work less, create your own firm with those work parameters, no one is stopping you.”  Rather, I wish them all luck while concurring with another post on the same blog that said, “These kids must be at Stanford on scholarship.  Thank you very much, but I’ll take my 2300 hours per year and keep my paycheck – I’ve got loans to payback.”