Leaving Big Law Behind

Much of what we've been discussing on this blog for the past year went mainstream last week, with Slate profiling the evolving Big Law model as a field "rife with upheaval".

Listed as one of Slate's five most read articles, the piece touched on many of the hot buttons that insiders have been watching, including:

• The assault on the billable hour, via The Economist.

• The wide range of alternative models currently testing the waters.

• Outsourcing internationally to teams of attorneys in India, via the New York Times.

• Onshoring to lower cost regions within the U.S., via The Washington Post.

• The Great Recession's squeeze on the legal field.

The article also identifies "companies below the $100 million revenue level" as the primary target clients of Big Law ex pats.

Finally, the piece notes that the transformation taking place in the business of law is not unique; rather it is simply the legal profession catching up with most other industries:

"Partners who ditch overcomplicated Big Law practices for nimble, flexible shops that facilitate simpler client relationships are like other denizens of the little-guy economy."