Who should be hiring 1st/ 2nd year associates?

GCs are institutionalizing policies that do not pay for work done by 1st and 2d year associates according to an article in the Inside Counsel. So should law firms then stop hiring them? How do young associates gain well rounded experience? Through legal support service providers maybe? We took this question to an associate at LegalEase Solutions and asked him what he thought. Below is a transcript;

Q: So what are you doing at LegalEase? Should you not be trying to get into a law firm to gain 'real' experience?

AA: Well, its been 2 years since I have worked with LegalEase and I have to say the kind of work I have been literally forced to do has varied from document review to complex research, across a variety of practice areas. It has been brutal, but brilliant in terms of experience

Q: So you feel you are better prepped AFTER working at a legal outsourcing firm as opposed to a traditional law firm?

AA: Yup (and the guys I work for are the best thing since sliced bread)

Q: How would this be different if you had worked at a law firm?

AA: Well I have worked with a law firm for a couple of years before my stint at LegalEase. I was doing a lot of low level corporate work (and kept looking outside my window gathering courage to jump). There was limited freedom given for me to exercise my judgement and creativity.

Q: This interview seems rigged.

AA: Possibly, considering LegalEase hired you to write this post.

Q: Moving on, so your final say on the topic is.....?

AA: Legal outsourcing can be a tremendous benefit to small law firms, small GC's and large law departments. I like the work life balance it affords me and I get to do a wide variety of work. I think it can only be good. (manically grinning)