Spoke to a reporter the other day re: associate bonuses. He chose (so far anyway) not to use my potentially incendiary comments. So here they are: the rush to increase Biglaw associate salaries and/or match associate bonuses is stupid. It reflects poor management acumen. Why? 1/6

There's no shortage of talent. There are plenty of capable associates. The war for talent is a misnomer. It's really just a self-induced competition for a small subset of top students from highly ranked schools. If they really are the "best," more would become partners. 2/6

But relatively few of these recruits make partner. Firms that do a cultural survey to determine the actual criteria for advancement often discover high grades in a highly ranked school to be a relatively low correlation. But this doesn't even address the real challenge. 3/6

The best students who're heavily recruited & become clones of current partners are routinely recognized as not having the appropriate EQ, client focus, and business acumen to optimally serve clients. Sure, clients love smart lawyers. But not in lieu of having their needs met. 4/6

Law firm leaders are missing an opportunity to solve for what's best for the clients & what's best for the firm long term, and instead they solve for building a future based on mirroring the past. Clients' views -- especially cost concerns -- are deemed irrelevant. 5/6

It's perfectly acceptable to pay top wages for the right talent. But restricting "right talent" to good students from notable schools, who in turn admitted students based on adolescent academic success, overlooks so many relevant contributing factors that clients value more. 6/6