Sarah Randag posed the ‘question of the week’ on the ABA Journal website, asking ‘Do you think your law school’s name and reputation affected your career path? For better or worse?’ The backdrop was the latest ABA Journal issue exploring ‘the pedigree problem’ – how large law firms’ and recruiters’ focus on bagging graduates from ‘élite’ law schools can create career struggles for accomplished law students and lawyers who graduated from less-favoured institutions.
The featured reply came from user ‘Goldcoaster’, who said: ‘Time is money. If a new associate can’t make money as a licensed lawyer, then goodbye. They are provisional hires, contingent upon passing the bar exam. They only do work that is reviewed by licensed attorneys before it leaves the firm and under that licensed attorney’s name. Basically, it’s a three-month training period to get them up and running by the time they are sworn in. If they flunk the bar exam, then it’s on to their Plan B – not mine.’