Legal News

Associates Gone Wild! On Web Sites, Firms Lift Veil on Young Lawyers

By Ashby Jones

Law-firm Web sites haven’t always been the toast of the Internet. But props are due where props are due, and thanks to the Legal Times blog (here and here), we’ve discovered a couple that, for better, worse or otherwise, have given their own a more personal touch.

For starters, check out the new WilmerHale site. The associates are blogging! That’s right, a handful of associates have agreed to write short dispatches for the site from time to time. Heather Hayes, Wilmer’s legal personnel and recruiting communications manager, told the Legal Times that recruits “want to have a good sense of what might their life be like were they to join us,” adding that the new blogs will hopefully help “personalize” Wilmer.

Before you take out your knives, Law Blog readers, take a look at some of the dispatches. They ain’t half bad. In fact, we’re going to surprise ourselves here and say that some are pretty darn good. D.C. associate Kevin Chambers, who comes across as an entirely likable sort, gives a pretty frank assessment of why lawyers don’t do much working from home. And we like Boston litigation associate Anne McLaughlin’s post on flying to New York for a witness preparation. To be sure, they’re not exactly brutally candid takes on life as law-firm associates, but they give distinct voices to law-firm associates, a group that too often gets all lumped together as one big miserable and overpaid lot.

Arnold & Porter’s approach is different, but no less surprising. The associates are speaking! That’s right, a whole slew of associates, with the click of a mouse, pop up and start talking, video style. Again, we find it effective, not necessarily because the group’s saying anything earth-shattering, but because, well, they’re saying anything at all.

We’d love to hear your thoughts, LB readers, but let’s please try to refrain from any personal attacks. Thanks!

Full post as published by Law Blog - WSJ.com on September 04, 2008 (boomark / email).