Here We Go Again: The New York Times Does Yet Another Long Form on Big Law Associates' Discontent Post-Trump Dealmaking

 The story of the dealmaking with the Trump administration by elite law firms such as Paul Weiss and Skadden has had a longer than usual run on the digital front page of legacy media, in professional anonymous networks and on social media. 

Now that the fourth negotiation is over - Milbank agreed to $100 million for pro-bono work - interest is waning. Or should be. The attention should be shifting to the grim disappointment M&A demand has been. That throws shade on the ability of many firms with transactional practices to keep everyone busy. 

But, there is The New York Times at it again. It has posted one of those very long-form articles on the crisis that has been analyzed broadly and opined about noisily. The angle is associate discontent about their law firms' decisions. And the question raised is: Will this hurt the recruitment efforts of the firms which negotiated rather than using legal tools, like Perkins Coie has, to fight the administration. 

Much of the Times stuff is old. Again we're hearing about Rachel Cohen and Thomas Sipps and how a group at Georgetown Law shunned Skadden's recruiting team and, in contrast, there's partner cohesion at the firm. In general, there's not much new either in the (so far) 1,216 comments. Same old. Including the hyperbole that Paul Weiss and Skadden are finished as law firms. Those bellying up to respond know the drill and so probably feel well-informed opining.

The story the Times should have dished about associates is their increasing employment insecurity with M&A down about 15%, along with very uncertain global economy with a heavy side dish of recession fears. Recruitment of junior associates may become irrelevant. The issue for a growing number of law firms could be how to position and package a RIF so as not to transmit a message of financial distress. 

As an intuitive coach/tarot-reader, I'm bearing witness to such pain throughout the majority of sectors. If it looks, talks, walks and smells like very hard times perhaps that's the reality. The majority of junior associates are expendable, as is the lion's share of us knowledge workers. 

Need help sorting out how to make a living? Complimentary consultation with intuitive coach Jane Genova (text 203-468-8579, email janegenova374@gmail.com).