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This week, my cutting edge, ad hoc survey of the blogosphere has uncovered the following gems.
A Jury of Their Subordinates. Law.com recently ran a piece on "upward reviews"--namely, associate reviews of partners. It's an interesting practice, and one that not enough law firms implement.
I have worked at firms that implemented upward reviews and firms that did not. At my first firm (Katten Muchin & Zavis--now KMZ Rosenman), the corporate department (of which I was a member) did upward reviews. There was a critical mass of associates to ensure that the reviews were anonymous. The reviews were candid and honest--sometimes brutally so. And therefore they were useful. But at my last firm (Baker & McKenzie), I never went through an upward review. The problem was not so much recalcitrant partners as it was that I worked in small departments. When you have three associates, there's no critical mass, and no anonymity. And that's too bad. Even when you have an excellent working relationship with someone, there are things you are reluctant to say in person, or that would be counter-productive if you did. Anonymous reviews can help remedy that.
More on Law School Curricular Reform. At the Law School Innovation blog, Gene Koo has a good post on skills education in law schools and why it is so important to emphasize this. Koo points out that firms and judges are increasingly trying to hire people with experience, instead of new grads. This is, of course, a way to avoid training costs.
I have worked at firms that implemented upward reviews and firms that did not. At my first firm (Katten Muchin & Zavis--now KMZ Rosenman), the corporate department (of which I was a member) did upward reviews. There was a critical mass of associates to ensure that the reviews were anonymous. The reviews were candid and honest--sometimes brutally so. And therefore they were useful. But at my last firm (Baker & McKenzie), I never went through an upward review. The problem was not so much recalcitrant partners as it was that I worked in small departments. When you have three associates, there's no critical mass, and no anonymity. And that's too bad. Even when you have an excellent working relationship with someone, there are things you are reluctant to say in person, or that would be counter-productive if you did. Anonymous reviews can help remedy that.
More on Law School Curricular Reform. At the Law School Innovation blog, Gene Koo has a good post on skills education in law schools and why it is so important to emphasize this. Koo points out that firms and judges are increasingly trying to hire people with experience, instead of new grads. This is, of course, a way to avoid training costs.
It reminds me of when I was in high school and trying to get a job in fast food joints: each one wanted to know what experience I had in the fast food industry. And that meant I ended up getting my experience in a totally crappy pizza dive that used fake cheese. No joke. Fortunately, I worked my way up the chain (pun intended) to Pizza Hut.
Computers in the Classroom, Part XXVII. A post on CALIopolis suggests the "real" reason why law profs dislike computers in the classroom. The graphic says it all--absolutely classic and priceless, so definitely check it out. But I have to say from experience that what bugs me is not a student's laptop--it's the broad smile on a student's face while I am lecturing on something serious. Is there a disconnect there? Rhetorical question, of course.
Computers in the Classroom, Part XXVII. A post on CALIopolis suggests the "real" reason why law profs dislike computers in the classroom. The graphic says it all--absolutely classic and priceless, so definitely check it out. But I have to say from experience that what bugs me is not a student's laptop--it's the broad smile on a student's face while I am lecturing on something serious. Is there a disconnect there? Rhetorical question, of course.
Gluttons for Punishment. WSJ.com has a post about a forthcoming documentary on people taking the bar exam. I know the California bar exam is hard, but apparently one guy is taking it for the 42nd time. Ouch.
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