In Law Firms, 'Caste System' Persists Among Attorneys and Business Professionals
Professional law firm staff report there's a two-tiered system within firms that minimizes their role and contributions. "I quickly learned about a caste system," one former staff member said, "an attorney and nonattorney world within a law firm."
August 19, 2019 at 05:30 AM
6 minute read
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When Carolyn Park first landed in a big firm in New York after pivoting from associate to business development, her boss told her to mention that she had a J.D. when she introduced herself to other partners.
"They said, make sure you point out that you were a practicing attorney, because they'll respect you more," said Park, a former Texas attorney who has worked on the staff side at large firms including Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison and Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer. She declined to name the firm where these events happened.
"I quickly learned about a caste system," she continued, "an attorney and nonattorney world within a law firm."
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