I began my career in Big Law. Like so many of my cohorts, I worked at a large firm on large litigations for large companies. I remain truly grateful for the opportunities I was afforded. I have profound and enduring respect for my former colleagues. I genuinely believe that we delivered value to our clients. Still, as my former and current colleagues will attest, I am an odd duck. And I was never able to reconcile myself to some of my former firm’s standard operating procedures.
I believe that we regularly charged clients for unnecessary busywork. Admittedly, some assignments were both essential and inherently labor intensive. But the billed time required was frequently compounded by avoidable inefficiencies, usually technology related. Talented and skilled, my colleagues also worked ridiculously hard; but, too often, it seemed to me, for no good reason.
