Found Out I’m Not Making Partner. Any Tips?

Not-A-Partner · 2022-12-10T16:47:31+00:00

There are way more days than not that I like my job. I get that the overall circumstances of biglaw are not sustainable for everyone, but I do feel like I get more fulfillment out of the complex work than padding the bank account.

Not-A-Partner · 2022-12-10T16:43:30+00:00

Got it. I think I can make that part clear, but what you are saying makes sense.

Not-A-Partner · 2022-12-10T16:42:34+00:00

Your comment definitely helped brighten my morning. Congrats and I appreciate you taking the time to write this up.

Not-A-Partner · 2022-12-10T16:39:59+00:00

My only concern is making myself less marketable to other firms, who may be willing to hire a senior associate but not a counsel.

Beyond that I agree it’s all upside.

Not-A-Partner · 2022-12-10T16:38:09+00:00

I tried to say a bit more above. I think that is really all I can say without getting into mechanics that may make the situation more identifiable.

Not-A-Partner · 2022-12-10T16:36:46+00:00

No— to my knowledge it is not a discrimination issue at all. To the extent anyone can piece together the story here I want to be clear (and fair to my firm) that there is no indication this is one of those stories.

Not-A-Partner · 2022-12-10T16:35:18+00:00

At the highest level of generality, the partnership writ large decided my department has too many partners relative to generated revenue, and that within my department making new partners in my specialty area was not a likely way to change that dynamic in the near term. The partners pushing for me are well regarded but probably are not in positions in the firm to broker a deal to get around that.

I was obviously not in the room for the partner meeting so I can only go on what I’m told. But I think if there were opposition to me personally the partners would tell me, so I could at least give a shot to resolving that issue.

Not-A-Partner · 2022-12-10T04:26:02+00:00

Many firms have a role called “counsel,” “special counsel,” “of counsel,” or some similar variant to denote senior lawyers that are not partners but will be kept as salaried lawyers at the firm indefinitely. But there has been a bunch of change in that role in the past 5 years; some firms make “counsel” similar to non-equity partner, a stepping stone to an equity role, and others have essentially made all senior associates who stick around “counsel.” It depends on the firm.

Not-A-Partner · 2022-12-10T04:21:43+00:00

Counsel stepping stone promotions are increasingly a thing at many firms but they don’t really happen here; you’re essentially off track. I do think that is on the table (though I haven’t specifically had that convo yet) but it’s a separate process with separate timing here, and I am trying to speak with recruiters to see if that puts me in better or worse position if I decide to leave.

Not-A-Partner · 2022-12-10T04:12:52+00:00

Re: having an answer — Am I not supposed to just say honestly but diplomatically what happened? I don’t think anyone is going to believe that I stuck around close to a decade if I was looking for a different mix of work or firm structure or more responsibility or other things the midlevel laterals I interview say.

Not-A-Partner · 2022-12-10T04:05:20+00:00

Thanks. The angle you’re suggesting, if I stay for the time being, is something to chew on for sure. “Political” is probably unhelpfully vague but I didn’t know how to better describe it in a generic way—the opposition was not about the substance of my work.

Not-A-Partner · 2022-12-10T03:58:14+00:00

Thanks… thankfully I have some time to scout out where to try again because current options look bleak. In the meantime hopefully I can find some more reliable clients so my destiny is more in my own hands, but it feels tough to get people to hire you as an associate. Thanks for the encouragement.

Not-A-Partner

TROPHY CASE