Tuesday, May 11, 2004
Firm Fit
A week or two ago, I had a conversation with a law school friend about my summer plans. Starting next week, I'll be working for a nice law firm in Washington, DC. When I told my friend the name of my firm, he replied something to the effect of, "Oh, that's great. I applied there, but didn't think they fit me very well. They'll be a good fit for you, though." How so, I asked. He said essentially that it was a very conservative firm, and they assumed that because he was applying there, he was very conservative too.
Perhaps I'm naive, but I had never stopped to ponder the political orientation of any of the firms I applied to this past fall, and I certainly didn't take into account the conservatism of the firm I'll be working for when making my decision. I guess I didn't even think that a law firm could or should be labeled as "conservative" or "liberal." I thought this firm was a good fit for me, not because I agree politically with the people there, but mainly because I believed their You-Can-Work-Here-And-Still-Have-A-Life claims more than other firms. For example, when I came to the office for my callback interview, the partner who had interviewed me in Cambridge asked to see me very quickly, because she had to run out and catch her kindergartener's school performance. I don't know if a supportive environment for families is the same thing as a conservative political outlook, but THAT is the reason I like this firm. I guess it will be interesting this summer to learn how political orientation can affect life in a law firm. I've already said publicly that it affects life in law school, so why should it be any different after graduation?
Perhaps I'm naive, but I had never stopped to ponder the political orientation of any of the firms I applied to this past fall, and I certainly didn't take into account the conservatism of the firm I'll be working for when making my decision. I guess I didn't even think that a law firm could or should be labeled as "conservative" or "liberal." I thought this firm was a good fit for me, not because I agree politically with the people there, but mainly because I believed their You-Can-Work-Here-And-Still-Have-A-Life claims more than other firms. For example, when I came to the office for my callback interview, the partner who had interviewed me in Cambridge asked to see me very quickly, because she had to run out and catch her kindergartener's school performance. I don't know if a supportive environment for families is the same thing as a conservative political outlook, but THAT is the reason I like this firm. I guess it will be interesting this summer to learn how political orientation can affect life in a law firm. I've already said publicly that it affects life in law school, so why should it be any different after graduation?
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