Law Practice Management and Technology
The Bottom Line Volume 34, No. 1, February 2013
Content
- Coach's Corner: Associates Should Take Charge of Their Business EducationBy Ed Poll
- Law Firm Morale — Much More than Smiley Faces
- Message from the ChairBy Perry L. Segal
- Message from the Guest EditorBy Neil Pedersen
- New California Employment Laws Effective on Passing in 2012 or on January 1, 2013 for all California Employers
- New Member Benefits from the Lpmt Section
- Preventing Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation in California Law Offices
- The True Cost of Hiring – and Terminating – a Lawyer
The True Cost of Hiring â and Terminating â a Lawyer
By Edward Poll
As ongoing economic hard times make law firms look hard at their revenue and cost structure, it is apparent that the most critical cost factor for client service is staffing levels. Before the Great Recession began, most firms believed that the simplest staffing arrangement, a direct hire of an associate when needed, was best. However, this is only a feasible option if the overall business health of the firm supports it. There will be expenses incurred beyond the salary and benefits of the new lawyer, from additional liability insurance costs to overhead for staff and equipment. There is also the practical issue of whether the firmâs office space can accommodate a new body.
âAll associates can determine their own personal balance sheet if they plug in the right numbers.â
The issues here relate directly to leverage â hiring and using associates as a cost-effective way to do billable work while boosting partner profitability. In the past, law firms with lagging profitability turned to associates to do more of the work, which instantly adjusts the staffing leverage. However, leverage is only effective when associates are effective and it is profitable for the firm to keep using them. While associates may not earn more than they cost the firm at the start of their careers, at some point that situation must change. The economics of hiring new law school graduates can no longer be taken for granted, given the time and expense of the process required to get them up to practice speed.