The aspiration to work in a big, buzzing law firm is a common goal for thousands of law students in the country. Among other things, law firms have a tremendously engaging work environment, and the remuneration is rewarding to say the least. However, working in a smaller law firm instead is not without its own benefits. In fact, some career professionals distinctively choose to work in smaller firms for a number of reasons.
It is also industry truth that not everyone gets an opportunity at a big law firm, and therefore working at a small firm should not be considered as settling for less. According to the American Bar Association’s 2016 Lawyer Demographics study, small legal firms with less than 20 lawyers employ the majority of attorneys in private practice. The majority work for even smaller businesses, with single practitioners accounting for over half of all lawyers in private practice. Another 20% work for firms with fewer than ten attorneys.
In this article, Team YLCC highlights the benefits of working in a small law firm. Read on!
HIGH-PACED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
Because a small law firm’s personnel is smaller, new attorneys and paralegals may be able to handle more substantial legal tasks with less supervision than their mega-firm colleagues. This may result in more mistakes, putting the law firm at risk unless controls are put in place, but it often results in a faster-paced learning environment. Therefore, this is an ideal workplace for those who are learning to get greater exposure by getting quickly acquainted with the technical aspects of the job.
BETTER PROSPECTS OF CLIENT CONTACT
Remember Harvey Specter from Suits? His expertise in communicating and dealing with clients was part of what made him such a good lawyer. This is true in real life too.
Associates in small legal firms may have more autonomy and opportunities for client engagement than associates in larger law firms, where client contact is typically reserved for more senior lawyers. In other words, if you are working at a huge law firm, you may get access to these opportunities only once you climb up the ladder.
AN EXPEDITED JOURNEY TO PARTNERSHIP
The greater numbers of personnel at a big law firm, especially at the entry-level positions, means that there are a greater number of contenders for becoming a partner in the firm.
Because there are fewer attorneys and levels of management in a small firm, the path to partnership may be shorter than in a large firm. This is especially beneficial if you desire a faster path to success. Legal professionals in small law firms confront less in-house rivalry than their big-firm counterparts since there are fewer employees contending for assignments, promotions, and a piece of the profits. Employees in small law firms can more easily demonstrate their worth to those in positions of power, making recognition and reward easier to come by.
DIVERSE WORK PROFILE
Lawyers in small law firms often work from a general perspective and engage in challenging, varied work across a broad spectrum of legal fields. This can be a marked contrast to the high degree of specialization seen in many large law firms. The only exception for this in small firms is the boutique law firm, which usually focuses its practice on a specific, niche area of law for example intellectual property law or cyber law.
ACCESS TO A FLEXIBLE WORK ENVIRONMENT
For someone who wishes to enjoy their life and wants to spend time with their family and friends, working at a small law firm is a much better alternative to a larger one. When you start working for a huge law firm, your personal life comes to an end since you will be treated more like a robot than a human being. In other words, there is little to no work-life balance. Your work schedule will be relatively flexible in a small law business, which will gradually increase your efficiency and learning capability.
YLCC would like to thank Riya Gupta for her valuable inputs in this article.
