|Since the only way to know if you are hiring the right lawyer is to base it on brand
I suspect there's an opportunity for disruption here. Google doesn't hire most of their engineers based on 'brand'. They hire based on ability.
If one were to create an efficient way to identify GOOD lawyers from middle tier firms and these solo outfits, this may wrest a good amount of business from top tier firms.
Google doesn't hire most of their engineers based on 'brand'. They hire based on ability.
Someone who works at Google could have better input, but my understanding is that they choose top brand name schools to recruit from. And they recruit from top startups that they acquire.
Also, the discussion about lawyers is not about hiring individuals, it is about hiring an individual within a firm. A firm which has resources to back that lawyer.
--But, you are right that being able to identify great lawyers at mid tier firms would lead you to a very interesting business. If you can figure it out, please recruit me and give me options. :)--
This will not happen, and it is a poor avenue for "disruption".
There are plenty of good lawyers from middle tier firms, solo outfits, and boutique (i.e., specialty) firms. These practitioners already service the vast majority of people needing legal assistance (including small-to-medium businesses).
Corporations choose BigLaw not because they're the best (boutiques and specialized mid-tier firms generally produce higher-quality results in any given area of law), but because BigLaw firms have the resources and capabilities to handle anything that a large corporation can throw at them. When you're dealing with dozens or hundreds of litigation cases across the country in a dozen or more areas of the law, you go with a BigLaw firm b/c that one firm can handle all of your legal matters, reducing complexity and cost.
I suspect there's an opportunity for disruption here. Google doesn't hire most of their engineers based on 'brand'. They hire based on ability.
If one were to create an efficient way to identify GOOD lawyers from middle tier firms and these solo outfits, this may wrest a good amount of business from top tier firms.