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Full-Text Articles in Law
New Sources Of Managerial Authority In Large Law Firms, Elizabeth Chambliss
New Sources Of Managerial Authority In Large Law Firms, Elizabeth Chambliss
Faculty Publications
The academic literature on large law firms emphasizes the limited authority of professional managers and the ability of rainmaking partners to sidestep formal management controls. Research suggests that bureaucratic management structures, such as dedicated, professional managers, tend to be weak or unstable in law firms, where compensation and status are tied to control over clients. Thus, while many commentators point to the potential competitive benefits of professional management - or, what typically is referred to as the "corporate" model - most analysts are skeptical that U.S. law firms will embrace such a model any time soon.
This Article stakes out …
The Professionalization Of Law Firm In-House Counsel, Elizabeth Chambliss
The Professionalization Of Law Firm In-House Counsel, Elizabeth Chambliss
Faculty Publications
This Article examines the structural evolution of the "firm counsel" position from a volunteer, part-time position filled by an existing partner to a specialized, often full-time position increasingly filled by career in-house counsel. Based on focus groups and interviews with firm counsel, as well as participant observation at meetings and conferences aimed at firm counsel, I examine how the professionalization of the firm counsel position affects: (1) the definition of the firm as the client; (2) the authority of firm counsel with partners; and (3) firm counsels' professional commitments and attitudes about ethical rules. I find that, from a regulatory …
The Nirvana Fallacy In Law Firm Regulation Debate, Elizabeth Chambliss
The Nirvana Fallacy In Law Firm Regulation Debate, Elizabeth Chambliss
Faculty Publications
Most commentators would agree that large law firms have outgrown collegial management and self-regulation. Yet lawyers generally have been slow to recognize the benefits of bureaucratic management, and traditionally have resisted and lamented the move toward more bureaucratic forms. Many lawyers view the infrastructure of bureaucratic management - that is, formal policies and procedures and specialized managerial personnel - as necessarily undermining professional ethics and individual accountability within firms.
This article questions the empirical basis for such concerns. I argue that the fear that centralized management controls will undermine individual accountability rests on an implicit comparison to a nostalgic, collegial …
Promoting Effective Ethical Infrastructure In Large Law Firms: A Call For Research And Reporting, Elizabeth Chambliss, David B. Wilkins
Promoting Effective Ethical Infrastructure In Large Law Firms: A Call For Research And Reporting, Elizabeth Chambliss, David B. Wilkins
Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.