Partners Reveal Most Important Cultural Norms in Big Law

We asked Big Law partners to tell us the most unspoken norms at their firms – the rules everyone knows – but nobody writes down.

These are people handling billion-dollar deals, bet-the-company litigation, existential regulatory threats, and some of the most complicated business problems on earth. So naturally, one of the recurring rules is: Don’t be a dick.

And it wasn’t an isolated response. We heard “Don’t be an asshole,” “Don’t be a jerk,” “Civility,” “Courtesy,” “Respect,” and “Be polite at all times.” So: one of Big Law’s great cultural achievements is persuading extremely successful adults not to be unbearable.

But the unwritten handbook gets better. No jeans. Somewhere, presumably, a partner can be trusted with a client’s $6 billion transaction – but not with casual Friday.

Then there is the expectation to say hi or make small talk in common areas. Big Law has reached the point where acknowledging another human being in the hallway qualifies as a cultural norm.

And then we get closer to the machinery: Keep your head down. Don’t rock the boat. Hierarchy. Don’t ask, don’t tell. And, inevitably, bill bill bill and must bill far in excess of minimums. Now we’re cooking.

Put all the answers together and Big Law’s unofficial partner handbook starts to emerge. Work insanely hard. Bill a lot. Make money. Be the best. Play nicely with the other partners. Share credit. Respect the hierarchy. Don’t create unnecessary trouble. Wear appropriate pants. Acknowledge other humans when passing them. And above all, don’t be a dick.

Forget the marble lobby, the beautifully designed values page, and the partner retreat where everyone discusses purpose. This may be the most concise description of Big Law culture ever produced.

Perhaps the funniest part is how little explanation any partner needed. Nobody wrote, “Don’t be a dick – by which I mean…” They just wrote don’t be a dick. Everyone knew exactly what they meant.

Welcome to partnership.