In Big Law, brilliance alone won’t get you hired — business will. After my first year in recruiting, one truth stands above all the rest: law firms hire revenue, not potential. Here’s what that means for your career, your freedom, and your future.
When I pivoted from practice to recruiting, my purpose was simple: to help lawyers make
smarter career decisions — with the kind of insight I wish I’d had.
In less than a year of recruiting, one truth has been impossible to miss: In Big Law, business
beats brilliance — all day, every day.
It doesn’t matter how smart you are, how sharp your skills are, or how many cases you’ve
won. When firms hire partners, the first and last question is always the same:
"What's their book?"
Not “Are they exceptional?” Not “Tell me about their brilliance in the boardroom or the courtroom.”
The gatekeeping question is always about portable business — or, as Eddie Murphy put it in the ’80s, “What have you done for me lately?”
Below a certain threshold, even the most impressive lawyer won’t get the call. It sounds harsh, but it’s reality. Firms hire revenue, not potential. They hire business generators, not just excellent lawyers.
That’s the cold, stone truth — whether firms like to admit it or not — and you need to know it.
If you’re a rising lawyer or aspiring partner, this means one thing: you have to develop business.
Building relationships that follow you — not just your firm — is what gives you freedom and control.
Without it, you can still have a great career, but it will always belong to someone else. That’s the reality behind the term service partner. It’s not an insult, but it is a warning: when the market tightens, service partners are the first to feel the squeeze.
And when frustration hits, options are limited. No book often means no opportunity — no matter how strong your résumé.
If you already have a book, your leverage only matters if you’re at a firm that truly values it. Too many strong partners hit ceilings because of conflicts, rate pressure, or firm politics.
In my first year, I’ve worked with lawyers at every stage of this spectrum:
• Associates looking to move to a firm with a clearer path forward — one that actually invests in their growth.
• Partners with books seeking firms where they can expand and be appreciated.
• Partners without books trying to find leverage in a market that rarely rewards anything else.
• In-house lawyers hoping to return to private practice — bringing deep experience but no portable business.
Wherever you fall, my goal is the same: to help you build a career that’s yours, not one that owns you.
The law is an unforgiving, dollar-driven business. That’s the unspoken truth — one they don’t teach in law school or prepare you for in practice. You have to be self-aware and take control of your own destiny.
You can be a brilliant lawyer, a trusted teammate, and a tireless worker. But in today’s profession — especially in Big Law and commercial defense — a book of business matters more than a brain of brilliance.
That’s the game now. And once you understand it, you can start playing it on your own terms.
