Got an Axiom To Grind?

There is a lot of career angst among Biglaw associates. Especially these days. And legal recruiters often to try to tap into that ennui to convince associates to change firms or lifestyles (and use their services of course).
But we can’t recall a recruiter trying to start an associate revolution. That is pretty much what Axiom tried to do this week. The company launched an ad-campaign specifically targeted at: Shearman and Sterling, Davis Polk, Simpson Thacher, Cravath, Skadden, and Sullivan & Cromwell.
And they did it old-school. They put their company fliers on cars parked outside of the firms offices in both NYC and San Francisco.
The “manifesto,” as Axiom calls it, reads like something out of Jerry McGuire:

We are attorneys who are passionate about practicing law, not billing hours. Attorneys who see time with the family as important as time in the boardroom. Attorneys who solve the legal problems of Fortune 500 companies with the same passion that pushed us through law school to begin with. That’s our axiom. What’s yours?

They even hired the attorney pictured above to walk around New York and San Fran. in a wetsuit carrying a poster-board sign that looks like it was scrawled by Steve Buscemi from Billy Madison.
Did anybody actually see this happening this week?
It’s so close to bonus season, and in this economy we don’t know how many lawyers are willing to jump ship right at the moment. But if you do, remember to take the fish with you.
Full manifesto reprinted after the jump

We know the feeling. There’s nothing quite like it. The feeling of standing before the judge and presenting the perfect argument, or hearing the opening bell on the morning the startup you’ve been advising goes public, or even that moment late at night when the light bulb goes on and the solvable is solved. Yes, we know the feeling. And we love it. Problem is, we also love watching our kids blow out the candles on their birthday cake. And training for that first, second, or third marathon. Or learning to make the perfect soufflé. Our needs are simple. We want it all. We want to be David and slay Goliath in court, but we also want to be spouse, parent, and individual. We reject the belief that you can have a career, or you can have a life, but you can’t have both. We believe these two parts of us can not only coexist, but can inspire, edify, and strengthen each another. We are attorneys who are passionate about practicing law, not billing hours. Attorneys who see time with the family as important as time in the boardroom. Attorneys who solve the legal problems of Fortune 500 companies with the same passion that pushed us through law school to begin with. That’s our axiom. What’s yours?


Whatsyouraxiom.com

Sponsored