Join Jefferson Byrd as he interviews attorney Peter Smith about his views on the idea of fitting into law firm culture. Smith explains that he feels the idea of a homogenous “law firm culture” is basically a myth, since firms drastically vary with regard to culture due to factors such as mergers, geography, and practice areas. He also dispels common beliefs about how attorneys should “fit in” at firms, stating that being a good “fit” is a matter of being professional and how willing you are to work with different types of people.
Smith states that in order to understand an individual firm’s culture, one must find out where the firm’s center of power is geographically because that will play the greatest role in determining the corporate culture at that firm. Also, he says attorneys should try to break down what’s going on structurally and politically in their firms, rather than paying attention to labels, because what is considered conservative in New York differs from what is considered conservative in California.
Smith also offers advice on how to find the right firm to work in, emphasizing that attorneys should make sure they understand their own personalities and career goals and then find the firms that best match them.
Duration : 39:15
