Urban Lawyers: The New Social Structure of the Bar

Description

Over the past several decades, the number of lawyers in large cities has doubled, women have entered the bar at an unprecedented rate, and the scale of firms has greatly expanded. This immense growth has transformed the nature and social structure of the legal profession. In the most comprehensive analysis of the urban bar to date,Urban Lawyerspresents a compelling portrait of how these changes continue to shape the field of law today. Drawing on extensive interviews with Chicago lawyers, the authors demonstrate how developments in the profession have affected virtually every aspect of the work and careers of urban lawyers-their relationships with clients, job tenure and satisfaction, income, social and political values, networks of professional connections, and patterns of participation in the broader community. Yet despite the dramatic changes, much remains the same. Stratification of income and power based on gender, race, and religious background, for instance, still maintains inequality within the bar. The authors ofUrban Lawyersconclude that organizational priorities will likely determine the future direction of the legal profession. And with this landmark study as their guide, readers will be able to make their own informed predictions. Contents List of Tables and Figures Preface Part I The Professions of the Bar Chapter 1 Chicago Lawyers Revisited Prior Research The Data The Issues Chapter 2 The Changing Character of Lawyers’ Work with Ethan Michelson The 1975 "Two-Hemispheres" Finding: Methodological Issues 1995 Patterns of Co-practice Specialization by Field Client Differentiation by Field Allocation of Time in 1975 and 1995 Conclusion Chapter 3 Integration and Separation Integrative Mechanisms Bar Associations Law School Stratification Ethnoreligious Differences Race, Gender, and Family Background Practice Setting Structure and Opportunity Part II The Hierarchies of the Bar Chapter 4 Prestige Three Theories of Honor Prestige Determinants of Prestige Core Economic Values, or Professional Purity Participation in Prestigious Work Conclusion Chapter 5 Organizations The Economic Dominance of Large Law Firms Organization-Linked Advantage A Typology of Law Firms Democracy and Participation Professional Autonomy Determinants of Compensation Changing Management Policies Organizing Principles Hours Worked Task Structure Change and Continuity Chapter 6 Careers with Kathleen E. Hull Work History and Careers Career Stability The Golden Age and Its Fading Paths to Eminence in the Profession Lawyers Not Practicing Conclusion Chapter 7 Income and Income Inequality Structural Sources of Inequality Nonpracticing Lawyers Individual-Level Correlates of Income Equal Justice Part III Lawyers’ Lives Chapter 8 Divided Opinions with Monique R. Payne The Chicago Data Differences among Types of Lawyers Adaptation to Client Values? Social Values Conclusion Chapter 9 Community Roles with Paul S. Schnorr The Chicago Data Overall Participation Correlates of Overall Participation Who Participates Where? Correlates of Participation by Organization Type Leaders Conclusion Appendix: Period, Age, and Cohort Effects Chapter 10 Connections within the Bar The 1975 Networks The 1995 Networks The Structure of the Networks Ethnoreligious and Political Divisions Conclusion Appendix: Notables’ Biographies (as of 199495) Chapter 11 A Satisfying Profession? with Kathleen E. Hull and Ava A. Harter Research on Job Satisfaction The Chicago Findings Happy Hour at the Bar? Part IV Transformation Chapter 12 The Processes of Change Autonomy and Influence The Decline of Professional Dominance Demand Reasons for Growth Changes in Firm Structure and Management Lawyer-Client Relationships Organizational Boundaries Business Methods Conclusion Notes References