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Why Should We Tolerate 'Jerks" in Our Law Firms?

By William C. Cobb and Terry W. Conner
April 27, 2012

Over the past three years of tough times, many law firms have put up with “jerks” in their partnership ranks in order to hold on to the portfolios of work controlled by those people. But there are ramifications to this decision, as seen by the departure of some great and traditionally strong law firms from the legal map.

In March 2012, the ABA Journal ran an article by Becky Beaupre Gillespie entitled “No Jerks,” available at www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/no_jerks_some_firms_argue_that_collegiality_pays/. The article featured interviews with several managing partners, including author Terry W. Conner, talking about the business of law. It was agreed that culture, core values, and vision are key, even though some partners still refer to these concepts as “mush.”

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