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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]What they are actually saying is that you are a fine associate, hence the good reviews on the work you were doing, but not partner material, which is the next step. Now you are too expensive to use on the matters you are qualified to cover. Your good reviews will help you find a new position, but keep in mind they will know you were considered not partner material, so don't try to bluff that.[/quote]

NP- if her whole team is low billables do they all get the axe? Do they have to be rainmaking as senior associates?[/quote]

Not all of them, as consolidation will raise the hours of those left. And yes, in my experience, to become a partner you need to be developing business and showing rainmaking potential as a senior associate. I had 30 clients by the time I made partner as a 7th year associate. My business development hours were huge, and it took a ton of hustle. No one made partner without at least a small book. You can't survive without it under most firms' compensation models. Some firms used to have a layer of 'working partners,' but even many of those have done away with them.[/quote]

Have been practicing in biglaw for 20 years. This is not my observed experience at all, at least not in better ranked law firms.

It is very rare for 7th year associates to ever have business or be expected to have business. Law firms know that the best type of business is expanding business with an existing client. An associate with a few small scrappy clients is of very little value to the firm. They'd rather have stellar associates that have the right fit so that they can expand existing work. And sure, bringing in new good clients along the way helps too. But those types of clients aren't developed by 7th year associates; they are developed by junior and midlevel partners.  Most good firms do not expect 7th years to have business; they promote you to non-equity partner and then the expectation starts to bring in business in order to move up or out.  Some firms won't promote you without a book of business, but these are crappier firms that drag you along "senior associate-ship" until you're 13 years out of law school without promoting you to partner.  [/quote]

I wasn't using my self as the common example, and this was before you graduated law school, so, yes times have changed, but we still need to see development potential no matter how we design the cross over from associate to partner.[/quote]

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