When he came to work he was told he would be a law clerk and paid a lesser amount until he passed the bar. A friend of mine is an associate in a big downtown Chicago firm and has been since graduation '93. Her reviews are good and she has gotten several raises. This March she asked her boss if she could work only 6 days a week to have one full day with her family. Her boss pointed to a stack of resumes on his desk and informed her that if she didn't want the job, he could replace her in a snap.
People here tend to treat each other like human beings.
The second of the four MacCrate Fundamental Values of the Legal Profession is the Obligation to Strive to Improve the Profession by Assisting in the Training of New Lawyers and Ridding the Profession of Bias Based on Race, Religion, Ethnic Origin, Gender, Sexual Orientation, Age, or Disability. I would add to that that you cannot have it without an environment that supports the legal profession's core values, especially Professional Self-Development. The career planning professionals whose obligation is to help lawyers find positions consistent with their goals and values. There is also some evidence that there are lawyers in law firms who find this behavior unacceptable but fear recognition or retaliation if they respond in a public way. However, there is a substantial and justified fear of getting caught posting in a forum like this.