The
American
Lawyer
recently
revealed
its
2025
midlevel
survey,
which
showed
us
that midlevels
are
frustrated because
they
crave
training
and
mentorship
opportunities,
but
not
every
Biglaw
firm
has
been
able
to
fulfill
their
end
of
the
bargain.
On
top
of
that,
they
continue
to
be
absolutely
infuriated
by
their
firms’
technical
prowess
—
or
should
we
say,
the
lack
thereof.
As
part
of
Am
Law’s
annual
midlevel
survey,
associates
were
asked
to rank
their
firms
on
all
things
tech,
and
boy
oh
boy,
are
they
pissed.
How
mad
are
they?
As
noted
by
Am
Law,
“Even
as
law
firms
embrace
artificial
intelligence
and
double
down
on
technology
investments,
junior
lawyers
continue
to
complain
about
‘borderline
unusable’
laptops
and
software.”
Here’s
more:
More
than
half
of
the
66
Am
Law
200
firms
whose
associates
participated
in
The
American
Lawyer’s
2025
Midlevel
Associate
Tech
Survey,
roughly
56%,
had
at
least
one
associate
who
complained
about
the
firm’s
technology,
or
even
said
that
was
the
one
thing
they
would
tell
a
managing
partner
they
would
like
given
the
chance.In
particular,
there
was
enduring
frustration
about
laptops,
and
several
associates
also
highlighted
the
need
for
better
remote
access.
Some
argued
they
were
bloated
with
security
software
that
slowed
the
devices
down,
while
other
associates
said
they
“can
barely
handle
a
few
open
PDFs
without
crashing.”
Which
firms
are
making
midlevels
gripe
the
most
about
their
tech
setups?
Am
Law
rounded
up
complaints
from
midlevels
at
firms
that
will
make
you
want
to
close
your
head
inside
your
laptop.
Here
are
some
examples:
-
Cahill
Gordon
&
Reindel
(“The
outdated
technology
is
borderline
unusable
and
significantly
slows
down
my
workflow
and
severely
impedes
my
efficiency,”
said
one
associate.); -
Paul
Hastings
(where
an
associate
griped
that
“our
technology
fails
at
a
high
rate,”
and
that
it’s
“typical
to
require
multiple
restarts
a
day,
(and)
programs
fail
regularly.”); -
Dechert
(“Our
laptops
barely
work,”
an
associate
complained.
“The
firm
should
devote
more
resources
to
hardware
before
worrying
about
AI
and
technology.”);
and -
Morrison
&
Foerster
(“It’s
a
bad
look
when
a
firm
that
makes
a
million
dollars
per
attorney
is
giving
its
employees
the
cheapest
mouse
and
keyboard
that
is
offered,”
an
associate
said.).
Enough
about
the
firms
with
tech
that’s
making
midlevel
associates
angry
—
let’s
get
to
the
rankings.
Which
firms
landed
on
top
when
it
comes
to
their
technology?
Here
are
the
top
10,
courtesy
of
Am
Law:
-
O’Melveny
&
Myers -
Morgan
Lewis
&
Bockius -
Blank
Rome -
Gibson
Dunn
&
Crutcher -
Lowenstein
Sandler -
McDermott
Will
&
Emery -
Akin
Gump
Strauss
Hauer -
Baker
&
Hostetler -
Kirkland
&
Ellis -
Winston
&
Strawn
Click here to
see
the
full
list.
Congratulations
to
all
the
firms
that
earned
good
grades
on
this
list!
Hopefully
Biglaw
firms
that
received
low
ratings
will
figure
out
a
way
provide
the
tech
upgrades
their
midlevel
associates
need.
Amid
AI
Ramp-Up,
Midlevels
Still
Want
Better
Laptops—And
to
Keep
Their
Jobs
[American
Lawyer]
Staci
Zaretsky is
the
managing
editor
of
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
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