This item appeared earlier this month on the Wall St. Journal Law Blog and we were just as shocked, I'm sure, as you will be. Summer associates at Pillsbury Winthrop took part in the firm's sixth annual Summer Associates Research Challenge. Three teams had to answer 40 legal questions the fastest and most accurately in 90 minutes or less - using only print resources! No Google, no Westlaw, no computers allowed.
The WSJ reporter covering the story, Peter Lattman, tried his best to get the law students to admit that Pillsbury was "stuck in the dark ages." But they refused to comply. Originator of the context, partner Bill Atkins, explained to Lattman that he was no Luddite. He came up with the idea after seeing some summer associates with computer printouts of some two-dozen cases. "I'd look at them and say, 'For the love of all that's holy, those cases are right down the hall in a book!'" Most shocking of all - the summer associates love the experience!
"Yeah, but Mr. Atkins, WHICH book? The title of this case wasn't in the library's catalog!"
Posted by: T Seale | July 13, 2007 at 10:56 AM