Raj Ashar (J.D. 2025, Harvard), BigLaw's Campus Reach, 12 Lincoln Mem’l U. L. Rev. ___ (2024):

At many top-ranked law schools, BigLaw firms are the top destination for graduating students. But their presence in the lives of law students starts well before graduation. This paper documents the symbiotic relationship between law firms and top law schools, identifying ways in which BigLaw firms embed themselves in these institutions. It then attempts to explain the reason for this strong connection and identifies some potential risks of allowing firms regular access to law students. Finally, it lays out proposals for reform including the regulation of firm sponsorships and changing the recruiting process.

Conclusion
Like investment banking and consulting, BigLaw rose out of a need to service the needs of the fast-growing corporations in the U.S. in an increasingly complex legal landscape. As in these two fields, this growth required the recruitment of young talent from some of the nation’s top schools. To pursue this talent, law firms place themselves within the students’ lives at these top law schools from the moment they step foot on campus in the form of club funding, networking events, and general philanthropy. While this increases the opportunities available to students, it presents risks of dependence by the law schools and outsized career influence by the large firms. Three potential ways to mitigate this influence while also retaining the benefits that the firm provide are pushing back the recruiting timeline, a legal careers orientation, and disclosure regulation.

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