WSJ Article entitled “Cut the Law Firms, Keep the Lawyers”

Companies used to depend on elite law firms to train new lawyers they could bring in-house years down the road.

Now, some are just doing it themselves, hiring directly from law-school campuses rather than recruiting lawyers who had previously spent a few years at a major firm. These companies are growing weary of paying high hourly rates for inexperienced law-firm associates.

Hewlett-Packard Co. was one of the first known companies to bypass law firms in recruiting new lawyers.

“I think it’s the wave of the future,” said Michael Holston, H-P’s general counsel.

The full text of the article appears in the link in the title.

Will this be the new trend for companies to hire entry-level attorneys? Thoughts? Comments?