CMS Law TikTok via Roll on Friday
Biglaw fights for every advantage in the war for talent. That’s why no matter what an enterprising first mover chooses to salary and bonuses converge into a singularity with the inevitability of Thanos. So firms find new frontiers to distinguish themselves: thrilling summer programs, tech stipends, killer offices (or in the alternative generous work from anywhere policies)… whatever it takes.
Firms would eventually seek out TikTok to reach young prospective lawyers. And the results are:
Or maybe not? There’s a slice of TikTok dedicated to awkward comedy. CMS may be leaning into that. Maybe?
Roll on Friday has the story along with the necessary insights into these offices that only our UK-based friends can provide, but the gist of it is that CMS UK posted video of some young lawyers bragging about the Edinburgh office.
You can see the castle! You can drink soda! The firm has spent $10 bucks — or quid I suppose — on jelly beans!
STOP DRILLING YOU’VE STRUCK OIL!
As RoF notes:
The junior lawyers comandeered to star in the TikTok clips appear to be minting a new #lawkward genre by acting in an intentionally (ROF hopes) stiff manner.
Whether CMS knew they were creating cringe comedy or not, another firm’s effort seems more intentional. Sensing an opportunity to either dunk on or just out do a rival, the social media team at Hogan Lovells created their own “of course we have” video for the Birmingham office.
Masterful. I thought the firm was playing it straight until the “hole in one.” They need to take lessons from Seward & Kissel. Then the firm raised the stakes with ping pong solitaire and I was sold.
Full disclosure, I’m a 12-year-old and when I first saw this on mute with the white type on white background I thought “is he saying they have condoms in the office?”
Alas no. Unless folks are way more creative with those ducks than I want to think about.
EXCLUSIVE Hogan Lovells and CMS pioneer ‘lawkward’ TikToks [Roll on Friday]
Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.