In 1971, when Ben F. Johnson III joined Alston & Bird -- then Alston, Miller & Gaines -- he was the 37th lawyer and made $17,000. The firm now has about 700 attorneys, and first-years make $125,000. In his 10th year as managing partner, Johnson reflects on the pressure to conduct a law practice like a business, the need to build a community within a firm, and the lack of leaders in the industry, as demonstrated by the "pitiful nature of the public debate" during the recent U.S. Supreme Court confirmations.
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