Some firms will not be able to compete with the salary hikes of the top-tier firms. We will see which firms are really in the premier league and which ones just think that they are.

Corporate mergers create larger, more geographically diverse clients needing larger, more geographically diverse law firms.

As far as Squire Sanders is concerned, New York is the glaring weak point. A merger (with Bryan Cave) solves that problem. Bryan Cave can look to the European, and now Latin American, offices Squire Sanders has, and gain growth and geographic expansion on a global basis.

If you let it (pavement maintenance) go, you will lose a lot of ground. You need to spend more on pavement in the future.

If you really want to get in you will practice as much as possible in front of different people. This relaxes you and prepares you for auditions.

Of course, there's one more hurdle to jump. We still have to have an audience. Will they come? We don't know, but we're going to give it a good try.