The Case for a Career on the Plaintiffs’ Side

Sep 18, 2025

William T. Reid IV, Senior Founding Partner at Reid Collins & Tsai LLP and author of Fighting Bullies, advocates for a career in plaintiff's law. He discusses how law schools funnel students into BigLaw too early, limiting their options and passion. Bill argues that plaintiffs' work brings personal satisfaction and fulfillment by holding wrongdoers accountable. He emphasizes the importance of choosing a career that aligns with values and warns against succumbing to early OCI pressures. Additionally, they explore how AI might reshape law firm dynamics.

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INSIGHT

Choose Your Career, Don't Let OCI Decide

William T. Reid IV argues law students are pushed into BigLaw before understanding options like plaintiffs' practice.
He frames his book as a roadmap to choose a career path deliberately rather than letting OCI dictate it.

ADVICE

Delay OCI Decisions And Explore Summers

Avoid committing to a career path during first-year OCI and seek broader exposure before choosing.
Delay big decisions, explore subject matter interests, and use summer experiences deliberately.

ANECDOTE

Student Revival Sparked The Book

Reid met a Stanford student who revived a Plaintiffs' Law Association and inspired him to write the book.
That student outreach revealed a national student movement filling law school blind spots about plaintiffs' work.

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John is joined by William T. Reid IV, Senior Founding Partner of Reid Collins & Tsai LLP, and author of Fighting Bullies: The Case for a Career in Plaintiff’s Law. They discuss Bill’s view that young lawyers are too often funneled into BigLaw careers before they understand the full range of options available in the legal profession—particularly plaintiffs’ work.

The impetus for Bill’s book came from his experience teaching at the University of Texas School of Law and advising students who often expressed frustration at the lack of career guidance and exposure to alternative paths. The law school hiring process, particularly the On-Campus Interview (OCI) process, now often takes place in January of the students’ first year—rather than the fall of the students’ second year. This, Bill believes, is too soon for the students to have meaningful legal experience or career insights. The result is a “conveyor belt” that locks students into BigLaw roles primarily for the salary, often at the expense of passion, fulfillment, and long-term satisfaction.

Bill’s book makes the case for the personal and professional rewards of plaintiffs’ practice. He emphasizes that his firm, Reid Collins, generally only brings cases after extensive pre-suit investigation. This selectivity allows him to accept cases he believes in which brings deep meaning and satisfaction to his work. He argues that plaintiffs’ lawyers, especially those focused on commercial and institutional wrongdoing, play a vital societal role by holding wrongdoers accountable, especially when government agencies fail to act. While not every case—or plaintiff’s lawyer—meets a high moral bar, the ability to choose meaningful work and act on principle often leads to a highly satisfying career in law.

Finally, John and Bill also discuss the evolution of the legal profession, including how artificial intelligence may reshape law firm structures by increasing efficiency and altering the traditional BigLaw pyramid. These changes may lead to firms pursuing alternative billing structures to traditional hourly billing.

Podcast Link: Law-disrupted.fm
Host: John B. Quinn
Producer: Alexis Hyde
Music and Editing by: Alexander Rossi