[selectron]

It is always easy to criticize a data-driven analysis by saying its assumptions could be wrong. In the real world, all analysis is based on assumptions, some of which you can always claim might not be correct. But you have to really present an argument as to why and by how much the assumption is likely to be wrong, you can't just state that the assumption might be wrong. The assumption that cases which don't settle are not at all indicative of how well a lawyer performs is a very bold claim, much bolder in my mind (admittedly I am not a lawyer) than the claim that there should be some correlation between lawyer performance and results in cases that did not settle. It is possible that lower ranking lawyers settle less often, I'd like to see the data on that.

Furthermore, on average the effects you are mentioning will wash-out, unless there is a systematic bias whereby lower ranking firms and higher ranking firms settle in different manners.

[CPLX]

There's a difference between saying ones assumptions are wrong and stating that the units of measure are completely meaningless.