The irony here is that law firms place so much clout on credentials like college and law school ranking, law review and class rank, vying to hire the best and the brightest of the top-tier law grads, only to have them report to a boss who went to the state university. And what's more, apparently the better credentials don't even help lawyers serve their "pedestrian" clients any better; 70 percent of corporate clients are disatisfied with their attorneys.

To me the key thing is getting it right. And if a person's really smart and they're doing fantastic work, I don't care if they're a high school kid or a Harvard professor.

Give me a stock clerk with a goal and I'll give you a man who will make history. Give me a man with no goals and I'll give you a stock clerk.