I'm finding that in a lot of the Suits half AUs, Harvey is Harvey and Mike is something else (pizza delivery boy, hooker, etc.). Why not something the other way around?
Mike put down the joint and said no when Trevor wanted to sell a test, so he never got kicked out of school. He put in a little more effort, made it into Harvard Law on a scholarship, and legitimately got hired by Pearson Hardman, where he is one of the best associates the firm has ever seen.
As an associate, Mike struck up a friendship with Rachel and helped her through the LSATs. She moved away for three years to go to Harvard Law - coming back to work the summers - and promptly got hired as an associate as soon as she graduated. She advanced quickly because of everything she already knew - both about the law and about the firm - and ended up with her own office and assistant sooner than anyone expected.
Donna is tired of working for partners who either aren't worthy of her services or sexually harass her just under the line of what could be actionable, so she says yes the moment Rachel asks her to come work for her.
Harvey, meanwhile, was never rescued from the mail room by Jessica and instead worked his way up through the ranks into the secretarial/research pool. He's briefly worked for most of the partners in the firm, but it never lasts. He's too sharp and they don't like that he's smarter than they are.
This is where they are when Mike gets a promotion that gets him an office and an associate. Louis doesn't like Mike, and likes Harvey even less, so he manipulates things so Mike gets Harvey as his assistant.
This backfires entirely on Louis. Mike can keep up with Harvey. He appreciates his sense of humor, and takes (some) of his advice on style and fitting into the corporate world. Harvey is delighted (on the inside) to finally work for someone who might be as smart as he is, and who he can mold into the image of what he thinks a lawyer should be.
Mike put down the joint and said no when Trevor wanted to sell a test, so he never got kicked out of school. He put in a little more effort, made it into Harvard Law on a scholarship, and legitimately got hired by Pearson Hardman, where he is one of the best associates the firm has ever seen.
As an associate, Mike struck up a friendship with Rachel and helped her through the LSATs. She moved away for three years to go to Harvard Law - coming back to work the summers - and promptly got hired as an associate as soon as she graduated. She advanced quickly because of everything she already knew - both about the law and about the firm - and ended up with her own office and assistant sooner than anyone expected.
Donna is tired of working for partners who either aren't worthy of her services or sexually harass her just under the line of what could be actionable, so she says yes the moment Rachel asks her to come work for her.
Harvey, meanwhile, was never rescued from the mail room by Jessica and instead worked his way up through the ranks into the secretarial/research pool. He's briefly worked for most of the partners in the firm, but it never lasts. He's too sharp and they don't like that he's smarter than they are.
This is where they are when Mike gets a promotion that gets him an office and an associate. Louis doesn't like Mike, and likes Harvey even less, so he manipulates things so Mike gets Harvey as his assistant.
This backfires entirely on Louis. Mike can keep up with Harvey. He appreciates his sense of humor, and takes (some) of his advice on style and fitting into the corporate world. Harvey is delighted (on the inside) to finally work for someone who might be as smart as he is, and who he can mold into the image of what he thinks a lawyer should be.
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