You’re a talented associate giving your all at your firm. You feel you deserve more – and you’re frustrated that progress isn’t coming quick enough from your firm. A lateral move feels like the solution. The challenge now is finding the right fit for all your needs.
Fit is a buzz word in the legal recruitment industry – because this complex market thrives on people bringing their unique personal strengths to their law firm. And finding a right fit is an art for any candidate. With hundreds of law firms you might apply to, it’s also a daunting job. Here are 6 steps to follow when researching the right firm for you.
Daily work will give you a flavor of the variables in this industry that resonate with you the best.
The most important aspects of lawyer life are: being enthralled by your work; liking the people you work with; knowing you can progress and make an impact at the firm; believing in the firm’s vision and values; and feeling you have some control over your life.
A crucial step is to reflect on all of these aspects of your career – which have shown you what you want more of? Which have shown you something that needs to improve?
This reflection process should create a kind of checklist for you when you look for the next opportunity.
Anyone looking to move within BigLaw probably has a couple hundred law firms to wade through. This is an overwhelming number. No one with 2,000 billable hours can be expected to find the right opportunity within that.
And this is where search firms can be your ally.
But before you speak to a recruiter, it really pays to know what you want, then use the recruiter as the researcher and catalyst for the opportunities that are right for you.
There are resources you can use to begin filtering the market. Guides like Vault, Chambers Associate, NALP and Am Law share information on all the dimensions below. Legal 500 and Chambers USA help you get a sense of practice strength.
The most sensible first step is to narrow your options within practice areas.
You need to find the right home for the expertise and interests you’re amassing as an associate.
Consider which elements of the actual work fascinates you the most – the subject matter, the types of cases, the industry sectors. This step could see you specializing as an expert on overseas projects investments or an IP lawyer focusing on software patents.
Across practice groups you’ll see different cultures emerge – the clients dictate how business is done, to an extent. So, in a global banking group, attorneys will behave in a way a global bank expects, while in a venture capital practice, the startups will set the tone.
When you research a practice group within a firm, look at how it sits among the other practices. Is it a flagship group or a supporting act? Sometimes practices like employment law or tax can fall into the second group, so look out for the department doing its own standalone work.
Unless you’re wedded to a specific location, exploring across the US – or further afield – can offer great opportunities.
Every market has its own characteristics. Houston, Silicon Valley, Seattle, or New York City all offer their own localized industries, client bases and working styles.
If there’s a specific industry or working culture that meets your needs best, it might be that looking beyond your current city is the way forward.
It’s also worth considering whether the office is a satellite location or a hub for the firm. This can dictate how much work is originated through the office location, or how much exposure you may get to the firm’s leadership.
From the New York finance heavyweights, to the global powerhouses, to the nationwide leaders to single-office boutiques – every type of firm has something unique to offer.
The dynamics of lawyer life can vary dramatically between these groups and have a fundamental impact on your work satisfaction and career journey.
Team composition and dynamics shift depending on the scale of the firm and how it staffs its client engagements: a lean team of two associates and a partner functions very differently than a large group.
How much responsibility you get can vary as well. Teams with a more narrow scope might give you the work partners can do in bigger outfits. The flip-side is that the work itself at a bigger firm may be inherently more prestigious, with more at stake and its own take on what great responsibility means.
Prestige can be a factor when you think about names on your resume, and where it might take you next in your career.
Further reading: Different Types of Law Firms
You’ve filtered a whole legal market down to maybe a dozen firms that fit your needs. Now you should get to know these firms more intimately to learn how you’ll fit in.
Talk to people: meeting the attorneys working at the firms you’re interested in is the most effective way to see if you click.
Interpret the firm’s marketing: the career pages on their websites, their Linkedin pages, their job ad-postings – everything sends a message about the kind of firm they are. They will have a type of attorney in mind when they create content – do they have you in mind?
Read the publications and profiles. Chambers Associate, Vault and Am Law tell you a lot about life at the firm. They research the market independently, focus on what matters to lawyers, and present a view that can’t be biased by marketing.
When you look at what the publications say about firm life, look at cultural signals – will this firm help you feel you belong? Look at what they say about the firm’s strategy and vision – does it inspire you? Read between the lines about the demands on your life: what environment gets the best out of your personality type?
Listen to your search firm recruiter. If you’ve started working with a good one they will understand your needs, know the market, and discuss opportunities in a way that speaks to your needs.
Further reading: How to Become a Law Firm Partner