Regardless of the state of the economy and relative demand for lawyers, top firms are very particular regarding whom they hire. They seek candidates with expertise in specific areas of practice and have high standards regarding academics, law firm training, and personal qualities. Relevant experience is the number one qualification. Candidates may argue that a…
The most important element of a fruitful job search (and, for that matter, of business development for career advancement) is effective and relentless networking. You need to look outside your circle of lawyer friends and acquaintances. Even if you are conducting a passive, or “stealth” job search, tell everyone you run across during the regular…
Many good attorney job opportunities aren’t advertised, so you need dig further. Obvious sources are online job boards and law firm and company websites. You also can pick up leads by reading legal and business trade papers, utilizing undergraduate and law school career services, and good old-fashioned networking. Mass mailings aren’t recommended. It’s much more…
When lawyers first adopted an hours-based billing model in the mid-twentieth century, most lawyers billed around 1,300 hours per year at modest rates. No one foresaw logging 2,000+ hours per year at fees of $500, $1,000, or more per hour, which has become the norm at most large and mid-sized law firms. There’s a limit,…
