Money shouldn’t be the primary motive for a career move, but it’s an important factor. In a down market, lawyers have little bargaining power; but in good times, law firms compete financially for the best and the brightest. Historically, elite New York law firms led the pack in associate salary increases, and other firms struggled…
The conversation around diversity and inclusion in the legal profession changed over the past several decades. When the principals of SeltzerFontaineLLC entered the legal search profession in the early 1980s, diversity was a topic we brought up to the hiring authorities at major law firms and corporate legal departments rather than the other way around.…
If your law firm is eligible but lacks certification as a woman-, minority-, veteran-, or other diversity-owned or small business, you may be missing out on valuable business opportunities. Most governmental entities now mandate that their vendors and their vendors’ suppliers are not only diverse, but also are certified as such. Hence, many private businesses…
Your value as a candidate must be readily apparent from a cursory glance at your resume. In practice, most resumes receive only 20 to 30 seconds of scrutiny before the reader makes an initial yes or no decision. Therefore, you must clearly and efficiently communicate your value to the audience which includes not only the…
Candidates often struggle with the dreaded question: “How much did you make in your last job?” There never seems to be a right answer. If you respond honestly, you might price yourself out of an opportunity you really want despite the lower salary or, on the opposite end of the scale, receive an offer less…
Towards the end of the calendar year most law firms announce the elevation of their new partnership classes. Although the demand for legal services picked up somewhat since the end of the recession, especially in transactional areas of practice, firms remain conservative in their partnership decisions. What does it really mean to become a partner? …
