 |
Job Seekers
|
|
|
|
Employers
|
|
|
|
Recruiters
|
|
|
|
Job Seekers
|
|
|
As a job seeker, why should I sign up for a job board where I have to pay when there are so many free ones out there?
It may seem like an unnecessary expenditure considering you can see job postings all over the internet for nothing, but there are many reasons why both we require users to pay and why it is beneficial for the user to enter into a paid service.
- It's more exclusive. Joining a free site such as monster.com, hotjobs.com, or any of the other dozens of job websites means that you are competing with every person who needs a job and has access to a computer. It is very possible to get lost in the shuffle. By limiting the applicant pool to a smaller number of people - people who are serious enough about a job search to pay a small fee for it, LawCrossing is allowing its members to have a better shot at the positions posted.
- More jobs. By making users pay, we are making it possible for employers to not pay. Every other site requires employers to pay large (sometimes prohibitive) fees to post a job. By making the service free for employers, we are allowing those employers to post without consequence. Any job they post will cost them absolutely nothing, so there is more incentive for them to post.
- We work harder than any other job board to ensure that we have every job in the legal industry. Other sites make employers contact them. In many cases, we contact employers so that we can be sure to have their jobs on our site. This extra effort we take on your behalf is something that you can't get anywhere else.
|
|
|
|
Should I copy and paste my resume or should I upload it?
We strongly recommend uploading your resume. This is the only way to guarantee that it will look exactly as you intended it to be formatted. Additionally, once you have copied and pasted your resume, their will be no way to edit the resume on the site.
|
|
|
|
How do you get more jobs than any other legal job board?
Well, we are diligent. We are not satisfied with sitting back and waiting for employers to post their jobs. We go out and look for jobs. We contact law firms and ask for their openings. We do this all to ensure that LawCrossing is delivering the best possible product to its clients.
|
|
|
|
What if I forgot my user name/password?
Just click here, fill in your email address and we will send you an email with the user name and password assigned to that address.
|
|
|
|
What if I am unsure about the process?
If you are unsure about the process, don't hesitate to look around the site and see what we have to offer. You can see the number of jobs, the type of jobs, where they are located - everything but the employer. We do this to give you confidence in knowing that when you are signing up for our database, you are signing up for access to more job opportunities than any other site can offer.
|
|
|
|
If I enter more than one resume, which one of them will I be able to apply to jobs with?
You will able to use all of your resumes to apply to jobs, so keeping separate resumes for applying to different types of jobs (e.g. in house, government, firm) is a good idea in that you can tailor different resumes to different job searches and choose which one best fits the job in question when you apply.
|
|
|
|
How do I edit my resumes/cover letters?
There is no way to edit the resume that you have uploaded the documents onto the site. The easiest way to make changes is to keep a local copy of your resume and make changes to them, and upload them again. You can have as many resumes and cover letters on the site as you want, or you can delete old copies that you are not likely to use again.
Once you choose to apply to a certain position (for online applications), there will be a chance to edit the cover letter. The cover letter that you uploaded or typed on our site will appear in the body of the email that the employer will receive. You can change this to suit the job you are applying for more specifically before the email goes out. Also, when you are applying online, be sure to create a subject line that will bring attention to your resume submission.
|
|
|
|
What is the job alerter/How do I create a job alert?
If you would like to be emailed about jobs that might be relevant to your search, then you can click on job alerter, and every time we post a new job, you will be notified and sent a description of the job to view. You can make the alerter send you jobs in a category that is very narrow, or very broad. The positions will be sent to you in real time, as we update the board all day, so if a position becomes available on Saturday at midnight, you can expect an email a few seconds later.
|
|
|
|
Are all of these jobs current?
Yes, though there are an unheard of amount of jobs available on the site, we are constantly referencing the original source of the job opportunity to make sure it is still open. This way, there is no need to worry about whether you are applying to a job that has already been staffed, because we remove filled positions very quickly. To check to see how recently the job has been verified, there is a field in each job posted called "Date Last Verified."
|
|
|
|
How can I see what jobs I have applied to already?
In the "My Outbox" section, there are two different areas where the jobs you have applied to will appear. If you click on the "Online Job Applications" link, you will see all of the jobs that you have applied to through the "Apply Online" feature of the site. If you click on the "My Mail Merge" section, you can see all of the jobs that you have applied to by mail. It might be a good idea to take a good glance over it before you start applying to jobs. While we have made it impossible to apply for the same position more than once, it might be a good idea to make sure you are not applying to the same branch office of a firm more than once as well. In general, your resume will run across the desk of the same people, and the more they see of the same applicant, the less likely they are to ever consider that person.
|
|
|
|
Why don't all of the job listings contain salary information?
Many employers would like to wait until they have met you to discuss salary structures. However, there are many firms that have that sort of information posted, and we have included some of that HERE for the largest firms. WhackedAttorney's WhackedFirm section is also a great place to find out about what is going on at a law firm.
|
|
|
|
How do I apply to jobs?
You have two options:
- Once you have found a job that you are interested in, simply click "Apply to This Job" and you will be directed to choose one of your resumes, plus a cover letter, personal statement, and anything else you might want to include in your package. Once you have selected everything you will send, then you can click on "Apply" once more and everything will be sent to the firm's contact person by us.
- You can apply to a job through regular mail (or via fax) as well. While much of the world has embraced internet job boards and email application, a mailed resume and cover letter still feels more personal and can convey that you are doing more than pressing buttons on a website to try and get this job. You can either fill out an envelope and a letter with the contact name we provide, or choose to add jobs to a mail merge file, which will come out as a ".txt" file that you can use to make several cover letters and envelopes at one time.
Sometimes, the choice between the two application methods is made for you. Be sure to check the "Additional Information" for specific requests from the employer. Someone who specifically says "mail only" will not appreciate a fax or an email.
|
|
|
|
What do I do with my mail merge file?
We provide you with a mail merge file that comes as a ".txt" file. In order for the mail merge to be useful, there are several steps you will have to follow:
First, download the mail merge file and save it in a place where you will remember it. All of the lines in the first row should match up with corresponding contact information in the rows beneath it. For instance, "fname" would be the field name of the contact person's first name, if it is available. Everywhere on your cover letter where you want the first name of the contact person to appear, (in Microsoft Word) you would go to "Insert Field". Under "Categories" select "Mail Merge" and under "Field Names" select "MergeField." In the textbox marked "Field Name" that appears after you have made these selections, you would type in the name of the field in the mail merge file that should appear at that point in your document (in this case "fname." Do this for all of the fields you would like to show up in your cover letter or on your envelopes.
When you have added all the fields you would like to add. Then click on the "Open Data Source" icon and find the mail merge file (wherever you saved it). Once you have opened that, then go to the "Merge to New Document" icon and that should provide you with a mail merge document with all of the contact information for all of the jobs you chose to apply to.
|
|
|
|
How do I edit or delete my job alerter?
If you would like to not receive emails about jobs anymore, then simply go to your homepage. All job alerts will be displayed on this page. If you would like to delete a job alert, then check off the one you wish to delete and press the delete link. If you would like to change the types of positions being sent to you, then click "edit " and you will immediately start receiving jobs from the new search you requested.
|
|
|
|
How can I differentiate between jobs posted by recruiters and jobs posted by corporations and firms?
Jobs that recruiters are posting are clearly marked as "recruiter jobs" with a special icon (a small red "R") on the search results pages and a special box on the job's details page. In your search, you can choose to not include jobs posted by recruiters if you would like to go through direct employers only. We are very strict about keeping recruiters from posting jobs under the pretense of being an employer, so rest assured that if you apply to a position that says a firm or corporation is hiring, then your information will be sent directly to the hiring contact at that organization.
|
|
|
|
Can recruiters and employers search my resume?
No. Very few employers would take the time to go through a database and search for candidates, and those that choose to often are not for the types of jobs we are marketing. Law firms and corporations would prefer that quality candidates come to them.
|
|
|
|
How can I bookmark a job to apply to later/What is My Hotlist?
If you are considering apply to a job but do not want to do it at the time you see it, click "Add this job to my hotlist." This will save the job so that you can apply to it later, in a bulk application if you wish. The Hotlist is easily accessible from any page once you are signed in.
|
|
|
|
What do I do if I face problems with Advanced Search?
Facing problems with Advanced Search? Don't worry this is easily remedied. Simply follow the instructions below:
a. If you're experiencing technical problems, the likelihood is that your browser's settings aren't compatible. In order to use the Advanced Search function on LawCrossing you need to check that your 'Java Script' is enabled. To do so follow the steps below:
- Go to the 'Tools' Menu
- Click on 'Internet Options'
- Select the 'Security' tab.
- Click the 'Custom Level' button
- Scroll down to 'Scripting' option.
- Ensure the check box labeled Active Scripting is set to 'Enable'
- Click 'OK' to return to the 'Security' tab
- Again, click 'OK' to close the window.
- You may need to restart your browser for these setting to take effect.
b. In order to do a simple search, select your criteria's and click on the button that says 'Search Now'
c. If you wish to save your search, go to the option 'Save this search as', name your search, and click the 'Search now & Save Search' button.
|
|
|
|
If a job has been on your site for 90 days and you verified that it is still needs to be filled, is there a reason for this?
Occasionally, employers will have job opportunities that are vacant for more than 90 days. We stay in constant communication with these organizations to ensure that the positions listed are, in fact, still available and the organization is still hiring. While it is impossible to generalize about these situations, there are cases when a hiring organization has ongoing hiring for a particular position or has simply not yet found the right candidate.
|
|
|
|
I saw a job I was interested in back in early December and it has a "X" in the box which means you can't apply there. If you have it still listed, is it available. Where do we apply for it?
The black cross symbol indicates that you cannot apply online for the job of your choice because the employer does not wish to receive online applications for this job opening. Please see the contact details for this employer to submit an your resume.
|
|
|
|
How can I tailor my job search to find non-legal jobs?
If you are an attorney or a law school graduate, looking for a non-legal position can be a complex and occasionally confusing process. Once you decide to abandon the practice of law, you may find that you have almost too many other options. Narrowing the scope of your search becomes necessary to ensure that your job search is successful.
You need to carefully research every job option. Consider whether a particular avenue or possibility suits your needs and talents. Will it further your professional development and career goals?
Consider each career option's opportunity for promotion, compensation, education requirements, your own contacts in the field, the job location, and the variety and schedule in that work environment before you commit to leaving the practice of law.
Eventually, your list of job options should be limited to three possible careers so you can better focus your search. If possible, try to search in related areas.
|
|
|
|
What kinds of non-legal jobs are available to J.D.s?
Attorneys and law school graduates can choose to pursue positions in many fields. A career snapshot of the legal profession is one of a huge group of educated and intelligent women and men who serve the larger community in many different capacities, many of which are beyond the range of typical legal work.
In business and industry, law school graduates operate on all planes in every kind of company. Though the customary background for an attorney in a corporation has been the in-house general counsel's office, lawyers in search of more varied opportunities can be found in business management; and a law degree is a factor that can lead to swift career development. Real estate, investment banking, and securities sales are the fields that attract the largest number of J.D.'s who do not currently practice law.
Click here for a complete list of business and industry positions available to lawyers
Government agencies also employ large numbers of lawyers for non-legal positions every few years. Local municipalities also hire new attorneys with each federal administration change. Although Washington, DC, will always offer the largest number of federal jobs, each state and territory has unique opportunities for lawyers.
Click here to see government positions that are ideal for attorneys
Associations and other organizations also have potential careers for those with a substantial legal background. Considering the ever-evolving foci of these institutions, legally educated people can offer a distinct advantage. Whereas additional credentials are needed to succeed in these fields, a law degree can increase an applicant's chances of being hired and can help improve his or her on-the-job performance.
Click here for a list of positions available for attorneys in associations and other organizations
Last, an emergent sector of commerce and industry is consulting. Numerous companies prefer to outsource certain tasks and will pay extra for your areas of expertise or an unbiased assessment from a third party. Legally trained consultants can provide research and writing, arbitration and mediation counseling, private investigation, and information technology consulting.
|
|
|
|
How can I position my legal education as an asset for a non-legal position?
The most apparent advantage of a legal education is the J.D.'s experience with legal terminology and its implications. The capacity to decipher contracts is valuable to any organization. Being able to understand pending legislation and its effects also makes an attorney an asset to any company.
Second, law school graduates possess unmatched analytical ability. This ability can and should be applied to all kinds of issues, not just legal cases.
Third, lawyers are experts in the art of persuasion. The manipulation of facts in a rational and methodical way to convince an audience is a skill that will be appreciated by potential employers.
|
|
|
|
How can I "sell myself" in a non-legal capacity with my current legal job experience?
The following skills were identified by the ABA as intrinsic to the practice of law. You may also find them useful in redefining yourself to future employers:
- Problem Solving
- Counseling
- Legal Analysis and Reasoning
- Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Legal Research Procedures
- Factual Investigation
- Organization and Management of Legal Work
- Communication
- Recognizing and Resolving Ethical Dilemmas
- Negotiation
One way to come up with your own more specific and applicable list is to record your current daily responsibilities and then develop the list to include actions performed less frequently. Review each line item and decide which skills you use for each task. You will likely be able to identify areas in written and verbal communication, research, business growth and leadership, and teamwork in which you excel. With this skill set, you are prepared for the next step-rewriting your résumé and cover letter.
|
|
|
|
How can I revise my resume and cover letter for a non-legal job?
Writing a non-legal resume requires a little imagination. Approach your current resume with your prospective employer in mind. What skills should you emphasize, and what jargon or terminology should you use? If you are going into a new career field, you may not be entirely comfortable with the profession. Do careful research on the organizations to which you apply and the industries they serve. Use this new information combined with your current skill set to update your resume.
Click here for a free review of your resume.
|
|
|
|
Where else can I find information on non-legal careers for law school grads and attorneys?
If you'd like to browse a fully searchable database of legal and non-legal jobs, click here.
The following books also offer detail and perspective to attorneys looking for jobs outside of a law firm:
Nonlegal Careers for Lawyers by Gary A. Munneke & William D. Henslee
The Lawyer's Career Change Handbook: More Than 300 Things You Can Do With a Law Degree by Hindi Greenberg
Jobs for Lawyers by Hillary Jane Mantis & Kathleen Brady
Alternative Careers for Lawyers by Hillary Mantis
What Can You Do With a Law Degree?: A Lawyer's Guide to Career Alternatives Inside, Outside & Around the Law by Deborah Arron
|
|
|
|
|
Employers
|
|
|
What are the benefits of using LawCrossing as opposed to competitor sites?
There are many advantages to using LawCrossing. For one, it is the only free site on the internet for employers. There are no consequences to posting on LawCrossing. Posting on other sites and in newspapers can be a waste of hundreds of dollars unless you get the perfect candidates. While it is certainly a possibility to find them, the cons far outweigh the pros if you do not. LawCrossing offers:
- No Cost - There are no similar websites that are free to employers. LawCrossing requires no inherent risk. We will post your jobs and find you the candidates you are looking for at no cost.
- A Recruiter that can handle ALL of your needs (without the crippling fees) - There are many ways to find qualified attorneys and staff, but many of them are exorbitantly expensive. Legal recruiters are used commonly among firms - usually separate ones for attorneys, paralegals, and other staff. LawCrossing allows you to post all of your jobs in one place and - again - all at no cost!
- Serious candidates - We require job candidates to pay for the site for a reason - so that we can deliver candidates to you that are serious about finding a job and working hard. Anyone can post a resume or apply for a job on other sites, but we require membership because it means these people are intent about their job search (and more likely passionate about the work they do) if they are willing to pay for access to the best opportunities.
|
|
|
|
How do I find the candidates that I want?
You can sit back and they will come to you, which is the beauty of the system. Tell us about your jobs, and then you will be sent packages submitted by qualified applicants for the positions.
|
|
|
|
How do I post a job?
LawCrossing doesn't charge employers to post jobs. Click on "Post a Job" link on the top right of the site page. Fill out the form and upload your requirements. You can also email us at jobs@lawcrossing.com for any questions.
|
|
|
|
What kind of information should I include in a job post?
While you can include anything you want (that is relevant - we will be looking at the job advertisements before they are posted), there are certain things that should be included and just as many that should be left out.
Do include:
- Name of city where the position will be (e.g. a search performed on Los Angeles might come up with your post for a job in Burbank or Pasadena - which may be near impossible for someone to get to without a car).
- Number of years of experience, what kind of experience and level of education (for staff jobs) necessary
- Any special requirements. For example, if you need someone who has already passed the patent bar, then say so.
- A description of the job responsibilities. This may not be necessary for an associate attorney position.
- Information about your company or firm. A brief description including the size, number of attorneys, locations, and activities the company or firm focuses on.
- Job title (should go without saying)
Do not include:
- Salary information. Unless you are offering well above market, thereby ensuring you can get the best candidates no matter what, it might be better to hold off on the salary information until you have seen what kind of candidates you can get. You may realize that you might be willing to pay a few thousand more for a star (that may not have applied to the job had he or she seen a salary that was not at their level) than someone with relatively little experience. Something like "competitive salary" should suffice.
- Anything that is irrelevant and/or sounds negative. You want to ensure that people apply to your position. Including something like "may be required to work outside their practice area" when that never really happens is only ensuring that people will not want to bother with your position. Honesty is important, and you should never be dishonest in your posting, but perhaps minor inconveniences that come with the job should be saved for the interview stage.
While it is up to you what is ultimately included in the job post, the more specific you are, without limiting yourself with harsh boundaries and off-putting details, the more qualified applicants will be banging down your door.
|
|
|
|
What kind of information is not allowed in a job post?
We do not allow profanity, advertisements, or anything else that is not job-related. The job posts are for jobs, and it compromises the integrity of the site to allow anything but jobs to be posted in this section. Any user attempting to pass themselves off as an employer and to post jobs that do not exist or to post anything but an actual job may have their membership revoked and be blocked from future use of the site.
|
|
|
|
How will the candidates be presented to me? Will there be a way to tell which job a candidate is applying to if there are many options?
You will receive an email package from every user that applies to the position. This will include a resume of their choice, and potentially (they can choose to send other materials) a cover letter, a personal statement, and a list of references.
Users can also choose to mail or fax their resumes to your position, provided you have given us that information when you told us about your job.
|
|
|
|
Is there a special employer membership?
No, there is only one membership type and it is that of a job seeker. If you would like to view all of the jobs posted in the database, then you are required to gain access through membership. Asking us to post your jobs, however, does not require a membership.
|
|
|
|
What should I do if my job is not showing up?
It is possible that we have withheld it because it is already posted on the site by other means. It is also possible that the job has not fit our criteria for what makes a good posting. If you don't believe either of these reasons to be the case, then email us at jobs@lawcrossing.com or call us at 626-243-1801 and we can discuss what happened to the posting.
|
|
|
|
Can I edit, delete, or refresh my job posting?
Once you have asked us to enter a job into our database, the job will be maintained by us, which means that it will be refreshed by our verification methods and it will be deleted once it has been filled. If you would like a job to be deleted, refreshed, or have the description of the job changed immediately, feel free to email us at jobs@lawcrossing.com with the pertinent job information and what you would like us to do.
|
|
|
|
What kind of jobs am I allowed to post?
We encourage you to post all legal job opportunities that you have available. These include the following:
- Attorney jobs—ranging from small firm partners to Big Law associate positions
- General Counsel jobs—for in-house legal departments
- Law student jobs—these include clerkships, research positions, and summer associate positions.
- Legal Staff Jobs—these include paralegals and legal secretary (legal assistant)
Anything else beyond these will be judged on a case-by-case basis as they are submitted. If there is something we left out, but is a vital job you need filled, if it is professional, we will most likely allow it to be posted.
|
|
|
|
Why am I not getting many responses?
There could be several reasons, but here are some suggestions for the most common reasons:
Perhaps you were too narrow in your description of the ideal candidate and people did not feel like they would be able to meet the qualifications necessary. If this is the case, you can either search our database for candidates that match your needs with the search function, or you can reword your posting to make it more appealing to candidates.
As there are several thousand jobs being posted on LawCrossing, your job may be lost in the shuffle, especially if it was posted a long time ago. Refresh your job by choosing it in your profile, and then clicking "edit" and "save." That way, it will show up as being posted on the day you refresh, which you can do as many times as possible.
|
|
|
|
What if I forgot my user name/password?
Just click here, fill in your email address and we will send you an email with the user name and password assigned to that address.
|
|
|
|
How many jobs can I tell you about?
As an employer, we encourage you to tell us about every job you have available. We will not re-post the same job (we will most likely refresh the original, if requested), but other than that restriction, there is no limit to how many job listings any one employer can have on the site.
|
|
|
|
Recruiters
|
|
|
As a recruiter, why should I choose LawCrossing over all the other job boards for posting my jobs?
The main reason is that there is no cost to post any jobs on our site. We only ask that when you post a job, you inform us that the job is coming from a recruiter. There is no other job board on the internet that provides this free service.
|
|
|
|
Why should I sign up for a membership at LawCrossing?
Candidates come to you because they believe that you have the time and resources to locate every position that might be suited for them. For only $39.95 a month, you can be sure that you are not missing anything. We go out and find more jobs than anyone else so you don't have to.
|
|
|
|
What should I do if my post is not showing up?
It is possible that we have withheld it because it is already posted on the site by other means. It is also possible that the job has not fit our criteria for what makes a good posting. If you don't believe either of these reasons to be the case, then email us at jobs@lawcrossing.com or call us at 626-243-1801 and we can discuss what happened to the posting.
|
|
|
|
Can I edit, delete, or refresh my job posting?
Once you have entered a posting into our database, the job will be maintained by us, which means that it will be refreshed by our verification methods and it will be deleted once it has been filled. If you would like a job to be deleted, email us at jobs@lawcrossing.com with the pertinent job information.
|
|
|
|
What kind of jobs am I allowed to post?
We encourage you to post all legal job opportunities that you have available. These include the following:
- Attorney jobs—ranging from small firm partners to Big Law associate positions
- General Counsel jobs—for in-house legal departments
- Law student jobs—these include clerkships, research positions, and summer associate positions.
- Legal Staff Jobs—these include paralegals and legal secretary (legal assistant)
Anything else beyond these will be judged on a case-by-case basis as they are submitted. If there is something we left out, but is a vital job you need filled, if it is professional, we will most likely allow it to be posted.
|
|
|
|
Why am I not getting many responses?
There could be several reasons, but here are some suggestions for the most common reasons:
Perhaps you were too narrow in your description of the ideal candidate and people did not feel like they would be able to meet the qualifications necessary. If this is the case, you can either search our database for candidates that match your needs with the search function, or you can reword your posting to make it more appealing to candidates.
As there are several thousand jobs being posted on LawCrossing, your job may be lost in the shuffle, especially if it was posted a long time ago. Refresh your job by choosing it in your profile, and then clicking "edit" and "save." That way, it will show up as being posted on the day you refresh, which you can do as many times as possible.
|
|
|
|
How do I find the candidates that I want?
You can sit back and they will come to you, which is the beauty of the system. Post your jobs, and then you will be sent packages submitted by qualified applicants for the positions.
|
|
|
|
How do I post a job?
LawCrossing doesn't charge employers to post jobs. Click on "Post a Job" link on the top right of the site page. Fill out the form and upload your requirements. You can also email us at jobs@lawcrossing.com for any questions.
|
|
