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Does being long-term unemployed hurt chances of getting back in the legal field?

published February 21, 2012

By CEO and Founder - BCG Attorney Search left
Published By
( 27 votes, average: 4.2 out of 5)
What do you think about this article? Rate it using the stars above and let us know what you think in the comments below.
Question:

For those attorneys who have been laid off or otherwise told that they must find alternate employment, to what extent does a period of unemployment really hurt their chances of securing their next job?

Answer:


Obviously, those attorneys who have been laid off for performance-based reasons will have a much more difficult time finding subsequent employment. However, for those attorneys who have experienced economic layoffs, the ability to secure another job largely depends on how the layoff is handled on the attorney's resume and in the interview context. It's true that some law firms still won't look at laid off associates, but these firms are few in number.

Those who fare the best are the ones who are, first, honest about the circumstances resulting in the layoff and, then, include with their submission a comprehensive list of references that can attest to the attorney's work performance and can corroborate that the layoff was indeed economically-motivated.

Laid off attorneys seem to be most successful at securing good new jobs when they stay focused on their areas of expertise and do not panic. While most attorneys who have been laid off can get another job if they spam law firms (i.e., the “throw everything out there and see what sticks” method), this approach is typically not successful and, even when it is, the end result is usually one of regret. Rather than jumping on the first position that pops up, or taking on contract attorney/document review work, previously laid off candidates do far better when they give themselves a definitive block of time (for example, 6 to 9 months) to focus on securing a job that has good long-term prospects and that comports with their practice area expertise and overall career interests.

Finally, practice area is relevant to the calculus. Those who have developed niche practice area expertise (e.g., patent prosecution, executive compensation, energy regulatory work) will most likely secure new jobs more quickly than those who have a more wide-ranging practice base (e.g., general or commercial litigators or general corporate attorneys).

Alternative Summary

Harrison is the founder of BCG Attorney Search and several companies in the legal employment space that collectively gets thousands of attorneys jobs each year. Harrison’s writings about attorney careers and placement attract millions of reads each year. Harrison is widely considered the most successful recruiter in the United States and personally places multiple attorneys most weeks. His articles on legal search and placement are read by attorneys, law students and others millions of times per year.

More about Harrison

About LawCrossing

LawCrossing has received tens of thousands of attorneys jobs and has been the leading legal job board in the United States for almost two decades. LawCrossing helps attorneys dramatically improve their careers by locating every legal job opening in the market. Unlike other job sites, LawCrossing consolidates every job in the legal market and posts jobs regardless of whether or not an employer is paying. LawCrossing takes your legal career seriously and understands the legal profession. For more information, please visit www.LawCrossing.com.

published February 21, 2012

By CEO and Founder - BCG Attorney Search left
( 27 votes, average: 4.2 out of 5)
What do you think about this article? Rate it using the stars above and let us know what you think in the comments below.