But if you are a lateral hire, you need to know about the support system in place for your arrival. This is going to have a significant impact on your career.
Support is Necessary for Success
When you are a lateral candidate, you are leaving your last job's security to travel to a new firm. You are going alone and into new territory. It can be an exciting but daunting prospect at the same time. All you want to do is settle into your new law firm and start doing your job well. To do this and be successful, you need the right support system in place at your new law firm. Of course, a lot of candidates ask; can I tell ahead of time what the support is going to be like?
The answer to this question is yes. You can ask several questions to get to know the new support system in place and really find out what your law firm is going to be like. However, first, you need to know what we mean by support.
What is Support?
When we mention the word 'support' to many people, they often assume basic structures, such as the IT department. In other words, you have a problem with your computer, or the server goes down, they are going to provide you with the support you need to get up and running and back to work. Of course, the IT department is an integral part of any legal firm. After all, associates are not always going to be the most tech-savvy people.
But when we talk about support, we are really meaning a system that goes further than just IT and other administrative support. Namely, we mean having a support structure intact to ensure you are assisted in all elements of your practice. Thus, you can be happy as a new lateral hire and thrive in a new workplace. Having a good layer of support means that you can be confident and successful, quickly adjusting to your new law firm. This is something you cannot always do on your own.
What Type of Support Systems are there?
There are different types of support systems at a law firm that you should look out for. They are going to give you the best opportunity to settle into your new workplace and be successful.
For instance, you want to ensure a governance system is in place at your new law firm. In other words, you need to find out how the leadership is structured and what they envision for the future of the law firm. It can also be beneficial to know how vacancies are filled. This can allow you to understand why you were hired and where the law firm is going in the future.
Next, you want to make sure that there are development systems at your new law firm. This is important for you to know how you are going to be trained, as well as marketed. Every successful law firm should have a development system to support their new hires, whether you are a junior or a lateral associate.
In addition, it is beneficial to look out for a reward system too. You will want to find out how the law firm will compensate you for doing good work and if there are any targets in place. It can also be advantageous to find out if there are systems in place for gaining promotion so that you can plan for the future.
How to Choose a Law Firm
Before you accept a new opportunity, it is advised that you do your research and ask questions to find out about their support system. This is going to be something that you are glad you did beforehand. But you do have to be careful. It can be easy to get distracted along the way. For example, a lot of law firms have a reputable name. You will have heard of the organization before, and it can be easy to get pulled in without doing any research. You can think, well, they have a good name; they must be fair to their associates, right? This might be true, but you must carry out your own investigations to make sure this is correct.
What's more, there are law firms that know how to talk a good game. They can hire anybody by merely selling themselves in an interview. Again, it is easy to get sucked in and believe everything they are saying. But you have to find out if they really have an effective support system or just all talk. You need to be prepared to dig deeper.
Questions to Ask
Law firms are going to talk a lot about themselves in an interview. They need to sell themselves as much as you need to promote your own skills. But the way you will gain the most information about a law firm is by asking questions. You will always get the opportunity to do this in an interview.
Here are some questions you can ask to find out more about the support system they have:
What type of marketing strategy is here for associates like me?
This is a great question to start with, and if they cannot answer it, you should forget joining the law firm. If they do have a marketing strategy, ask more about the details of it. This can include what it looks like, the partners that will go with you to visit clients, and what support is available for lateral hires.
What tech support is available?
A lot of law firms are now using technology to help their associates, as well as provide a better client experience. Therefore, it is advantageous to find out what tech support is going to be available to you. After all, you will have to use it and you want to ensure you can do this from the start. Besides, law firms should be doing simple things like paying for your work calls and cell phone bills. This is something to ask about too.
What does the Billing System look like?
If you are used to billing and have become very good at it, you will want to join a law firm like this. So, it is worth asking about the billing system during an interview. This is going to make sure you are on the same wavelength. Otherwise, a conflict could arise, and it may cause you a lot of stress. While it is not the most exciting question to ask a law firm, it is still an important one.
There are going to be many more questions you can ask about support systems to a law firm. These questions are just to get you started. Sit down and think about what questions you want to ask them ahead of time to not have any regrets. This way, you can make sure that your lateral move is the best one for you personally and for your career progress.
