The interview quandary Should You Talk About Other Interviews in Your Interview? One of the questions I receive quite often from the attorneys I work with is whether or not they should talk about other interviews while they are interviewing with law firms. Let me emphasize one thing: This is one of the more important questions you will have to answer in an interview. Regardless of your... (86 views)
Relocating Overseas In recent years, a good number of American attorneys have relocated overseas. These relocations have been principally to London and Hong Kong. While many American attorneys may not consider an overseas assignment when they get out of law school, it is worthwhile to note that a legal career overseas may be a viable option for many American attorneys. Because BCG Attorney... (507 views)
''Firm hopping'' Most attorneys from large firms move at least once or twice during their first three to five years of practice. However, if you are looking at your third or fourth firm in your second year of practice, something is wrong. Several times a day, we see resumes of attorneys attempting to do this, and for the most part, we cannot help them. "Firm hopping" is taken into account... (35 views)
To Clerk or not to clerk Every year, we receive numerous phone calls from practicing attorneys as well as law students, inquiring whether or not they should pursue a clerkship with a judge in order to make themselves more marketable. At the outset, it is important to note that the value of a clerkship should not necessarily be something that you view as a marketing tool. Beyond making you... (276 views)
LL.Ms and marketability Many attorneys spend tens of thousands of dollars to obtain an LL.M. in a particular discipline after they have graduated from law school. Some enroll in LL.M. programs immediately, and others practice for a given length of time before getting their LL.M.'s. There is no question that an LL.M. degree in a particular discipline can be quite prestigious, but let's tackle the... (70 views)
Networking Essentials Why Networking is Essential to Your Success as an Attorney One thing that many attorneys do not know is that the most successful attorneys are ''networked.'' Attorneys who do not network often fail over time because of this fact alone. (229 views)
Guide to intellectual property law Probably the hottest practice group in all respects for the past several years has been intellectual property law. However, many attorneys have little idea (1) what intellectual property law is, (2) why intellectual property is so popular, and (3) the types of intellectual property attorneys that are most marketable. The purpose of this article is to answer these... (243 views)
Meltdown in corporate work Since late 2000, as every attorney knows, there has been a marked slowdown in the amount of available corporate work. The number of layoffs that has occurred in the market is severe and is not improving. On the recruiting side, many major recruiting firms claim to not have made a placement of a corporate associate in more than a year. Most major law firms have instituted... (12 views)
Changing your practice area So You Want to Switch Your Practice Area? In a lot of respects, the path attorneys take to joining a particular practice area is nothing short of insane. Most attorneys interview for summer-associate jobs, take the best summer job they can get, and join a particular firm without much thought as to what practice area they will be in. Given that people spend a significant... (513 views)
The 'dark Side' Of Going In House Introduction The purpose of this article is to provide you with insight as to whether or not you should go in-house. Many attorneys claim that going in-house was their best career move. Conversely, some attorneys claim it was their biggest career mistake. In the end, going in-house is entirely up to you. You need to understand, however, that the decision to go in-house... (224 views)
Ensure your lateral move is a success You have spent many hours planning your job search with your recruiter, picking the right firms, and researching them with every spare moment. You have interviewed like crazy for months, while staying up late at night trying to hold down your current job. But it's all been worth it: You finally got the perfect job offer at the firm of your dreams. Congratulations, time to... (121 views)
Moving your career to another city BCG Guide to Relocation There is nothing more exciting than leaving one area of the country and going to a new area to start a new career and life. One of the advantages of having chosen a career in the fluid legal industry is that you do have the option of living in other parts of the United States or even the world. We have moved attorneys from one city to another and... (110 views)
Taking a hiatus from practicing law It is becoming increasingly common for attorneys desiring more than a few weeks off from the practice of law to simply quit their current jobs. Unlike some other professions, most law firms do not look favorably upon attorneys' taking more than a few weeks off unless they are involved in "a major life event." In the calculus of most law firms, a "major life event" is... (83 views)
Law School grades and your career Grades are important to many law firms when making hiring decisions. However, the weight that they carry in these decisions most often depends on the particular firm involved and whether you are (A) a junior attorney or law student, (B) a mid-level to senior associate, or (C) a partner. At each stage of your career, the importance of your law school grades will diminish,... (24 views)
Salary wars and associate hiring As a recruiting firm, we talk to both partners and associates at firms in every major legal marketplace on a daily basis. These conversations often concern why a lawyer is dissatisfied with his/her current firm or what kind of lawyer a firm seeks to hire. We have discovered that the salary increases that have taken place over the past several years have actually had the... (28 views)
Treating your legal career like a small business At the outset, it is important to realize that much of what I am saying goes against the traditional view of the law as a profession. Obviously, the law is a profession. Notwithstanding the use of the word "profession," though, you can still get fired, not advance, or find yourself in a dead-end job. Your skills or specialty can quickly become irrelevant in the... (2 views)
The importance of fitting in One of the most persistent mistakes legal professionals make is to not understand the importance of fitting in their work environments. Indeed, fitting in is something that enables you to both get and keep a job. In terms of what it takes to succeed in the practice of law over the long term, fitting in may actually be more important than your skill level. (1 views)
Builders and destroyers In every organization, there are people who are positive forces that lead, inspire, and build and others who are negative forces that criticize, depress, and tear down. This dichotomy can be carried further to cover virtually any social group. This distinction is so clear that a cognizable argument could be made that most people can be grouped into one category or another.... (81 views)
Resume writing from the experts Introduction A good resume is an extremely important tool in the job-search process. Because firms are inundated with resumes, your resume must be able to get the attention of the hiring partner and create a good, strong impression at a brief glance. Your resume is your sales pitch to the hiring partner. It is not merely a recitation of your life's chronology. You need to... (482 views)
Firm culture matters most We believe that an attorney's happiness and success in the practice of law have more to do with a particular law firm culture (which is sometimes also referred to as the personality of a firm) than with any other factor. This article discusses (a) the importance of firm culture, (b) why some attorneys do not give strong consideration to firm culture when joining a firm... (30 views)
A Guide to the interview How to Excel in Law Firm Interviews We have seen the same scenario repeat itself over and over again. We send a highly qualified candidate out on an interview, only to later learn that a job offer was never extended. What went wrong? The reasons for unproductive interviews vary from one attorney to another. Furthermore, interviews are often handled differently, depending... (69 views)
The importance of being well-liked in your legal job One of the most persistent problems attorneys practicing law have is their failure to collaborate and learn from the other attorneys they are practicing law with. There are several factors that are essential for success in the practice of law and advancing in your career. Being well-liked and collaborating are two of the more important ones. (3 views)
The Importance of Fitting In One of the most persistent mistakes legal professionals make is to not understand the importance of ''fitting in'' in their work environment. Indeed, fitting in is something that both enables you to get and keep a job. In terms of what it takes to succeed in the practice of law over the long term, ''fitting in'' may actually be more important than your skill level. (30 views)
Summer 2005 State of the Market Report State of the Market Reports for U.S. and International Regions. Southern California Northern California The Southwest Region The Midwest/Mountain Regions The Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Regions The Southeast Region International Europe International Asia (81 views)
Treating Your Legal Career Like a Small Business At the outset, it is important to realize that much of what I am saying goes against the ''traditional'' view of the law as a profession. Obviously, the law is a profession. Notwithstanding the use of the word ''profession,'' though, you can still get fired, not advance, or find yourself in a dead end job. Your skills or specialty can quickly become irrelevant in the... (6 views)
How To Tap The Hidden Power Of The Support Staff This article guides attorneys and summer associates on how to treat their support staffers, how to gain their trust, and situations to avoid. (1616 views)
The Right and Wrong Reasons To Quit Practicing Law As a legal recruiter and a former lawyer, I come into contact with a lot of attorneys on a daily basis. What I have noticed is that too many attorneys quit practicing law and choose alternative careers for all the wrong reasons. (355 views)
Types of Law Firms and How They Affect Your Legal Career The type of law firm you are in as an attorney is vital for your future career. Unfortunately, many attorneys do not realize this and have their careers not picked up or ended abruptly because they are in the wrong type of law firm. (73 views)
Switching Law Firms: Strategies to Increase Your Chances at the Next Legal Career Move Have you been working at a law firm for years and are considering lateral hiring to another law firm? If so, then this article is perfect for you. This article is also useful for law students looking to broaden their knowledge on career strategy. (79 views)