How to get a family-friendly position at a large firm
In the years that I have been engaged in legal recruiting, I have worked with several really top-notch female candidates that wanted to return to an exciting practice within a large firm after having a baby, but did NOT want the hours associated with a full-time partnership track position. I relate to these women who "want it all," for I myself want a rigorous and stimulating job, but also want to spend quality time with my child. It is a delicate balancing act.
For all of the media attention that the firms try to gain for proclaiming their family-friendly atmospheres, they rarely advertise part-time or reduced billable hour positions. These positions are usually found through back door methods (for example, a friend at a firm) and my experiences in placing these women have only confirmed my suspicions that female-friendly (i.e., family-friendly) large law firms are difficult to come by.
I have, in fact, placed and gotten offers for women with reduced work schedules. But the interview process is tricky. In order to successfully negotiate, these women had to interview as if they wanted a full-time position, then sit back and wait for an offer. Then once the offer was in hand, they negotiated their hours. Simply put, they had to make the firms believe they were indispensable before they showed all their cards.
Hillary Mantis at vault.com has some interesting thoughts on family-friendly options. I am also curious to hear from women who have successfully found family-friendly attorney positions after having a baby. Feel free to add your comments.
For all of the media attention that the firms try to gain for proclaiming their family-friendly atmospheres, they rarely advertise part-time or reduced billable hour positions. These positions are usually found through back door methods (for example, a friend at a firm) and my experiences in placing these women have only confirmed my suspicions that female-friendly (i.e., family-friendly) large law firms are difficult to come by.
I have, in fact, placed and gotten offers for women with reduced work schedules. But the interview process is tricky. In order to successfully negotiate, these women had to interview as if they wanted a full-time position, then sit back and wait for an offer. Then once the offer was in hand, they negotiated their hours. Simply put, they had to make the firms believe they were indispensable before they showed all their cards.
Hillary Mantis at vault.com has some interesting thoughts on family-friendly options. I am also curious to hear from women who have successfully found family-friendly attorney positions after having a baby. Feel free to add your comments.
Labels: attorney career satisfaction, flexible legal work, legal careers, part time legal work, women in the law, work/life balance
posted by The Travel Chick at 7:16 AM
3 Comments:
Suzanne,
It is true that large firms are still not actively embracing alternative work arrangements. I agree that it is pretty unusual for a firm to actively advertise for p/t help. Sometimes, a candidate with great credentials and a skill set that is in hot demand can negotiate something less than full-time on the way in the door.
I think the most common way these arrangements occur, however, is that p/t arrangements are given to associates (and partners) who have already proven themselves. Most often, it is a female associate who has had a child.
My own personal believe is that time will correct some of this problem. Many of today's most senior partners had stay at home wives. As more and more next generation leaders come up through the ranks, there will be many more fathers and mothers who are senior partners and who actively participated in child rearing. This next generation of leaders will better understand the importance of offering flexibility to valued associates.
I believe there is a large segment of the legal profession who would welcome "part-time" legal work without having first met the seeming prerequisite of having had a child.
Why is it that life-balance is only seen as necessary for women with a baby?
This is an antiquated notion, and we haven't yet grown into it. Boy do we have a ways to go.
Yeah, that's an atiquated notion, but how about the one I face as an attorney with a child, namely, I can either be a mom or an attorney? If I want strangers to raise my son, I can be a lawyer. I searched 'part time' on craiglist legal employment section and the options are extremely limited. I can downgrade myself and be a paralegal, or work 30 hours, which is what one posting called part time.
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