The Wonderful World of NALP

I am waiting for my flight out of lovely Denver back to my hometown of San Francisco. I have at least another hour until my flight boards and my thoughts turn toward introspection. This week I and my colleagues at our recruiting firm (BCG Attorney Search) met here in the Mile-High City to attend the yearly NALP convention to swap stories and chat with our clients—law firm recruiting coordinators. It was a fun time, replete with an exciting giveaway (we gave away a Mini-Cooper to one of our clients), surprise snow storms (good thing our Boston recruiter was along to help drive!), and way too much rich food and, ahem, conviviality.

Well. My report back from speaking with scores of law firm insiders is that things are humming along at a consistent, brisk pace—one we have become accustomed to over the last few years. Firms are hungry for great talent, eager to discover how they can better attract that talent, and enthusiastic for the future in the near term (remember Uncle Friedman’s injunction: there is no long term!). At any rate, the good news is no “new” news. This is a wonderful time to spread one’s legal wings, find a new platform, and make a move up, or sideways.

As I am often want to remind my candidates, this does not mean it is a good time to just strum along and go with the flow. Rather, US attorneys are being given the gift of relative freedom and openness in the market to explore, grow their practices, and add new skills. In my view, this is given to us for a purposes, and there is little “karmic waste” out there. What does that mean? It means that the chance to grow is an opportunity we must grasp firmly in order to weather whatever storms come along down the path tomorrow.

On the other hand, it is also a good time to reflect, ponder and analyze professional and personal goals and strengths. If you haven’t done so yet this year, then take time out to make hay while the sun shines, and do yourself the favor of paying attention to number one: you! (Click on this link: http://bcgsearch.com/crc/buildlegalcareer.html for some thoughts on how to jump-start the creative process!).

Getting your brain around "happiness"

Every day of my working life I talk to attorneys who are looking for something to make them "happier." Mostly they think that a new firm will get them "there." And sometimes they are right. Even if they aren't, usually when attorneys have picked up the phone to initiate a relationship with a recruiter, they have "crossed the Rubicon" and have no intention of staying at their current position. It then falls to me to find the gig that is going to get them what they want: more money, better work, more prestige, a chance at parnership--happiness. Thus, I always, always, always try turn the recruiting experience into something more than musical chairs. The "more" part is a process by which the candidate will really evaluate his or her past successes and failures and delve in to that part of the mind that holds dreams, pet projects and wild fantasies about a future practice.

I do all this because I do not believe that happiness comes from "work-life balance." There is no such thing. I do not believe that working more or less, harder or easier, upside down or backwards is going to make anyone happier. Rather, I believe that happiness comes from an ordered mind. And the only way to get to that state of orderliness is to start rummaging through the detritus that accumulates there. We have to sort through the nagging little thoughts here and there that pull us toward something new and different. If we can take control of that mess, that protoplasm of thought and angst, and really look at it all, structure it, corral it, we can start a rational process that will help us get our actions into line with our dreams. If you don't think that will get you to happiness, maybe you've never experienced it. Ecstasy? I hope so. Joy? Surely. But happiness?--that state of calm pleasure, of contentedness with one's life, an absence of unreasonable fear, a state of habitual clarity of thought and unhurried productivity? Think about it.

How Corporations Compete for Experienced Counsel

Corporations have a harder time competing for experienced legal talent than they do competing for more junior talent. Large law firms clearly have the edge on base compesation. But corporations can use other incentives to attract more senior attorneys. An executive recruiter spells out the list which includes equity awards, incentive bonuses and more opportunities to get management experience.

10 Questions to Ask a Headhunter

JD Bliss links to my colleague Dan Binstock's article in the Legal Times.

Thoughts on Relocating

BCG's CEO has some ideas about relocation and how lawyers with different specialties might fare in trying to move geographically.

Tips for Recruiting Great Talent

I could probably add a lot more to this list. In truth, many firms are not good at selling themselves to prospective candidates. While not every candidate is right for every firm, if you want good talent, take time to identify what really sets you apart from other firms. Generic statements like "we are a collegial firm", are much less effective than more specific and well thought out advantages of practicing at your firm (e.g. "our support staff turnover rate is less than 5% a year, one of the lowest in the industry".)

Should You Bypass the Recruiter?

If you are looking at in-house opportunities, it is probably not a good idea to bypass a search firm. The company has specificially brought in the search firm to do the screening. But don't rely on recruiters to identify in-house opportunities. It can be a part of your strategy; but networking is probably more important.

Dealing With Multiple Recruiters

In the world of contingent search, it is not uncommon for different search firms to have the same listing. The last thing you want to do is have two different recruiters submit your name to the same employer. To most of us, the reasons are obvious (companies are not going to appreciate getting the same resume from different search firms.) But being honest with both recruiters is also critical since at least one of them may be representing you to potential employers. Would you want an agent to feel like they are being jerked around?

One little known fact is that you are under no obligation to work with the first search firm that tells you about an opening. You get to decide who will best represent your interests.

Do Starting Salaries Matter?

Starting salaries for attorneys have jumped 250% in the past 20 years and the latest round of salary wars shows that no major law firm wants to be left in the dust. But do higher starting salaries really have that much impact on entry level recruiting? I wonder. In the meantime, you can be sure that no major firm is taking a chance.

Do it Yourself Recruiting?

It is hard to imagine how this partner makes any money for his firm if he spends so much of his time recruiting candidates. Clearly, he is not factoring in the lost billable hours into his expenses.

Why use a search firm

I have collaborated with my colleague, Dan Binstock (managing director of the BCG office in DC) to put together an article on the benefits of working with a search firm. In rereading the article, I realize that there is one potential benefit that we forgot to mention.

If you are a lawyer with great credentials but you have something in your background that needs explaining (e.g. a gap in employment, an involuntary termination), a recruiter can help you get over this hurdle by being your agent. In other words, the recruiter can explain the problem to potential employers in a more neutral way.