Attracting Legal Talent

In its February 4, 2002 issue, Fortune magazine published its fifth annual list of the ''100 Best Places to Work.'' Four law firms were included on the list for the third time, this year with the following rankings: Alston & Bird, number 9; Fenwick & West number 14; McCutchen Doyle Brown & Enersen, number 54; and Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison, number 78. The qualities and cultures of these four firms, which ultimately landed them on the list with the likes of Cisco Systems, Goldman Sachs, Charles Schwab, Microsoft and Intel, are in many ways similar. Most notable are a strong and positive culture, open and honest communication, and strong firm and practice management. READ MORE >

Take steps now to be a victor in the ongoing war for legal talent

As needs for legal services become increasingly complex and sophisticated, law firms must attract and retain talent that has not only the requisite intellectual and legal skills, but also keen business acumen. READ MORE >

When it comes to recruiting, law firms get as much out of their efforts as they put into them. As a result, is it a surprise to hear partners complain that their firms are not attracting as much top talent as they once did. READ MORE >

Law firms that take a short-term view on talent during an economic downturn will find themselves paying the price. Rather than a cutting-back period, the breather afforded by a slowdown in work is a good time to redouble efforts on a review of the firm’s recruiting policies and practices, and its approach to professional development. READ MORE >

It seems as though the number of female partners currently working in law firms is becoming fewer and fewer these days. A lot of female partners are fleeing from firms due to a lack of balance in their work and professional lives, and also because of an absence of support or mentoring. In this article, I am going to discuss some of the ways that firms can attract and retain female partners. As many women in this country opt to pursue law as their professional career, those firms on the forefront of female partner retention efforts will benefit greatly by attracting existing female partner talent and those up and coming women attorneys who represent the next generation of female partner candidates. READ MORE >

In the 1980's, the professional world was introduced to a new term of art: the so-called trailing spouse. Trailing spouse syndrome has been generally defined as the effect the relocation of one's spouse has on one's professional trajectory. More specifically, the trailing spouse subordinates his or her own career in order to allow his or her partner to advance professionally. Since many spouses and partners possess their own distinct professional identities, relocation for a new job (even with the same employer) affects not only the candidate, but the spouse as well. READ MORE >

There is a select group of candidates that everybody wants, and you know the type we are talking about. Excellent credentials, highly desired practice group, and a great personality to boot. The age-old question for law firms: How do we most effectively recruit these top candidates? READ MORE >

6 Rules Attorneys Use to Choose between Competing Law Firm Offers

1. Most Attorneys Will Choose a Firm Based on the Firm's Perceived Prestige Level
2. The Sense of Importance Attorneys Attach to Working in a Given Firm Will Strongly Influence Whether They Accept Employment There
3. The Attorney's Perception He/She Will Be Welcomed in the Firm Will Have a Strong Influence on His/Her Choice to Join One Firm Over Another
4. The Type of Work an Attorney Is Offered Will Have a Strong Influence on His/Her Decision to Join a Given Firm
5. Attorneys Will Often Choose to Join a Firm Based Upon Their Perceived Advancement Potential
6. Unless the Salary Is Drastically Lower, Money Is a Less Important Consideration for Attorneys Than Most Firms Seem to Believe

As professional search consultants, part of our job is to counsel attorneys on a daily basis as to how they should choose between competing law firms. There is a considerable degree of insight that is needed to understand the psychology that attorneys attach to choosing between competing offers, and contrary to popular perception, attorneys do not always choose to work in the highest-paying or most prestigious law firms. Understanding why attorneys choose one firm over another can help you both attract and retain attorneys after they are hired. READ MORE >