278 Reviews| Average: 4.2 out of 5
Summary: Learn how big law firms evaluate potential hires and what you can do to increase your chances of getting hired by them.
![]() |
Harrison Barnes |
There are fewer jobs for lateral attorneys and far more reasons to disqualify you from each job. As a summer associate, there are hundreds of jobs in each city for you. As a lateral attorney, you may be competing for only one job, or a few.
The Bucket Lesson: There are very few attorneys with 1 to 5 years of experience practicing law compared to attorneys with 5 to 30+ years of experience. Unless an attorney has significant business, the attorney will fall to the “bottom of the bucket” once the attorney accumulates more than 5 years of experience.
The Bucket Lesson: In large cities, law firms receive more applicants for each position and this makes it more difficult for attorneys to get hired. Despite this competitiveness, there are more jobs and opportunities in large cities. It is easier to get positions in smaller markets, but there tend to be fewer positions.
The Bucket Lesson: Recruiters are matchmakers. A good recruiter will help you locate firms that may not necessarily have openings but are likely to be a good “match” for the two of you. If there are not a lot of applicants for the same position, this will increase your odds of getting a job.
The Bucket Lesson: Partners with business can get you a position inside of a major law firm. You will rise to the top of the bucket if you know a partner with business who can help you in your search.
The Bucket Lesson: It is easier to get a position with a smaller law firm than a major law firm because there are fewer applicants for each position.
The Bucket Lesson: Depending on the economy, the practice area you are in will either help you rise to the top of the bucket or it will not.
The Bucket Lesson: The economy has a major impact on whether you will rise to the top of the bucket in your search or not.
The Bucket Lesson: You will rise to the top of the bucket if you are coming from a law firm and not another practice setting.
The Bucket Lesson: Early applicants are far likely to rise to the top of the bucket than later ones.
The Bucket Lesson: Attorneys without entitlement issues are far more likely to do better in their searches than attorneys with entitlement issues.
The Bucket Lesson: You need to use the best legal recruiter that you can. By using the best legal recruiter in the market, you are far more likely to rise to the top of the bucket.
The Bucket Lesson: You will have a more difficult time rising to the top of the bucket if you were not a summer associate in a major law firm.
The Bucket Lesson: You are more likely to rise to the top of the bucket if you apply to law firms without asking for a flexible position than if you do.
The Bucket Lesson: Attorneys in niche practice areas are far more likely to rise to the top of the bucket than attorneys who are not in niche practice areas.
The Bucket Lesson: An attorney who is a contract attorney will be penalized and fall to the bottom of the bucket when searching for a position in a major law firm
The Bucket Lesson: An attorney coming from a large, prestigious law firm is much more likely to be hired than an attorney coming from a smaller law firm.
The Bucket Lesson: You will fall to the bottom of the bucket if you say negative things about your previous employer.
The Bucket Lesson: You are much better off appearing neutral and uninterested in social issues than appearing engaged in these sorts of issues.
The Bucket Lesson: You will fall to the bottom of the bucket if it looks to firms like you move too often. In general, you should never move more than two times in five years.
The Bucket Lesson: You are going to be far better off looking for a position when you are employed than when you are not employed.
The Bucket Lesson: If you have a significant amount of business, you will rise to the top of the bucket in almost every major market.
The Bucket Lesson: Law firms prefer to hire attorneys from top law schools. You will rise to the top of the bucket if you attended a top law school.
The Bucket Lesson: Law firms take your law school grades seriously throughout your entire career. You are more likely to stay toward the top of the bucket if your grades are good than if they are average, or poor.
The Bucket Lesson: You are more likely to rise to the top of the bucket if you are looking at more than one market in your search. By looking at multiple markets, you are far more likely to rise to the top of the bucket than if you are just looking at one market.
The Bucket Lesson: You are more likely to rise to the top of the bucket if you have the bar exam in certain regions than if you do not.
The Bucket Lesson: You will rise to the top of the bucket if you have significant ties to an area that make it look like you will stay there.
The Bucket Lesson: You will rise to the top of the bucket the more specialized you are.
The Bucket Lesson: How you look and appear will help you either rise to the top of the bucket or fall to the bottom of the bucket.
The Bucket Lesson: Being diverse is something that will help you rise to the top of the bucket.
The Bucket Lesson: You are more likely to rise to the top of the bucket if you look like someone committed to working in a law firm over the long term compared to someone who is not.
278 Reviews| Average: 4.2 out of 5
AGREE/DISAGREE? SHARE COMMENTS ANONYMOUSLY! We Want to Hear Your Thoughts! Tell Us What You Think!!
Click here to read about the benefits of being part of the BCG Attorney Search Family