The Best Time for Associates to Move Law Firms: A Strategic Guide for Lateral Success

 

Why Midlevel Associates Are the Sweet Spot: Timing Your Move at 2–6 Years

The best time for most associates to move firms is during their midlevel years—between 2–3 and 5–6 years of experience. Why? Midlevel associates are highly marketable for several reasons:

• Deep Practice Area Knowledge: By your third to sixth year, you’ve mastered your practice area—whether it’s corporate transactions, litigation, or intellectual property. You can handle complex tasks independently and take on a broader range of work than junior associates, making you a valuable asset to any firm.
• Reasonable Billing Rates: Unlike senior associates (seventh- or eighth-years), whose rates creep closer to partner levels, midlevels still bill at rates clients find palatable—often $400–$600 per hour versus $800+ for seniors. This affordability keeps you in demand for substantive work.
• Upward Trajectory Appeal: Firms, especially BigLaw, love midlevels who’ve moved to progressively better firms over 1–2-year stints. It shows ambition and adaptability without suggesting instability.

For example, if you’ve been at your current firm for six months, moving now is premature. Wait until you hit 12–24 months—ideally closer to two years. This tenure lets you build a solid track record while keeping you in that marketable midlevel window. Start your search around the one-year mark to land a role by your second year, ensuring you’re seen as experienced yet hungry to grow.

Key Takeaway: Move between your third and sixth years—after at least 12–24 months at your current firm—to leverage your skills and billing appeal.
Your tenure at your current firm shapes how hiring partners perceive you. Here’s the breakdown:

• Less Than a Year: Too soon. Firms question your stability and wonder if there’s a problem with your work. You might get interviews, but skepticism looms.
• One Year: The safe minimum. It proves you can commit and gives you enough experience to showcase on your resume. For midlevels, this is a viable jumping-off point.
• Two Years or More: The gold standard. Staying 2–3 years demonstrates reliability and lets you tackle significant matters—think high-stakes litigation or major deals. A resume with three years at one firm and two at your current one builds trust with BigLaw recruiters.

Each move should reflect an upward trajectory—better firms, bigger roles. A midlevel associate staying two years at a midsize firm before targeting an Am Law 100 giant is far more appealing than one hopping annually.


Action Step: Aim for 1–2 years to balance experience with opportunity, targeting your move before you hit your seventh year.

The Stability Factor: Why It Matters (and When It Hurts)

Stability is a cornerstone of lateral success—but it’s a balancing act.
 

Pros of Stability

• Inspires Confidence: A 2–3-year tenure per firm reassures hiring partners you’re not a flight risk. They’ll assume your work is strong and you’re a team player.
• Builds Expertise: Longer stays let you dive deep into complex cases, enhancing your transferable skills—crucial for impressing BigLaw.

 

Cons of Staying Too Long

• Stagnation Risk: Beyond 2–3 years without growth (e.g., no new responsibilities), you might look complacent, not ambitious.
• Business Pressure: At smaller firms, staying past your midlevel years can lead firms to expect a book of business—tricky if you’re eyeing BigLaw without clients.

Balance Tip: Stay long enough to shine (1–2 years), then move before you’re typecast or overburdened with partner-level expectations.

Midlevel Marketability vs. Junior and Senior Associates

Not all associates are created equal in the lateral market. Here’s why midlevels stand out—and why juniors and seniors face hurdles.
 

Why Midlevels Excel (2–6 Years)

• Versatility: You understand your practice area and can handle diverse tasks with minimal supervision—unlike juniors who need hand-holding.

• Cost-Effective: Your billing rates are reasonable, making you a go-to for clients and partners who balk at senior or partner rates.

 

Junior Associates: Less Marketable (1–2 Years)

• Training Required: First- and second-year associates often lack the skills to work independently, requiring costly oversight from seniors or partners.
• Not Yet Profitable: Most first-years don’t generate enough revenue to offset their salaries and training—making them a liability, not an asset, in the lateral market. Firms prefer to hire fresh graduates than poach unproven juniors.

 

Senior Associates: Fading Appeal (7–8+ Years)

• High Billing Rates: By your seventh or eighth year, your rates approach partner levels (e.g., $700–$900/hour), but clients and partners prefer to give work to actual partners with established relationships.
• Work Drought: This mismatch often leaves senior associates underutilized—prompting firms to push them out if they don’t make partner or bring business. It’s why most seniors are asked to leave rather than retained.

Insight: Midlevels hit the sweet spot—skilled yet affordable—while juniors need too much investment and seniors cost too much for their output.

Developing Business: Pros, Cons, and Timing

Should you build a book of business before moving? It’s a smart long-term play, but context matters—especially when transitioning from smaller firms to BigLaw.
 

Pros of Starting Early

• Boosts Marketability: Even a modest $100K–$200K book shows initiative—a huge plus for any firm. Midlevels who generate business stand out.
• Future Leverage: As I often tell associates, “When you have clients, firms work for you.” You gain support—associates, paralegals—and portability to any firm.

 

Cons of Early Business Development

• Client Mismatch: At smaller firms, your clients likely have lower rates or simpler needs—rarely transferable to BigLaw’s Fortune 500 clientele. Firms won’t hire you for that roster.
• BigLaw Challenges: As a midlevel in a large firm, landing clients is tough. Major companies prefer partners with titles and networks, not associates. You’d need to become an income partner first—a step BigLaw delays until you prove yourself.

 

Strategic Timing

• Smaller Firms: Start small now. A modest book proves potential without delaying your move.
• BigLaw: Focus on skills first. Midlevel hires are valued for expertise, not clients—save serious business development for after you’ve secured the platform.

Takeaway: Build business where you are, but don’t let it stall your midlevel move—BigLaw wants your work product now, not your Rolodex.

 

Income Partners: Why Firms Create Them and Why Partners Win at Business

BigLaw often hires senior associates as income partners—a non-equity role with a partner title but no ownership stake. Why?

• Testing Ground: Firms use this title to assess your potential for equity partnership. They expect you to develop business within 2–3 years, proving you can contribute to the bottom line.
• Client Appeal: The “partner” label makes you more credible to clients than an associate title, easing business generation slightly.

 

Why Partners Get Business Easier

• Authority and Trust: Clients—especially corporate giants—prefer partners with established reputations and networks. A sixth-year associate pitching to a CEO lacks the gravitas a partner carries.
• Firm Support: Partners get priority staffing and marketing resources, amplifying their ability to land big accounts—resources midlevels rarely access.

For midlevels moving to BigLaw, becoming an income partner is a distant goal. Focus on landing the role first—business expectations come later.

Smaller Firms to BigLaw: A Proven Path

Moving from a midsize firm to BigLaw is a classic upward move—and midlevels are prime candidates.

• Hunger Stands Out: BigLaw loves smaller-firm attorneys who are motivated to prove themselves, often outworking peers who started in elite firms.
• Skills Matter More: You don’t need business yet—just sophisticated experience (e.g., major cases or deals) to show you can handle BigLaw’s pace.

Challenge: Seek the biggest matters at your current firm. Smaller firms may lack high-profile work, so collaborate with top partners to bridge the gap.

Action Plan: Making Your Move

• Timing: Start looking after 12 months, aiming to move by 18–24 months—before your seventh year.
• Resume: Tackle complex matters and work with senior partners to showcase sophistication.
• Work Hard: High hours and big wins make your experience undeniable in interviews.
• Guidance: Leverage recruiters like BCG Attorney Search for tailored advice and firm connections.

Conclusion: Seize Your Midlevel Moment

The best time for associates to move firms is as a midlevel—between 2–6 years, ideally after 1–2 years at your current role. You’re skilled, affordable, and primed to shine at a better firm. Juniors lack profitability, seniors face billing hurdles, and midlevels strike the perfect balance. Build your resume, weigh business development, and time your move before seventh-year pressures mount. Your next step could land you in BigLaw—or beyond.

Ready to advance? Start planning now—your midlevel window won’t last forever.

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About Harrison Barnes

No legal recruiter in the United States has placed more attorneys at top law firms across every practice area than Harrison Barnes. His unmatched expertise, industry connections, and proven placement strategies have made him the most influential legal career advisor for attorneys seeking success in Big Law, elite boutiques, mid-sized firms, small firms, firms in the largest and smallest markets, and in over 350 separate practice areas.

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About BCG Attorney Search

BCG Attorney Search matches attorneys and law firms with unparalleled expertise and drive, while achieving results. Known globally for its success in locating and placing attorneys in law firms of all sizes, BCG Attorney Search has placed thousands of attorneys in law firms in thousands of different law firms around the country. Unlike other legal placement firms, BCG Attorney Search brings massive resources of over 150 employees to its placement efforts locating positions and opportunities its competitors simply cannot. Every legal recruiter at BCG Attorney Search is a former successful attorney who attended a top law school, worked in top law firms and brought massive drive and commitment to their work. BCG Attorney Search legal recruiters take your legal career seriously and understand attorneys. For more information, please visit www.BCGSearch.com.