Law Firm Interview Tips: How to Package Yourself for Career Growth

 

The #1 Secret to Getting Hired: Showing Upward Momentum

Welcome. What I am going to talk about today is an extremely important topic for your ability to get jobs. I am going to tell you how to do it. It is literally almost about just one thing. This is not the longest webinar ever, but it is going to be something that will give you a lot of very useful knowledge. Just to start, I place a lot of attorneys in law firms. I place people weekly in law firms, sometimes several times a week, and I have been doing that for twenty-six years.

A lot of times people do not necessarily understand what a good recruiter does or what a good candidate looks like when they are looking to switch firms. Anybody that is really good at recruiting does a couple of things:

• They are able to find candidates for jobs, which is very important.

• They must take someone, believe in them, and show an employer that they are on the way up.

• They demonstrate that the candidate is doing something in their career where the law firm represents an improvement to their current situation.

Meaning that person is going to a place, and they are not going backwards. They are not desperate. There are not issues with them that would be considered negative. Everything about this move and the person is moving up because people want to hire winners. They want to hire people that believe in themselves, and they do not want to hire people that seem like they are on the way down or just taking whatever they can get. For that reason, your resume and when you talk to people needs to portray you in a way that you are moving up and not down.

Good talent agents and recruiters in this profession take a candidate and shape their job search. What they try to do is show someone trying to go someplace that is an improvement. One year I sat down and wrote down all the candidates I placed. I realized that for almost all of them, I had taken them and molded them into a person that was on the way up, doing well, and going to a new place because of something they were trying to achieve in their career. Whether it was getting more focus in their practice area, making more money, or moving to a smaller firm but getting better experience and opportunities. Everybody wants to hire people that are on the way up.

   

The Psychology of Business and Law Firm Hiring

There is a very important point going beneath the surface. In business, when companies try to raise money or when people buy stocks, everybody wants to invest in things that look like they will have more value and be better over time. You have probably heard of private equity companies that invest in businesses and venture capital companies that invest in new businesses. All these organizations only do so if something looks like it is improving and growing. They do not invest in businesses where revenues are dramatically going down. They invest in things that are improving and going up.

That is how law firms and employers think about candidates. They want to believe that the person is improving and they are not weak or going down. In my experience, the majority of people I have gotten jobs for personally, I have packaged in a way where they look like they are improving. A lot of times you can do this with a resume and how you organize things, but it is ultimately about the message that the person is improving and the new law firm represents an improvement.

If you take a candidate at a top 20 US law firm making $500,000 a year with a great pedigree, and you try to put that candidate in a small law firm that pays $125,000 a year, that small law firm is probably not even going to interview them. They will ask what is wrong with this person that they are moving down so far. People avoid people that look like they are on the way down. No one wants to interact with someone on the way down.

You have to think about your career, package yourself, and interview in such a way that you are not doing that. It does not mean you always have to be on the way up, but you have to convince whoever is in charge of hiring you that you are a winner and doing well. It is the same thing with getting clients. You cannot get a client and make yourself seem weak. You have to make yourself seem strong because people want to invest in and use attorneys that look like winners.

This psychology is extremely important in dealing with businesses and trying to get attorneys jobs. If you are not able to portray yourself with enthusiasm as trying to improve and get better, you are going to have issues in your career. I had a candidate this morning who had been practicing for 10 years. I could have placed him, but he was basically saying he wanted a position where he did not have to work very much, he was sick of practicing law, and he did not like litigation anymore. That is an example of someone 10 years out that is on the way down. I talk to at least 10 attorneys every day looking for jobs. I will encounter probably 30 to 40% of those people on the way down based on the things they say. Their resumes are good enough that I want to talk to them, but a lot of people are on the way down.

I am working on a system and a business called AMI SCORE. It is a way you can evaluate your resume and experience and get input from everything I have ever written, talked about, and trained recruiters with. It has thousands of hours of knowledge on what makes people marketable. It is a good way to evaluate how you package yourself.
 

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See Related Articles:

• Attorney Interview Tips That Get You Hired: Insights from Harrison Barnes
• Ask Yourself These Questions If You Are Not Getting Job Offers, or Not Getting the Job Offers You Want
• Showing Up: The Difference Between Those Who Get Hired and Advance in Law Firms and Those Who Do Not
• Attorney Interview Secrets: How to Impress BigLaw Firms and Get Hired

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Packaging and Persuasion as an Attorney

I have spent my entire career of 27 years packaging attorneys and selling them to law firms. There is a lot of psychology going on beneath the surface when law firms hire attorneys. A lot of this is subconscious. We avoid people that seem weak, but we gravitate towards people going up that make us feel good.

If you understand this, you will be much more effective in your career and life. If you are trying to meet a significant other, make friends, or get leadership positions, are you on the way up or down? These things have everything to do with interviews, cover letters, your personal life, and how you will be perceived by clients.

Think about if you were hiring a criminal attorney. You would want someone that had represented important people, gotten people off, and was continually getting better results. Quinn Emanuel started advertising that they won 96% of the time. They put advertisements in airports because they wanted to be seen as winners. It grew the firm from 150 attorneys to 1,000 attorneys because people want to be represented by law firms that are winning.

One of the biggest advantages of self-help materials, like Tony Robbins' videos or meditation, is it gets you to believe and visualize that you can do better and grow. The goal is to become a more effective human. You should always try to be in a position where you are getting better and people see that. You stick out as someone everybody wants to work with because you are a winner. Anybody can be a winner; you just have to believe you can. Books like Think and Grow Rich tell you to change how you think about yourself. Once you give off a vibration of winning, other people want to be around you.
 

The Legal Profession and Weaknesses

Attorneys are trained to look for weaknesses and protect their clients from those weaknesses being pointed out.

• In law school, professors probe for weaknesses when they cold-call you on cases.

• When attorneys read briefs, they look for weaknesses.

• When you do transactional documents, the other side looks for weaknesses.

• When somebody sues you, they look for weaknesses.

Attorneys' jobs are to examine arguments, people, and situations for weaknesses and exploit them. The legal profession is advocacy, conflict, persuasion, finding weaknesses, and it is a sport where you take sides. Why is this important? Because this is what people are doing with you. They look at your resume to try to find weaknesses.

If you have problems, such as substance abuse, or do things people would not like hearing about, whatever you tell people professionally will be used against you. If you tell people you think are your friends at work personal information, they will tell others. You have to be very careful about talking about your weaknesses.

Good attorneys will get their clients off and use every available argument. They argue aggressively even for people that admitted a serious wrongdoing. Attorneys do not respect other attorneys that do not make a good effort for their clients or speak negatively about them. Attorneys hide weaknesses of their clients, avoid them, change the conversation, and argue around them.

You have to advocate in interviews and represent yourself the way you would a client. You must be aggressive, make the best arguments, and respond in a positive way that makes the interviewer want to advance you. You present yourself as competent, strong, and reliable. You do not lead with weaknesses.
 

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See Related Articles:

• Ultimate Guide to Law Firm Interview Preparation & BigLaw Interview Tips
• Interview Preparation Techniques
• Off-the-Record Interview Tips from Law Firm Interviewers
• Top 10 Interview Questions During Your Law Firm Interview

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Structuring Your Interview Narrative

When applying, you must think of yourself as the client. You find every argument to help yourself, reach out to anyone that could potentially hire you, and review your resume carefully. You do not lead with uncertainty.

Employers always ask why you are looking for a new job and what happened at your previous employer. You must package your answer to look strong. Saying "it wasn't a good fit" is not the best answer because it could mean you got fired or do not get along with people. Saying you got laid off does not look like you are on the way up either.

Better answers include:

• The firm did not have enough work, but I was the highest biller.

• I want to get better transactional experience and work on a wider variety of transactions.

• I would like to be in a position where I can potentially go to trial.

• I want to work on larger clients.

Gaps in your resume, being unemployed, or having too many jobs in a short period look negative. I saw a resume this morning with a series of jobs lasting two, three, and six months. That does not look like someone on the way up. You need to look like an investable product. Law firms commit to paying you money and need to believe you will do a good job and be reliable.

If you did not go to the greatest law school, you can say, "Because of this, I believe I need to work harder and will live, breathe, eat, and sleep this job." This turns a potential weakness into a strength showing you are improving.
 

The S-Curve Modifier in Careers

In business, the S-curve modifier describes businesses that start, grow, taper off, and begin to go down as they encounter resistance. Resistance could be competitors or market saturation. Most businesses eventually go out of business unless they innovate.

Careers are also affected by this economic model. People start their careers, grow, do better, make more money, and then at some point they get tired or encounter resistance. Some attorneys start at a large firm, show they do not have what it takes, and go down quickly. Others face resistance later, whether as summer associates, seventh-year associates, or partners. There is always pressure because other people are trying to succeed.

The challenge is growing yourself under this curve. You must consistently portray yourself as growing. Once things look like they are no longer growing or reversing, people become cautious. Attorneys are most marketable between their second and sixth years because they are presumed to be hungry to advance. When an attorney hits a wall and has to leave, they are viewed as going down. Older attorneys without business are often ignored because they are no longer growing.

It does not matter where you went to law school or if you failed the bar. One attorney I respect failed the bar, started at a smaller law firm, gave it everything, and eventually became a partner in a top-five prestigious law firm. You can reverse a decline at any point. An older attorney asked to leave his firm brought in a massive case resulting in millions in revenue, turning his career around immediately.
 

Reversing a Downward Career Trajectory

If a company's revenues go down, they can redesign products, bundle them, lower prices, find new customers, or expand geographically. If you are not getting a position, you have options too. You can package your resume differently, apply to more places, or look in different markets.

Ways to package your career transition positively include:

• Moving to a smaller firm for more responsibility and a better partnership path.

• Moving to a larger firm for bigger clients and better training.

• Moving from a small city to a larger market for bigger matters.

• Transitioning from a litigation firm to a full-service firm to refer matters and make more money.

• Moving from a single-office firm to a national firm to share work across cities.

Interviewing at a firm that pays more or is in a bigger market inherently looks like you are moving up. You can also sell your services to in-house jobs or public interest roles. One of the easiest ways to advance your career is moving to a geographic location where you are originally from, as firms see you as established and likely to stay.

You must constantly evaluate if you are moving upward or downward. Think about what environment enables you to improve. You have to look like someone who is not declining or coasting. Not growing is not enjoyable, but growing is exciting because you make more money, gain responsibility, and become attractive to employers and clients.
 

 

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Questions and Answers

 

Law Student Interviews

Question: During OCI, how can I answer why I want to work at a firm in a way that helps me stand out from other law students?

When employers interview law students, they know you do not know much of what is going on. They interview you because of your grades or things they like on your resume. If you have compelling reasons for wanting to be in a certain practice area or do certain types of work, that can be very effective. You must have a motivation, like admiring the profile of the people, liking the work they do, or believing it is the best firm in that market. However, law firms are not as concerned with what you say as how you make them feel. It is more about your overall personality, if you click with the firm, and your grades.

 

Overcoming Reputational Crises

Question: I tried to blow the whistle on a fake lawyer I used to work for, and he orchestrated a smear campaign against me with the press. What steps should I take to market myself out of a reputational crisis?

The good news is that most of that stuff goes away in the future as people forget about it. Reputation sites can build positive articles and links so your social media profiles look better. People rise above negative things all the time; even attorneys who get their bar license suspended come back. Push forward and let your record speak for itself. You may have to start at a smaller firm or start your own practice. The most important thing is to remain inspired and continue pushing forward when others would quit.

 

Re-entering the Workforce

Question: How do you adjust packaging for someone who has been out of the workforce for a decade to reflect the upswing in the S curve?

You often have to get someone to take a chance on you. You have to portray yourself as someone people would be willing to invest in, stating you are ready to work the rest of your career. Oftentimes, that means working for smaller employers for a length of time and moving up from there. You have to start somewhere before you can go anywhere.

 

Evaluating Firm Offers

Question: As a law student, how can I evaluate whether a higher-paying law firm offer is actually better for my long-term career prospects?

You want to get your first jobs in the best law firms you can. The training will be better, and the largest law firms have the largest clients who can afford to spend money to be thorough. Working around the smartest attorneys on the biggest matters benefits you tremendously. You always want to go to the best firm possible as a young attorney. After getting training, you can go to other or smaller firms later if you like.

 

Explaining Reasons for Leaving

Question: How should I answer why I am leaving my current law firm in an interview?

The reasons you give must be geared toward trying to improve or going into an environment that helps you grow. You can say the firm does not have enough work, you want to work with larger clients, or you want to be more specialized in your practice area. You can also say you want to work in a different market, work closer to home, or that you admire their firm. You do not want to mention being asked to leave or having problems getting along.

 

Discussing Salary Expectations

Question: How do I answer salary expectations without pricing myself out of a job?

State that you would like to be compensated at the level other people at your level are being compensated at their firm, or competitively with the market. Add that you are more concerned about the quality of work and the environment than the salary. Avoid giving an exact amount because you might get less than they were willing to offer or price yourself out entirely. Your goal is to get the offer first. Once you have the offer, you can negotiate or leverage it with other firms.

 

Addressing Weaknesses

Question: How do attorneys answer the question, "What are your greatest weaknesses?"

You typically state something perceived as a strength but frame it as a weakness. You can say you are very detail-oriented and spend too long on things, or that you are a hard worker who puts too much into things instead of resting. Slant it to look like you try hard and care deeply. Ultimately, law firms are not judging you heavily on this; they hire people they like and find competent.
 

Marketing as an Older Attorney

Question: I am sixty-four years old with experience in medical negligence and PI litigation. The managing partner let me go because the cases required more investment than he wanted. How do I market myself as an older attorney?

You are in a good position because there are many PI and medical malpractice firms in every city. While some employers avoid older attorneys fearing they will not work as hard or will resent authority, you can easily apply to many firms. Small firms often have a lot of work and need experienced people who can handle trials or manage associates. Search for firms in your market and send unsolicited applications to the owners explaining your experience.
 

Managing Online Reputation

Question: How can attorneys handle a bad online review for violating ethics rules?

You can approach the person who left the review and ask them to take it down. The other option is to encourage other people to leave positive reviews. If people see one bad review alongside a bunch of positive ones, they are more likely to discount the negative review.
 

Resume Review for Law Firms

Question: How should law firms sort through large volumes of attorney resumes?

Employers usually look at several factors. First, they ask if you can do the job and if you have the experience. Next, they look for a pattern of stability to see if you will commit. They also check if you appear manageable and actually want to work there. Ultimately, the majority of hiring decisions rely heavily on whether the interviewer likes you, which can come down to shared backgrounds, schools, or referrals.
 

Transitioning from Legal Staff

Question: What career path should an attorney follow if they want to be an attorney in the future while currently legal staff?

Working as a paralegal or legal staff is fine and shows stability. However, do not spend too much time as a staff member before going to law school; get started as quickly as possible.
 

Presenting Foreign Experience

Question: I have 15 years of foreign experience and relocated to the US, successfully completing the bar. How do I present this period to avoid it looking like a gap?

The gap is easy to explain as a transition to a new country where you plan to excel. Your bigger challenge is showing how your foreign experience translates to a US employer's needs. Law firms typically prefer hiring junior attorneys or senior attorneys with a book of business. You will have an easier time applying to smaller law firms or seeking in-house corporate roles where your overseas experience might translate better.
 

Applying as a Junior Attorney

Question: Should I apply to jobs requiring two to three years of experience when I am just starting?

Absolutely. You should apply everywhere you possibly can, including places without listed openings. The more places you apply, the more likely you are to get a job. Most law students get jobs by sending unsolicited applications.
 

Translating Practice Areas

Question: How do you emphasize criminal litigation as translating to civil litigation?

You must be honest about your experience; you cannot change your resume to say you did civil litigation if you did criminal litigation. Criminal litigation involves different rules. However, you can still apply to places that need civil litigators and highlight your broader litigation skills.

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About Harrison Barnes

The Architect of the Hidden Legal Job Market

For most lawyers, an attorney job search begins with public job postings, law firm websites, and job boards. Harrison Barnes knows that the best opportunities are often found elsewhere—in the hidden legal job market, where confidential firm needs, quiet practice expansions, and customized roles are never publicly advertised.

As the Founder and CEO of BCG Attorney Search, Harrison has spent more than 25 years helping attorneys access opportunities before they reach the public market. He understands that law firms often hire strategically and confidentially, especially when seeking highly marketable lateral talent, replacing underperformers, or expanding key practice areas.

Harrison’s insight into law firm recruiting comes from firsthand legal experience. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, a former federal law clerk, and a former associate at Quinn Emanuel. Early in his career, he saw that traditional legal recruiting was often reactive and overly dependent on posted openings.

To change that, Harrison built BCG Attorney Search into one of the most comprehensive legal recruiting platforms in the country. Over the past two and a half decades, he has invested heavily in proprietary law firm intelligence, attorney market data, and a nationwide recruiting team. This infrastructure helps identify legal career opportunities before they become visible to most candidates.

Harrison and his team do more than match resumes to job descriptions. They help attorneys understand their legal career options, improve their marketability, and position themselves as solutions to a law firm’s specific needs. Whether advising a junior associate, a senior associate, counsel, or a partner, Harrison focuses on aligning each attorney’s strengths with the right firm, platform, and long-term career path.

Through this approach, Harrison has helped place attorneys in thousands of law firms nationwide, from Am Law 100 firms to specialized boutiques and growing regional practices. His work has helped attorneys make career moves that many believed were impossible.

Today, Harrison Barnes is recognized as one of the legal industry’s leading recruiters and career strategists. His legal career advice, articles, webinars, podcasts, and resources such as The Legal Career Insider Substack are followed by attorneys across the country.

Harrison believes the best legal careers are built by finding doors others cannot see. Through BCG Attorney Search, he gives attorneys access to the hidden market—and helps them move toward the career they truly want.

This breadth of placements is unheard of in the legal recruiting industry and is a testament to his extraordinary ability to connect attorneys with the right firms, regardless of market size or practice area.

Proven Success at All Levels

With over 25 years of experience, Harrison has successfully placed attorneys at over 1,000 law firms, including:

• Top Am Law 100 firms such including Sullivan and Cromwell, and almost every AmLaw 100 and AmLaw 200 law firm.
• Elite boutique firms with specialized practices
• Mid-sized firms looking to expand their practice areas
• Growing firms in small and rural markets

He has also placed hundreds of law firm partners and has worked on firm and practice area mergers, helping law firms strategically grow their teams.

Unmatched Commitment to Attorney Success - The Story of BCG Attorney Search

Harrison Barnes is not just the most effective legal recruiter in the country, he is also the founder of BCG Attorney Search, a recruiting powerhouse that has helped thousands of attorneys transform their careers. His vision for BCG goes beyond just job placement; it is built on a mission to provide attorneys with opportunities they would never have access to otherwise. Unlike traditional recruiting firms, BCG Attorney Search operates as a career partner, not just a placement service. The firm's unparalleled resources, including a team of over 150 employees, enable it to offer customized job searches, direct outreach to firms, and market intelligence that no other legal recruiting service provides. Attorneys working with Harrison and BCG gain access to hidden opportunities, real-time insights on firm hiring trends, and guidance from a team that truly understands the legal market. You can read more about how BCG Attorney Search revolutionizes legal recruiting here: The Story of BCG Attorney Search and What We Do for You.

The Most Trusted Career Advisor for Attorneys

Harrison's legal career insights are the most widely followed in the profession.

• His articles on BCG Search alone are read by over 150,000 attorneys per month, making his guidance the most sought-after in the legal field. Read his latest insights here.
• He has conducted hundreds of hours of career development webinars, available here: Harrison Barnes Webinar Replays.
• His placement success is unmatched-see examples here: Harrison Barnes' Attorney Placements.
• He has created numerous comprehensive career development courses, including BigLaw Breakthrough, designed to help attorneys land positions at elite law firms.

Submit Your Resume to Work with Harrison Barnes

If you are serious about advancing your legal career and want access to the most sought-after law firm opportunities, Harrison Barnes is the most powerful recruiter to have on your side.

Submit your resume today to start working with him: Submit Resume Here

With an unmatched track record of success, a vast team of over 150 dedicated employees, and a reach into every market and practice area, Harrison Barnes is the recruiter who makes career transformations happen and has the talent and resources behind him to make this happen.

A Relentless Commitment to Attorney Success

Unlike most recruiters who work with only a narrow subset of attorneys, Harrison Barnes works with lawyers at all stages of their careers, from junior associates to senior partners, in every practice area imaginable. His placements are not limited to only those with "elite" credentials-he has helped thousands of attorneys, including those who thought it was impossible to move firms, find their next great opportunity.

Harrison's work is backed by a team of over 150 professionals who work around the clock to uncover hidden job opportunities at law firms across the country. His team:

• Finds and creates job openings that aren't publicly listed, giving attorneys access to exclusive opportunities.
• Works closely with candidates to ensure their resumes and applications stand out.
• Provides ongoing guidance and career coaching to help attorneys navigate interviews, negotiations, and transitions successfully.

This level of dedicated support is unmatched in the legal recruiting industry.

A Legal Recruiter Who Changes Lives

Harrison believes that every attorney-no matter their background, law school, or previous experience-has the potential to find success in the right law firm environment. Many attorneys come to him feeling stuck in their careers, underpaid, or unsure of their next steps. Through his unique ability to identify the right opportunities, he helps attorneys transform their careers in ways they never thought possible.

He has worked with:

• Attorneys making below-market salaries who went on to double or triple their earnings at new firms.
• Senior attorneys who believed they were "too experienced" to make a move and found better roles with firms eager for their expertise.
• Attorneys in small or remote markets who assumed they had no options-only to be placed at strong firms they never knew existed.
• Partners looking for a better platform or more autonomy who successfully transitioned to firms where they could grow their practice.

For attorneys who think their options are limited, Harrison Barnes has proven time and time again that opportunities exist-often in places they never expected.

Submit Your Resume Today - Start Your Career Transformation

If you want to explore new career opportunities, Harrison Barnes and BCG Attorney Search are your best resources. Whether you are looking for a BigLaw position, a boutique firm, or a move to a better work environment, Harrison's expertise will help you take control of your future.

👉 Submit Your Resume Here to get started with Harrison Barnes today.

Harrison's reach, experience, and proven results make him the best legal recruiter in the industry. Don't settle for an average recruiter-work with the one who has changed the careers of thousands of attorneys and can do the same for you.

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.