Hiring Decisions for Law Firms

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Has your firm been hiring new associates who seem to meet your criteria in the hope that they'll learn and improve and still be with the firm when its time to make partnership decisions? Rather than hoping, now may be the time to identify the competencies your law firm needs. Then you can teach lawyer/interviewers to uncover the desired behaviors that will create a legal workforce that can develop those competencies and is reliable, productive, and stable. READ MORE >

While the desire of your firm to land a promising lateral may be nigh overwhelming, caution is the watchword. Consider this cautionary tale before your firm rushes to retain even its most prized prospect: "Hiring is up, yet my firm seems to be riding into these unions with blinders on," one law firm leader confides, explaining her firm's lateral hiring strategy. "I'll wager that one out of two will end up being a drag on the firm's profits and morale." READ MORE >

For the World’s Largest Collection of Law Firm Interview Resources Click Here

While law firms' lateral hiring pace is likely to slow somewhat this year as many begin refocusing on first-year recruiting, most data suggest that attracting and retaining top laterals in hot practice areas will remain a priority for law firm leaders for some time to come. READ MORE >

Going in for a lateral partner recruitment involves looking into a lot of details and making sure that all the mundane but necessary details are taken care of. Here is a short checklist and a questionnaire put together by BCG Attorney Search that you can use to help you in this process. READ MORE >

Today, most lateral associates enter their new firms with the understanding that the position is actually an opportunity to audition for the role of partner. In the best-case scenario, at the end of the experience, firms are able to identify those with the skills needed to enhance firm profits and advance in a reasonable amount of time. In BCG Attorney Search's estimation, it's always prudent for law firm leaders re-evaluate the traits their individual organizations find desirable—particularly since such characteristics are apt to change along with the firm's needs. Developing an informal list and then checking potential lateral hires against it can help firms avoid serious financial implications caused when a once-promising prospect later turns out to be a ''bad fit.'' READ MORE >

In every law firm there is a period during the year when the tension rises in anticipation of the announcement of new admissions to the equity. The period in many firms is characterized by high levels of secrecy, hurried meetings behind closed doors and a sense of political gamesmanship. 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 >

Far too many legal-hiring organizations fail to hire stars because their hiring process actually prevents superstar candidates from ever getting in the door. By reviewing the following list of suggestions for organizing and streamlining your approach to hiring, you should be able to maximize your chances of hiring the star candidates who may have eluded your recruiting efforts in the past. READ MORE >

Summary Law firm hiring managers looking to add lateral candidates to their team should know the best practices for effectively interviewing them. An understanding of the candidate's experience and goals is essential to the success of any lateral hire, and the interview process should reflect that. A successful lateral hire has the potential to add value to the firm as well as be a great fit culturally, so it is important to get it right.

First, ensure that the interview team is thoroughly prepared. The team interviewing the candidate should be familiar with the candidate's resume and have a clear understanding of the skills, experience, and goals they are looking for. It is beneficial to have the candidate's references and work product available for review during the interview process.

Once the interview team is prepared, the interview should begin. Firms should consider including a mix of structured and unstructured questions in the interview process. Structured questions can help to facilitate a conversation focused on the facts, whereas unstructured questions can offer a chance to gain insight into the candidate's personality.

When considering the content of the interview questions, it is important to focus on the candidate's experience and career goals. For example, questions can explore what the candidate has accomplished with past employers and what they hope to accomplish in the future. It is also important to assess the candidate's overall fit for the firm by discussing their knowledge of the firm, their values, and the vision they have for their future professional path.

Beyond the questions posed, the interview team should also be paying attention to the answers the candidate provides. They should pay attention to both the content of the responses and the manner in which the candidate expresses themselves.

Finally, it is beneficial to have a mix of feedback from the interview team. After the interviews are complete, the team members should discuss what they heard from the candidate as well as their impressions of the interviewee. This collective feedback process can help the team to understand if the candidate could fit in with the existing team.

In conclusion, the lateral hiring process is an important part of any law firm's recruitment strategy. Interviewers should be prepared and the interview should include a mix of structured and unstructured questions to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the candidate's experience, goals, and fit. Additionally, the interview team should work together to provide collective feedback on the candidate and help make the best hiring decision.

For the World’s Largest Collection of Law Firm Interview Resources Click Here

Numerous books, articles, and training materials have been written on the subject of how to successfully interview for a job. Most of this information is geared toward the job candidate, instructing him or her to dress professionally, arrive on time, anticipate difficult questions and prepare responses, maintain eye contact, avoid slouching, and generally make the best impression on potential employers. READ MORE >

BCG has just released its annual publication, The BCG Attorney Search Guide to Class Ranking Distinction and Law Review Admission at America's Top 50 Law Schools. The book is designed to help hiring personnel at law firms to have a way to gauge the law school performances of their applicants with a concise comparative tool, and this year's edition makes that task easier than ever. By expanding the book to include 25 more schools and including more information on each school than last year, we have worked very hard to make sure we can answer every possible question about all the top law schools. READ MORE >