Attorney Career Transition Resources

Will getting an LL.M. improve your marketability as a lateral law firm hire? READ MORE >

Are you considering leaving the big city for a secondary market? Find out the 5 factors you should consider when deciding if making the move is right for you. READ MORE >

The most successful attorneys are those who don’t limit themselves to just one market in their job search. Find out why in this article. READ MORE >

Find out if getting an LL.M. degree will help or hurt the future of your legal career in this article. READ MORE >

Learn how to present yourself to a law firm in the best light possible and increase your chances of getting the job in this article. READ MORE >

Learn why it is so important to the success of your legal job search to look at multiple markets in this article. READ MORE >

Learn what the bar admission requirements are in every state and territory of the United States. READ MORE >

Question: A secretary at your small firm, with whom you’re friendly, confides that she has found a new job in another field. She seems genuinely excited. She’s vital to the firm, and finding a replacement will take time, but she mentions she needs to work for a few more weeks before giving notice. Should you tell anyone? READ MORE >

As a recruiter, I occasionally encounter candidates who have been laid off by their firms. At most AmLaw 100 firms, the dismissal is handled in a fairly civilized manner. The candidate is taken aside and told that “things are not working out”; and that he has approximately three months to find a new position. During this three month grace period, the firm usually allows the candidate to continue to use the office, keep his profile page on the firm website, and generally maintain the appearance of employment while he pursues a new position. READ MORE >

Question: When should a job offer be considered a "firm" offer for the purpose of giving notice to your current employer?

When the offer is first made, it is usually contingent upon successful conflicts, reference and background checks. The necessary information and authorizations to do those checks are usually provided when the offer is accepted.

If neither the candidate nor the firm anticipates any problems, should the candidate assume the offer is firm at this point? Or should the candidate wait to hear back from the firm before giving notice? If that's the case, how long should the candidate wait, and how many follow-up calls should he/she make? READ MORE >

Question: I graduated from Columbia and have been working as a corporate lawyer in a big downtown firm for the last six months. For personal reasons (my significant other, whom I met only a couple of months before graduating from law school), I want to move to the Bay Area as soon as possible. I have several questions: READ MORE >

Question: I have just accepted an offer to work as an associate next fall for a major New York law firm. In the wake of the associate layoffs at other firms, I was wondering how safe my position would be if my firm decided to clean house. READ MORE >

Question: I'm an associate at a mid-sized firm. Rumor has it we are about to merge with a BIG national firm. Should the associates be worried? Don't associates normally get cut in these mergers? Is it realistic to think that the firms will display some degree of loyalty? Chances are, if I applied to the big firm directly, I wouldn't get hired. How much does that matter? READ MORE >

Question: For personal reasons I plan to relocate to Chicago in December. I am a first-year associate in Atlanta at a large regional law firm with an excellent reputation in the Southeast. I am not sure that I want to continue working at a large firm in Chicago. I am interested in a less stressful lifestyle. What opportunities are available to me? In addition, when should I start my job search if I am looking to move in December? READ MORE >

Question: I am trying to help my husband make the right decision. He was let go from his firm last week. Come to find out he was pretty much brought in to "back up" (turned out to be more like undermine) a partner who didn't want to be backed up.

Anyway, he's in tax and T&E, small firm background (two firms with top lawyers), 15 years of experience and only $70,000 in portables. As you can imagine, the firms either want someone with a lot less experience or a lot more business.

This past weekend, we talked about his options. I asked him where he wants to be in 5 years and he said he wants to be in a small firm bringing in about $200,000. I then asked how does he get there from here and his answer was to go out on his own. He is confident that he can make it work. He is developing a good referral base – accountants, other lawyers, and financial planners.

In your opinion, is this a smart move?

READ MORE >

BCG works with a number of candidates seeking to relocate from another region (typically the East Coast) to California. Part of my job is to explain what to expect during the job search and the realities of living and practicing in California. This article surveys the process of finding a position in California and life as a California attorney. READ MORE >

Everyone knows that the country’s biggest cities, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, are, not surprisingly, also the country’s biggest markets for legal employment. If you have spent your legal career to date in one of these large markets, it’s possible (if not probable) that the thought of working in a smaller market has never crossed your mind. But if you are in fact looking for a new position, you should consider living and working in a smaller market - like Philadelphia, Baltimore, Rochester, or Northern Virginia, for example – and here’s why: READ MORE >

If your firm has laid you off, but they have allowed you to maintain the appearance of employment by remaining on the website, do you disclose your true situation to your recruiter and potential future employers during your search process? There are many opinions about this topic so you may want to distill your inquiry to a few simple questions. READ MORE >