Attorney Career Transition Resources | BCGSearch.com

Attorney Career Transition Resources

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147 articles

  • Is an LL.M. a Good Idea for Everyone?

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

  • Should I Lateral to a Secondary Market? 5 Factors to Help You Decide

    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 >

  • Top 10 Reasons Attorneys Should Look at Multiple Markets in Their Job Search

    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 >

  • Comprehensive Guide to Eligibility of Foreign Attorneys to Waive into Different State Bars

    Learn more about which US states and territories allow foreign attorneys to waive into the bar and what their requirements are in this comprehensive guide. READ MORE >

  • Why Relocating to a Different Market Is the Greatest (But Little Known) Way for a Law Firm Attorney to Get Ahead in the Legal Profession

    Learn 9 reasons moving to another market as a law firm attorney is the ultimate way to get ahead in your career. READ MORE >

  • Top 10 Reasons Attorneys Trained in Major New York City Law Firms Command the Most Respect from the Market

    Want to be at the top of the legal profession? You should work at a major New York City law firm if you want to learn how to get there. READ MORE >

  • Beware! Once You Start Working in a Law Firm, If You Leave You Will Almost Certainly Not Be Able to Return

    Thinking about leaving your current firm? Read this article before you do. READ MORE >

  • Is an LL.M. Degree Worth It?

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

  • Simplifying the Complications in Your Story

    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 >

  • Why Every Attorney Should Look at Multiple Legal Markets When Doing a Job Search

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

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  • State by State Bar Admission Requirements

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

  • A Comprehensive Guide to Bar Reciprocity: What States Have Reciprocity for Lawyers and Allow You to Waive into the Bar

    Have you passed the bar in one state and want to work in another? Find out what your options are in this article. READ MORE >

  • If Someone's Giving Notice Soon, Should You Tell the Tale?

    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 >

  • How to Handle a Big Law Layoff

    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 >

  • Should I Give Notice Right after Accepting a Job Offer from a Law Firm?

    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 >

  • How Can I Make Moving to the West Coast from a New York Law Firm Easier?

    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 >

  • How Likely Am I to Be Laid Off as a New Junior Associate in a Law Firm?

    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 >

  • As an Associate, Should I Worry about Getting Laid Off during a Merger?

    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 >

  • When Should I Start My Job Search If I Am Looking to Move in December?

    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 >

  • What Reason Should I Give for Not Transferring to Another Branch Office with My Firm?

    Question: I am currently a second-year associate at a national firm in Boston. Though my grades were very average, I interviewed with the firm when the economy was booming, and was hired as a summer student. I should also mention that I graduated from a very high ranking law school.

    I recently became engaged to an investment banker in New York. I asked the managing partner of my Boston firm about the possibilities of transferring to the New York office. He said not to worry, and set me up with the New York office for a round of interviews.

    Unfortunately, the New York office will not hire me. I have not been given any reasons, either by the New York office of my firm, or from anyone in Boston.

    The immediate fallout from this is that some of the partners in my own department have stopped giving me assignments, saying that they do not want to waste their time with me since my goal is to be in New York. A few partners insisted that I be kept on because my work is good. So, for the moment, I still have a job.

    I still want to move to New York, and have been quietly looking at other firms there. However, the few interviews that I have had with large national firms have not been successful. Everyone asks me why I do not just transfer to the New York office of my Boston firm. My response is that the firms don't, as a matter of practice, transfer junior associates around that easily. This answer is difficult to swallow for firms that do, in fact, transfer people around. What should I tell firms when they ask why I just don’t transfer to the New York office of my current firm?     READ MORE >

  • Should My Spouse Start His Own Practice after Being Let Go?

    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 >

  • Practicing Law in California

    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 >

  • The Benefits to Living and Working in a Smaller Market

    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 >

  • What to Tell Your Recruiter after You’ve Been Laid Off

    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 >

147 articles

Attorney Career Transition Resources

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