Unemployment Resources for Attorneys
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Featured article
The 'Dark Side' of Going In-house
by Harrison Barnes, Managing DirectorOpinions vary as to whether an attorney should or should not go in-house. Some attorneys believe going in-house was the best decision of their career, while others strongly disagree. This is wh... READ MORE >
Featured article
Take This GIFT for Granted and Your Legal Career Will Be Dead
by Harrison Barnes,Managing Director
Work is the life blood of an attorney’s existence. Without work, a law firm could easily find grounds to terminate a lawyer who is costing the firm money, yet has nothing to produce. Not havi... READ MORE >
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How to Explain the Employment Gap in Your Resume
By Stephen Seckler
Click here to view a collection of attorney resume and cover letter resources written by experienced legal recruiters.
Question:
In 2007, I was laid off from an in-house position due to the sale of the corporation. It was difficult for me to find a like position and I settled for a job that was not a good fit. I now have a year and one-half gap in my resume (except for a four to five month stint as a document review attorney) and the aforementioned four month employment period that failed. I am interested in your advice on approaching this period of employment instability with a prospective employer. Is there a manner to turn this tumultuous period into a positive? I realize not knowing me individually that it is difficult to individualize a succinct response to a my particular dilemma, but do you have any general advice on how to approach the formulation of a sustainable response to what appears as a weakness in my employment history? READ MORE >
Article type: Unemployment Resources for Attorneys, Timing Your Legal Job Search, Resume Resources for Attorneys
Is Taking Six Months off a Good Idea Before Resuming a Job Search?
By Jenny Van Veen
Question:
I am now in Manhattan but have always known I would ultimately relocate to the South. Now that the temperatures have dropped and the end of the year is approaching, I am ready to get out-now! As a fifth-year corporate attorney with a top firm, I know I will be in high demand, so I thought I would just take six months off, take a break, and perhaps do some contract work before I start my job search. However, someone recently warned me that the break would ultimately make my job search much more difficult. Is that true? READ MORE >
Article type: Unemployment Resources for Attorneys
As an Unemployed Associate, How Can I Best Position Myself to Get Placed with a Top Law Firm?
By Christine Gately
Question:
As an unemployed associate, how can I best position myself to get placed with a top law firm? READ MORE >
Article type: Getting Laid Off as an Attorney, Unemployment Resources for Attorneys
Does Being Long-term Unemployed Hurt Chances of Getting Back in the Legal Field?
Question:
For those attorneys who have been laid off or otherwise told that they must find alternate employment, to what extent does a period of unemployment really hurt their chances of securing their next job? READ MORE >
Article type: Getting Laid Off as an Attorney, Unemployment Resources for Attorneys
Unemployed Lawyer with Business Litigation Experience Plans to Start His Own Firm
By Claudia Barnes,General Manager, BCG Attorney Search
Question:
I am a senior (Class of 1998) business litigator who has been laid off of a small boutique firm since June 2009. I have approximately $50,000-$100,000 in portable business that I have maintained for several years now. I have interviewed with several firms in the various geographic regions that my family and I can move to; however, I have not yet received an offer. Many of the firms require more portable business. I am unable to look outside of the state due to my wife's job, and I am losing hope. There simply are not any other firms I can apply to, and I am thinking about starting my own firm. Any suggestions? READ MORE >
Article type: Unemployment Resources for Attorneys
Unemployed Lawyer Planning to Move Out-of-state Unsure About Bar Issues
By Laura Scotellaro Rusche
Question:
I am a second-year associate and was laid off from my job in March 2009. Since then, I have focused my time on finding a new job. I am completely open in terms of geography and have applied to a number of jobs in different states. I finally secured an interview with an out-of-state firm, and while I am excited at the opportunity, I am not sure how to address the fact that I am not yet barred in the state. What do you recommend? READ MORE >
Article type: Bar Exam Resources, Relocation Resources for Attorneys, Unemployment Resources for Attorneys
Career Lessons From a Law Firm Dissolution
By Stephen E. SecklerIn the coming months, the legal community will continue to speculate about what caused the demise of Testa Hurwitz and Thibeault. Some will say that it was the greed of the partners who had the best client relationships and therefore controlled the most legal work. Others will say that the firm became unglued with the death of Dick Testa, a charismatic leader who insisted that everyone work for the common good of the firm. Still others will blame the firm?s over reliance on one industry (i.e. technology). READ MORE >
Article type: Unemployment Resources for Attorneys
Coping with Losing Your Job
By Vanessa Alvarez, Esq.We regularly read and hear that "jobs for life" are disappearing and being replaced by a pattern of consecutive jobs and unpredictable career dislocations. When the time comes to face such a change on a personal level, these statistics take on a whole new meaning. READ MORE >
Article type: Getting Laid Off as an Attorney, Unemployment Resources for Attorneys
Unemployed and Looking to Increase Marketability
Question
As I currently approach my 4th month of unemployment after being laid off from a major firm, I am wondering if there is anything I can do to increase my marketability to law firms? I cannot change my past work experience or my law school credentials, obviously, but is there something else I could do that I am overlooking? READ MORE >
Article type: Unemployment Resources for Attorneys
Unemployment Resources for Attorneys
