| SUMMARY |
Looking for a permanent law position? Here's how to navigate the market and increase your hiring chances. Show employers, you are dedicated to the firm, committed to living in the country, and specialize in a single, in-demand practice area. If you have more than six years of experience, prove that you have a portable business. To maximize your chances of success, take the bar exam in the state where you intend to work and use LawCrossing to find your dream job. With these tips, you can be sure that a legal recruiter will have no trouble finding you an ideal position.
| QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS ARTICLE |
- What must I demonstrate to secure a permanent law position as an associate?
You must show a law firm that you are committed to working in a single practice setting, have experience in a highly specialized area or work in an in-demand practice area, and be able to generate business if you have more than six years of experience.
- How can I prove to hiring managers that I am enthusiastic about hard work?
Show employers, you have an eagerness and enthusiasm for hard work, even if you have less than a year of experience. Explain the circumstances why you are applying for a position early in your career.
- What is the best way to find a permanent law position as an associate or partner?
Using a legal recruiter is the best way to find a permanent law position as an associate or partner. Additionally, you must meet the six criteria that make you marketable for this role to be successful
- How can I ensure I am marketable in a law position?
You should take the bar exam, get accepted in the state where you intend to work, and demonstrate your skills and expertise so that you are not seen as a liability.
- What is LawCrossing?
LawCrossing is an online resource that helps you to find your dream job. It monitors law firms, public interest, in-house, government, and other employers for positions. LawCrossing gives you complete access to the market and the best jobs out there.
Working with the country’s top legal recruiter in a competitive job market can be a tremendous asset. Legal recruiting firms like BCG Attorney Search can take the stress out of finding a job in the law industry. In addition, you may be able to land a lucrative new position you thought was out of your reach.
However, working with a legal recruiting firm isn’t for every law graduate or associate wanting to become a partner. The best legal recruiters look for suitable candidates to place in permanent positions in the country’s top law firms. Their reputation is on the line, and they will not accept anyone.
This article is for you if you want a permanent law position as an associate or partner. You will learn the six criteria to help improve your search for your dream law job. In addition, you will find helpful advice on how to meet the criteria. After reading this article, you will be better positioned to further your law career.
Why Choose Legal Recruiter BCG Attorney Search?
A legal recruiter understands the hiring trends in the legal profession. Recruiters have valuable insights and contacts in the industry that attorneys or law students lack. Additionally, a good legal recruiter has relationships with firms and can expertly match your skill set and background to the most suitable jobs for you.
It’s vital to remember that a legal recruiter works for you. They will put a significant amount of time into finding suitable new positions in law firms you can apply for. Therefore, using a recruiter can help make your job search more successful.
For example, BCG Attorney Search has helped tens of thousands of candidates get positions as associates or partners in big law firms. We do this because we know what it takes to make legal professionals marketable for the best law positions. We also have a vast network of legal professionals and prestigious law firms looking for the right candidate.
But what makes BCG Attorney Search so successful? We stick to six strict criteria when taking on candidates. You may be surprised to learn that these factors don’t depend on where you went to law school or which city you are in. We can place candidates in the right law positions based on our criteria.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself:
- Do you want to get more interviews?
- Do you want to further your law career to make more money?
- Do you want to find a better job than your current one without the stress of applying to many law firms?
- Are you planning to make a lateral move to get a better attorney job?
If so, please continue reading to see if you meet our six criteria for a permanent position as an associate or partner in a top law firm. But if you currently don’t meet the criteria, learn how to improve the job search process to get a new job in the largest law firms.
Six Criteria How Legal Recruiters Help You Find a Permanent Law Job as Associate or Partner
Working with good legal recruiters is the best way to further your law career. Legal recruiters can help update your resume, prepare for interviews, and find law job openings you didn’t know existed. Ultimately, a good recruiter saves you time in your job search because they can match your experience to current job offers.However, 95 percent of people in the recruitment industry do not understand the recruiting process and the six basics of making successful placements. Six criteria will always make you marketable in the legal industry.
- You are currently a full-time associate or partner.
- You have stability working in a primary practice area.
But suppose you don’t have a primary practice area. In that case, it helps if you have a portable business you can bring to the firm will be an asset.
- You are a US citizen with a JD degree.
In my experience, firms in the legal industry don’t want to consider associates who may need sponsorship or visas. There is too much risk involved if the attorney must leave due to immigration status or other issues.
- You are admitted to the bar in the state you want to work in.
There is logic to this reasoning. Laws vary from state to state. And the biggest law firms must have attorneys familiar with local laws. There is no use trying to sort out legal issues in Florida if you are only familiar with California’s state laws.
- You have one to six years of experience as a law firm associate.
Why is six years’ experience the cut-off time? Typically, by this time, you should be on the partnership track. This means that your billing rate will be closer to a partner’s than an associate’s. Therefore, law firms may not give your work because they will make less money.
- You have an in-demand practice area.
When Working with a Legal Recruiter Isn’t for You
To work with a good legal recruiter in the law industry, meeting the criteria that make you highly marketable is crucial. So what are the best criteria that make you the right person for the job? These are having a practice area, experience, full-time employment, and passing the bar exam where you want to work.Failing to meet these may mean you waste the recruiter’s time and your potential employer’s time.
Here is a list of reasons why you shouldn’t be working with a recruiter:
- You are working as a part-time attorney or are unemployed.
- You currently do not have a full-time associate or partner position.
- You are not a US citizen or have a JD degree.
- You do not have a single primary practice area or stability in your career.
- You lack one to six years of experience working in a law firm.
- You have more than six years of experience but do not work in a highly specialized, in-demand practice area.
- You have not passed the bar exam in the state where you want to work.
What can you do if you don’t meet all the criteria required by the best recruiters? In that case, you must make career decisions to make yourself more marketable. Sometimes, it means tweaking your resume to emphasize a specific practice area. In other cases, you must change course to get more experience in a single area.
How to Find a Permanent Law Position as an Associate or Partner
What can you do to meet the criteria required to land a top law job as an associate or partner? You can take several steps to get your attorney job on the path to wealth and success. Please read on to find out how to ensure you can work with the best recruiter in the legal business. These steps will address the issues that currently make you unmarketable to legal recruitment agencies.Find full-time employment in law firms.
Working full-time is the first step if you want to use the right recruiter to help you find a permanent associate or partner position in a law firm. Being unemployed sends signals to potential employers that you have commitment issues, were fired, or left for other reasons like personal conflicts.
Suppose you took maternity leave, were fired, or lost your job due to other circumstances. In that case, you can use BCG Attorney Search to restart your legal career. However, it is crucial to show that you have outstanding skills that will be an asset to the firm. You can also sign up for LawCrossing to find positions suitable for you.
Switch from part-time to full-time employment.
If you are working part-time, you will need to switch to working full-time. Therefore, you must prioritize your work and career over everything to connect with a legal recruiter. Attorney firms want hard-working attorneys who bill lots of hours and put the firm first.
Part-time attorneys send the wrong signals to prospective employers. You appear uncommitted and disengaged with your profession. So, sticking with part-time work will hinder your career advancement and chances of getting an associate or partner position.
Related reading: Working part-time as an attorney.
Be prepared to explain why you are unemployed or not working full-time.
Of course, there may be legitimate reasons why you work part-time. If so, be prepared to explain this to the recruiting agency and your potential employer. Use a cover letter to tell how you are a team player, highlight your legal skills, and show your commitment to working long hours for the firm.
Explain why you are not an associate or partner yet.
Suppose you are working full-time. But you are not yet an associate or partner. In that case, you must show why you will be an asset to another law firm. Only the most motivated lawyers get offered associate or partner positions. Therefore, there could be something wrong if you have another title.
However, you may want to work as a counsel attorney or have a contract attorney position. In that case, you check out the list of contract staff attorney jobs.
Related reading: Should I accept a position as a contract attorney?
Get a Master of Law degree if you are not a US citizen.
Getting a permanent law job as an associate or partner is challenging if you don’t have US citizenship or a JD degree. To resolve this issue, you have a better chance of employment with a Master of Law (LLM) degree. Some firms are willing to offer an associate position once you pass the bar exam.
However, hiring foreign attorneys can be risky for a law firm. Therefore, you must convince prospective employers about your dedication to the firm. In addition, show that you are committed to living in the country and the firm.
Apply for a job to work in a single, in-demand practice area.
You must show a law firm that you are committed to working in a single practice setting. The biggest law firms are looking for stability. When given a choice between two similar candidates, most law firms always choose the one that shows the most stability. Therefore, you must give robust reasons why the employer should hire you for the open position.
On your resume, it is best to highlight your strongest practice area and deprioritize the others. You will need to prove in the interview process you have the experience necessary in a particular area. Remember that law firms stay clear of generalists, especially when hiring laterally.
Show you have a portable business if you have more than six years of experience.
Suppose you are looking to hire a legal recruiter with seven years or more experience. In that case, you will need to explain the circumstances. Most attorneys with over six years of experience are associates on their way to full partnership. So, show you have a portable business you can bring with you.
But what if you have less than a year of experience? In that case, you must show your eagerness and enthusiasm for hard work. Additionally, the hiring manager will want to know why you are applying for a position early in your career.
Prove you have highly specialized or work in an in-demand practice area.
It can be challenging to find a permanent position as an associate if you have over six years of experience. What can you do if you have no business? In that case, you must demonstrate you can generate business. It’s necessary to show you are not “set in your ways” and have enthusiasm for hard work in your new job.
Your chances of getting hired increase if you have experience in a highly specialized area or work in an in-demand practice area. Therefore, you must demonstrate your skills and expertise and show you are not a liability to the firm.
Related reading: How a legal recruiter can help find your unique selling proposition.
Take the bar exam in the state where you intend to work.
Before applying for a permanent law position, take the bar exam and get accepted. In some states, it is relatively straightforward to waive. However, the bar exam is difficult in other states like Florida and California. The best advice is to sign up to take the bar before applying.
Use LawCrossing to Find a Permanent Law Position
Using a legal recruiter is the best way to find a permanent law position as an associate or partner. However, to ensure you are marketable, you must meet the six criteria that make you marketable. If you do this, a legal recruiter will have no trouble finding you a permanent associate or partner position in a top law firm.Use LawCrossing to find your dream job. LawCrossing works for you, giving you complete access to the market and the best jobs out there. It monitors law firms, public interest, in-house, government, and other employers for positions.
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