(312) 781-9000

Top firms evaluate talent beyond a candidate’s law school. They search for attorney candidates who’ve excelled in their classes despite attending second- or third-tier law schools. These lower-level learning institutions usually produce graduates with on-demand legal skills that appeal to legal recruiters more than a graduate degree from top-tier law schools.

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At Astor Professional Search, our team of legal recruiters understands what top firms look for when hiring. We provide valuable resume advice and interview tips to inform your job search plan. Our job search professionals maintain ongoing communications even after resume submission, creating an excellent hiring experience for you and the recruiting firm. Call us at (312) 781-9000 to schedule an appointment.

Why Law Firms Value Experience Over Law School Prestige

The prestigious law school you attended may not automatically open doors in the legal job market. Many top firms are looking past candidates’ alma maters. Their focus has shifted to attorney talent evaluation, rather than the law school a candidate attended.

Top law firms seek law graduates who’ve outclassed their peers to achieve academic excellence. They believe that such candidates are ambitious, focused, and hardworking. It doesn’t matter if they went to second- or third-class law schools.

Law firms prefer experience over school prestige due to the following reasons:

Ivy League “Spoon-Feeding” Approach

Top students from top-tier law schools often disregard associate positions at lesser-known firms. Their Ivy League statuses guarantee them positions in the most prestigious firms. The law schools’ “brand recognition” enables them to negotiate with prestigious law firms to offer full-time positions to summer law interns regardless of their performance, skills, or excellence in their field.

Additionally, Ivy League law schools opted out of ranking against their competitors, eliminating the need for students to strive for higher performance. Students don’t work hard when they know that summer internships and full-time job offers await. In such an uncompetitive environment, students don’t get the legal skills needed to handle the real-world pressures in the employment market.

Ivy League Emphasis on Prestigious Public Positions

The curricula offered in prestigious law schools only prepare students to become honored civil servants in the country’s legal system. They educate them to become respected public figures, such as US Supreme Court Justices or international law analysts. Their courses teach political theories, international law, and capital punishment, which are crucial in equipping students with knowledge to occupy such offices.

However, many law firms prefer law graduates skilled in specific practice areas, including real estate law, tort law, criminal trials, and litigation. In less prestigious schools, students compete for high performance and excellence. They learn topics and skills relevant to legal practice areas. That appeals to many law firms.

Skills That Matter More Than an Ivy League Degree When Top Firms Evaluate Talent

The preference for Ivy League graduates has declined among legal employers. Firms value skills and competence more than Ivy League law degrees. Today, employers take candidates through skill-based law firm hiring criteria. Such an approach in recruiting enables them to hire top talents with practical experience and skills that will contribute to their firms’ growth.

The key areas legal employers check beyond candidates’ law degrees include:

Previous Hands-On Training

If you’re a legal practitioner seeking a lateral move, a recruiting firm will be more interested in assessing your previous on-the-job training. This assessment helps the recruiter determine your skill level in undertaking your job description and duties. Whether you got your law degree from a prestigious school or a second-class institution isn’t important. Your level of training is the object of focus.

Gaining experience from a reputed law firm or an attorney with good credentials and a law background is an added advantage. Firms value training or experience gained outside a law firm, including:

Years of Experience and Stability in a Specific Practice Area

You should critically think about the legal area you want to pursue. Your choice affects your employment and career development prospects.

Let’s assume you’ve worked as a corporate lawyer for three years. You now want to switch to litigation because it’s more interesting, enjoyable, and manageable. In such a case, it can be challenging to get employment as a litigator. It may mark the start of a declining legal career.

Litigation is one of the legal areas that requires a lot of business for one to thrive. Switching to a new practice area slows down your career. A recruiting firm won’t hire you because it deems your newcomer status a business risk. The chances of getting a job and staying employed in a top law firm are low.

The high attrition rate in the legal world is a challenge for law firms. Employers are looking for candidates who can work for them for many years. Some new associates appreciate their new positions, form warm work relationships, and become happy and productive. Others tend to leave after a few years of employment.

If you have a history of getting hired and staying with a firm for years, a recruiter views that as stability. You’re likely to be hired, especially if the employer intends to offer employee training and onboarding.

Your Reputation

Many legal practitioners work in specific practice areas and earn a good reputation among other attorneys. For such popular lawyers, the law schools they attended are less important to employers. A stellar reputation shows that you’re a professional with an excellent work ethic and determination in your career.

A recruiting firm is likely to hire an attorney with a good reputation. With such a valuable addition to its workforce, the firm can leverage the attorney’s popularity in the legal community to further its goals. It’s not unusual to hear a prestigious firm hiring a lawyer from a second-tier law school after seeing the attorney’s vehemence and passion when driving motions and legal arguments in court.

How a Lawyer’s Portfolio Can Make a Bigger Impact Than Their Alma Mater

In the competitive legal space, recruiting firms focus more on evaluating candidates’ skills than on the law schools they attended. Law graduates and associates can use a strong lawyer portfolio to showcase their career stories to employers. You can create an online portfolio that includes:

An online lawyer’s portfolio will increase your chances of getting noticed by hiring managers and legal recruiters.

The two most common lawyers’ portfolios include:

Law School Graduate Portfolio

A law school graduate portfolio shows your academic credentials and achievements. A resume is a crucial feature in the portfolio. It informs employers of your professional background, legal skills, and academic history.

How you organize your resume can make or break your employment opportunities. Besides understanding what should appear on a lawyer’s resume, you must also know how to write a professional cover letter. Your law school graduate portfolio should also contain internship experience at various legal firms, legal writing samples, academic documents, and academic achievements, honors, or awards.

Creating a law school graduate portfolio is not enough. You must also know how to organize a job search after law school to stand out from other candidates in the job market.

Experienced Lawyer Portfolio

This portfolio shows your career path and the skills you’ve acquired over time. It enables you to attract clients. It also makes it easy for you to make a lateral move. This type of portfolio is more important than your alma mater. It details your reputation, career stability, years of experience, and ability to stick to a legal position for a long time. Many law firms place more value on these factors than an Ivy League law degree.

A lawyer’s portfolio also includes a resume detailing your work experience and success rate in litigating cases. The resume must also include case summaries and key outcomes, career achievements, awards, and honors.

Besides a strong lawyer portfolio, effective networking for legal professionals is instrumental in securing your dream legal job or making a lateral move. Networking enables you to keep up with industry trends and identify opportunities. You can network with other associates, partners, or employers by engaging in online legal forums and attending conferences. You can also leverage social media to create your professional profile and connect with other legal professionals.

Are you a fresh law school graduate, seasoned attorney, or partner looking for an open position in a reputable law firm? Astor Professional Search is your trusted partner in your job search journey. We know a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work when helping candidates get their preferred placements. We take a personalized approach to match you with a firm where you can thrive. Contact us to learn more about our legal recruiting solutions.

Law firms struggle to find qualified associates because of high competition for top talents, an increasingly limited pool of qualified candidates, and a growing demand for legal professionals skilled in specific practice areas. Law schools have also contributed to the existing talent crisis. The curriculum and law courses offered by most law schools don’t prepare law students for the realities that await them in the legal sector. Consequently, potential hires fresh from law schools may lack the legal skills and qualifications to meet market demands.

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Is your law firm struggling to find qualified associates? Astor Professional Search can alleviate the hassle of associate recruiting. We tailor our legal recruiting solutions to match your needs. Call us at (312) 781-9000 to speak with one of our experienced legal placement professionals.

The Growing Challenge of Hiring Qualified Associates in Law Firms

The demand for legal services is high. Associate hiring is on the rebound after seeing an 11.5% decline in lateral hiring in 2022. Many legal entities are flooding employment markets searching for top lawyers. Thus, law firms must withstand stiff competition to find qualified attorney candidates to fill on-demand practice areas. Law firms face the following challenges when looking for qualified associates:

Weathering a Candidates’ Market

The skyrocketing demand for legal services has created a disparity in the supply and demand for skilled talent. New practice areas crop up all the time, and they all need placements. Thus, the current legal employment landscape is a candidates’ market.

Only firms that can appeal to the candidates’ wants and needs will secure top talent. This presents vast opportunities for candidates looking for first-time placements or those looking to make lateral moves to advance their careers.

The competition for top talent has compelled law firms to focus more on due diligence to know the qualities candidates possess before conducting interviews. Partners looking to join new firms should know the tips for partners considering a lateral move to improve their chances of securing their desired roles in reputed firms.

Finding the “Perfect” Legal Associate

Do only large firms hire associate attorneys? Associate recruiting isn’t only limited to large legal firms. Even small and mid-sized entities hire associates, although their roles may differ. Regardless of size, law firms find it hard to identify the best candidates to fill vacancies in specific practice areas. The inability to find the “perfect” candidates and the mismatch between what candidates expect and what firms offer only exacerbates the situation.

For example, a legal recruiter may find a candidate with the right qualifications, but the candidate may not like the firm’s ethos or culture. Conversely, a candidate may prefer working in a firm because of the opportunities, but the firm may not hire that candidate because the skills don’t suit its long-term goals.

Changing Candidates’ Expectations and Preferences

Candidates’ needs, expectations, and preferences have changed. The younger generation dominates the legal job market. Such candidates want careers with a work-life balance and career development opportunities. They prefer roles that give them a sense of purpose along with better financial compensation. Satisfying these expectations and needs while meeting the demands of the legal sector becomes a problem for a legal entity with a conservative culture.

Why Law Schools Aren’t Producing Enough Skilled Attorneys for Law Firms

Law schools are partly to blame for the legal skills crisis. There are increasing concerns about their failure to produce competent and skilled law graduates. But why aren’t law schools channeling out qualified graduates to fill the existing vacancies in the legal market?

Law School Curriculums Lack Practical Skills

According to a survey by LexisNexis, 95% of recruiting partners say that recently graduated law students lack the necessary practical skills during recruitment. Surprisingly, graduates also agree with the recruiting partners. Up to 87% of graduates feel the U.S. legal education system needs changes to prepare students to meet the industry’s demands.

The education provided is highly steeped in legal theories, ignoring the importance of equipping students with real-life professional skills that can help them advance their careers. Most law professors have little to no practical experience. They mainly concentrate on generating law review articles that only lawyers conversant with legal jargon can understand.

Such a curriculum doesn’t provide students with what they need to kick-start their careers. Some practical skills required by legal entities that law schools tend to overlook include:

Increasing Number of Unimpressive LSAT Performances

The ineffective curriculum by law schools could explain why the legal practice is increasingly losing its appeal. The rate of law school applications has declined by 44.9% since the 2008 financial bubble.

The number of candidate attorneys with unsatisfactory LSAT scores is also increasing. That signals gaps in the education system because students aren’t knowledgeable enough to excel in state bar exams. The below-par performances make finding qualified associates a huge problem for law firms and corporate legal departments.

How Law Firms Can Attract and Retain Talented Lawyers in Today’s Market

High lawyer turnover is a top concern among many legal entities. About 56% of law firms agree that they struggle to retain top talent, particularly in areas such as cybersecurity and operational efficiency. Law firms can’t fully shield themselves against the impacts of the ever-changing market dynamics. They can, however, keep up with the latest attorney hiring trends and retention strategies to minimize turnover rates. Some of these strategies include:

Thinking Beyond Financial Incentives

Before the pandemic, a salary rise or bonus was enough to convince an employee who wanted to leave a firm to stay. The COVID-19 pandemic illuminated various pain points among legal associates, with high burnout rates being a major problem.

Currently, financial incentives aren’t enough to change an employee’s decision to quit. Law firms must provide all-rounded development opportunities to attract and keep their legal associates motivated. Lawyers want firms that care for their mental health, physical well-being, career development, and upskilling.

One way a law firm can show its new and existing employees that it cares is by providing career development sessions at least once a month. These monthly sessions will help workers understand the available career paths within the firm. Workers may stay longer if the firm has a well-planned career path.

Law entities striving to achieve high talent retention rates must give employees more control over how and where they work. A 2022 survey found that 44% of lawyers would leave their current employer to another employer offering a remote working arrangement.

Embracing Technology in Recruiting

Technological advances have disrupted recruitment processes across many sectors, including the legal industry. By leveraging technological solutions, entities can bolster their recruiting efficiency and improve the accuracy with which they identify and attract top talents.

New tech, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning, have revolutionized various law firm recruitment processes, including candidate sourcing and screening. These tools also provide valuable predictive analytics that help firms find ideal candidates to fill specific positions.

Top legal talents leave the job market within a short time. Firms with a long and involving interview process may lose qualified candidates to competitors. Law firms must invest in technological tools that make the interview process fast, efficient, and transparent. These tools include those that facilitate:

By leveraging these tech solutions, law firms don’t have to schedule physical interviews with candidates. Instead, they can assess candidates remotely, increasing the efficiency of the hiring process.

Legal work involves a lot of documents, making it difficult for lawyers to complete their duties on time. Attorneys might skip proofreading due to the many documents they usually draft and review. With rising burnout rates influencing candidate placement choices, only firms with the right technologies to automate various administrative and management tasks can retain their top talents.

Introducing a Sense of Purpose in Work

The new generation of associates prefer working for law firms that give them a sense of purpose. So, your firm must communicate how its work makes a difference in the world during the hiring and onboarding process. That allows new hires to feel and believe they are part of something bigger than themselves.

You can rely on Astor Professional Search if you are a law firm looking for a qualified associate. We understand that a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t cut when searching for an employee to fill a specific role. Our legal recruiting agents are former lawyers who know the challenges you face when recruiting. They will listen to your needs and tailor the search to match you with your ideal candidate. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.

Essential tech skills for lawyers include proficiency in virtual communication, data analysis, online legal research, and case management. Technology has transformed the practice of law, from how lawyers communicate with each other and engage with clients to how they perform research and prepare legal documents. It has streamlined and added efficiency to everyday tasks. Attorney candidates who want to remain competitive in the current tech-driven legal sector must have the required tech skills and know the top legal software.

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Are you an attorney candidate looking to join a leading law firm? Legal recruiters at Astor Professional Search know the essential tech skills required to thrive in the legal industry. Call us at (312) 781-9000 to speak to one of our legal placement professionals today.

Essential Tech Skills for Modern Lawyers

There are several essential tech skills lawyers should have in the digital age:

Digital Communication and Collaboration

The COVID-19 pandemic forced many legal firms to move to remote working environments. Many firms have maintained remote working or a hybrid arrangement post-pandemic. But, what skills are employers looking for in legal candidates to ensure they maintain high productivity levels in remote environments?

Many firms have added “competency in using digital communication and collaboration technologies” as a prerequisite for attorney candidates to ensure teams remain engaged, motivated, and collaborative. So, you must have the knack for using:

Online Legal Research

Tech has revolutionized how lawyers conduct legal research. Today, research happens online. Many resources with huge quantities of legal data are available online. Attorneys can obtain crucial data related to their practice areas from these resources.

Attorney candidates who seek to differentiate themselves from the crowd must know where to find and how to use online research platforms. Some examples of these platforms are legal database research engines, legal dictionaries, and federal- and state-level legislative websites.

Electronic Discovery (eDiscovery)

Technological innovations have enabled legal professionals to shift from traditional paper-based discovery to electronic discovery systems. Today, eDiscovery is the norm. Thus, the technologies enabling the organization and analysis of digital discovery documents will continue proliferating in the legal community. Besides mastering eDiscovery processes, you must know how to leverage electronic devices to monitor representation, conduct document reviews, and manage projects.

How Legal Tech Is Changing the Practice of Law

Technology has changed the practice of law. Legal processes and documents are now handled and accessible online. For instance, law books are now online databases, lawyers maintain correspondence with clients through smartphones, and legal contract documents are now available in digital versions. Simply put, technology has simplified everyday legal tasks and streamlined their performance.

Workflow Optimization and Increased Efficiency

There’s a collective fear that tech innovations, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning, will replace human workers. You don’t have to worry about that. This is because tech leaders in the legal field continue to refine automation tools and find ways to strike a balance between automated and manual, human-based tasks.

AI-powered automation systems help optimize, streamline, and improve attorneys’ everyday tasks. AI can handle processes like predicting case models, case analysis, automated legal research, and document management and reviews.

Another upside to AI-driven legal systems is that they eliminate risks and human-based errors. AI may not replace lawyers, but attorney candidates who can use AI tools can replace their counterparts who can’t.

Apart from document reviews, AI also enables automation of other legal processes, including:

Attracting and Retaining Talent

Young attorney candidates have reported that they prefer remote and hybrid working environments. They desire to work for firms that provide the tech tools to support their work. Law firms must avail the tech tools that enable younger legal professionals to work with enhanced efficiency. Doing that will enable law firms to appeal to the attorney candidates joining the legal industry.

Technology is also changing how firms recruit and interview candidates. But, what role does technology play in legal recruiting? AI-driven solutions can streamline the recruiting process and even eliminate unconscious bias. Still, candidates must know what should appear on a lawyer’s resume to increase their chances of getting hired.

Managing Client Expectations

Client preferences and needs have changed. Today, clients expect their lawyers to provide faster and cheaper services without compromising quality. New legal technologies enable attorneys to satisfy clients’ ever-changing needs by personalizing services for enhanced consumer experiences.

Tech helps create positive experiences by providing tools that facilitate timely responses to clients’ queries. AI-driven research software and automated text generation, for instance, allow attorneys to provide clients with timely updates on their cases. Additionally, clients no longer have to wait for long hours on processes like contracts or document reviews. Automation enables lawyers to save time on such tasks. They can dedicate their free time to strengthening client relationships.

Top Tools and Software Every Attorney Should Know

Integrating tech tools and solutions in your legal practice is no longer an option, but a need. Lawyers or legal firms that lag behind risk losing business.

In 2012, the American Bar Association (ABA) revised its Model Rule 1.1 on technological competence. The Comment requires attorneys to keep up with new laws and trends in legal practice, including the upsides and downsides of relevant technologies. Consequently, most of the state bar associations have included technological proficiency as a policy in their “legal professional conduct” rules.

With so many tech tools on the market, you might wonder: “What is the best law firm software?” Every attorney should know the following legal software and tools:

Practice Management Software (PMS)

PMS facilitates the performance of many tasks, from tracking case timelines and handling billing to coordinating schedules and organizing client information. It allows you to manage all these processes from a single platform. It reduces administrative work, minimizes errors, and saves time.

RunSensible is a highly reputed PMS, suitable for solo practitioners and small and mid-sized firms. It features an easy-to-use user interface (UI), powerful integration capabilities, and customizable workflows. This legal software facilitates seamless case management, built-in CRM for client relationships, and automated billing and invoicing.

Other reliable PMS software includes PracticePanther and Clio Manage. These tools offer robust suites of features, including but not limited to secure client communication protocols, document management, billing, and calendaring.

Communication and Collaboration Software

Flexible working hours and work-from-home arrangements have become more common. Therefore, you must have effective communication and collaboration software to ensure your team members are always updated on a project’s progress to meet deadlines and stay abreast with the workload.

Firms must deploy video conferencing software like Zoom or Microsoft Teams to manage cases and teams remotely. Video conferencing enables direct, real-time video conversations. Video communications are quicker and more insightful than emails, text messages, or online chats. If you can see whoever you’re talking to, it becomes easier to interpret information based on other cues, such as facial expressions.

Legal Library and Research

A critical part of your job as a legal professional is researching information to build your case. Since research can usurp much time, reliable research tools offer quicker access to information.

FastCase is a legal research software that partners with 80+ national, state, and county bar associations to offer reliable definitions and legal information. It enables lawyers to access resourceful legal journals, handbooks, statutes, and case law precedents. Other AI-powered legal research tools you may consider include WestLaw and Arguminer.

Document Management and Scanning Tools

The legal practice involves a lot of paperwork. Copies can quickly pile into stacks, increasing the risk of losing crucial case documents. With a document management tool, lawyers can easily store, organize, manage, and update existing documents in real time.

The software enables centralized file storage, automated text updates, and advanced searches for quicker document retrievals. One file management tool is LawCloud, a web-based management platform with integrated Office 365.

Besides document organization, your file management software must have scanning technology that can digitize documents, convert them into searchable PDFs, and file them automatically. When considering a scanning tool, find one with an in-built Optical Character Recognition (OCR) feature that can convert documents into editable texts.

Legal recruiters at Astor Professional Search are available round-the-clock to answer questions regarding essential tech skills that may give you an edge in the legal job market. Our representatives will strive to know your strengths, weaknesses, personality, and interests to advise you on the skills you need to advance your career. Leveraging our candidate-centric approach and vast network in the Illinois legal market, we can match you with the right law firm. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.

Knowing why employers ghost attorney candidates in Chicago, Illinois, can help you manage your expectations and focus on acing your next interview. Common reasons employers fail to give attorney candidates a follow-up call during the interview process include finding a more qualified candidate, applying for the job late, and not graduating from their preferred law schools. Some employers may also ghost candidates who they feel are likely to move to another firm after a short time.

Businessman in suit holding coffee cup working on laptop looking tired. why employers ghost

An effective means to avoid or reduce the odds of getting ghosted by a prospective employer is to partner with legal recruiters. They understand the hassle of job hunting in the legal market and the resulting frustration when a firm doesn’t respond. They will carefully examine your needs, interests, and concerns to personalize their services. They will then find the most ideal job placement for you.

Astor Professional Search is your trusted recruiter for unparalleled legal recruiting solutions. Our team of legal recruiters comprises former attorneys who’ve been in your shoes. They have the experience and network to connect you with job openings that suit your career goals. Call us today at (312) 781-9000.

Understanding Why Employers Ghost in Recruitment

Ghosting is often synonymous with romantic dates. However, that has changed over the years. This phenomenon has become more common in the job search sector. Law firms and corporations ghost attorney candidates by choosing not to follow up with the candidates after interviews. One might term it a tug-of-war between two generations (employers and Gen-Z candidates), fueled by disparities in attitudes and beliefs.

Attorney candidates also ghost employers. In fact, ghosting during the interview process is more rampant with younger-generation candidates. Ghosting among young jobseekers is fueled by their “need to be in charge of their careers.” While Gen-Z’ers form the largest portion of no-show candidates, millennials and baby boomers may also default on interviews.

Besides the need to take charge of their careers, other factors that compel candidates to stand up would-be bosses include:

The behavior of the younger jobseekers to “ghost” employers fuels a collective sentiment among employers that Gen Z’ers candidates aren’t committed and reliable professionals. Firms are often on the receiving end of candidates’ “ghosting” practices, experiencing the financial loss of implementing the recruiting process and not securing the right candidate. As a result, most decide to “ghost” candidates by not showing up for interviews or responding to them after interviews. More than 40% of job applicants have reported being ghosted by a potential employer, particularly during the interview phase.

Common Reasons Employers Fail to Follow Up with Attorney Applicants

Job hunting in the legal field is a tough exercise. Only a handful of applicants receive a follow-up call due to the stiff competition in this sector. A law firm may invite only three candidates for an interview despite receiving more than 300 job applications. So, don’t be discouraged if you’re left out. Your qualifications may have met the firm’s high standards, but you were not its ideal candidate.

Some common reasons recruiting law firms fail to follow up with attorney candidates include:

There Were Better Applicants to Fill the Vacancy

A law firm will likely receive hundreds of applications after advertising a vacant position. The odds are that some applicants will be better qualified and more suited for the job than you. Perhaps they went to a more prestigious law school, have focused their practice on a specific area, or have a higher experience level than you.

Getting ghosted by a potential employer is frustrating, but all is not lost. You can better your chances of securing a job next time by working with legal placement professionals. They likely know how candidates stand out in a competitive job market. They will focus on your skills, experience, and interests to match you with the firm looking for someone like you.

Your Law School Isn’t Good Enough

Some recruiting firms have a narrow list of prestigious law schools where they expect to hire attorney candidates. So, they will only consider attorney candidates from specific law schools. That’s a highly restrictive requirement, and there’s not much you can do about it.

Even so, there are ways to overcome such attorney job search challenges. For example, topping the class in your law school is enough to meet the thresholds. Additionally, if you’re highly qualified for a specific legal position or targeting a less crowded field, you may get past the “best law school rejection” standards.

You Applied Late

Sometimes, a law firm may fail to give you a follow-up call because you submitted your application past the deadline. Many law firms will rarely factor in new applicants once the interviewing process commences due to the high number of applicants.

Engaging with a law firm early on is the key to landing a legal position. Most firms start interacting with applicants at an early stage. You want to be one of the earliest applicants, lest you miss your chance of securing the position.

You’re Likely to Move

Like any other business, law firms suffer financial losses from high employee turnover. So, they will only focus on interviewing attorney candidates who intend to work and advance their careers in their firms.

Employees with high “flight risks” are a concern to law firms looking for candidates who can provide stability and consistency to clients. If your employment history is filled with constant shifts from one firm to another, a firm will likely turn down your application.

Your Law School Is Too Good

Other law firms may be reluctant to hire attorney candidates from prestigious law schools. Some applicants from these legal institutions feel too good for their prospective employers. Their level of intelligence evokes a feeling of entitlement and the likelihood of causing trouble or negatively disrupting a firm’s work culture.

Some candidates from these “too good” law schools don’t have the patience to stay with a firm long-term, or tend to change the workplace to fit their needs or wants. A law firm is unlikely to follow up with an attorney candidate if it notices the candidate’s grandiosity.

How to Handle Being “Ghosted” in the Attorney Job Search Process

Being “ghosted” can leave you confused about your career prospects in the legal industry. Properly handling no response from employers as an attorney can help you manage your expectations and remain focused. The following tips can prove helpful if a potential employer ghosts you:

Follow Up

Take the initiative to follow up if an interviewer doesn’t contact you after the interview. You can do that by sending an appreciative email or message, expressing gratitude for their time and any other aspect that connected the two of you. You might also text the recruiter if you have his or her contact information. Otherwise, a handwritten “thank-you” note would suffice, as it expresses your gratitude and makes a good impression on the recruiting team.

Establish Other Relationships

Instead of pursuing an interviewer, it’s best to network and build relationships with other associate lawyers at the firm. You can befriend them on social media and ask them about the requirements or qualifications that their firm looks for in candidates. Leverage the conversation to find out what might have limited you in the recruiting process.

Prep for the Interview

Preparing and practicing for interviews is a great way to recover from being “ghosted.” It also enables you to get ready for the next interview. Being “ghosted” can be demoralizing and dent one’s confidence. Thus, familiarizing yourself with the common interview prep questions for attorneys can remind you of your strengths, skills, and qualifications. Doing that improves your response ability and coping skills after being ghosted in the future.

You should also know the best questions to ask a law firm in an interview. That demonstrates to recruiters that you’re interested in the law firm and the job position. Asking the right questions also gives you valuable insights into the role and the company’s culture.

Work with a Legal Recruiter

The easiest way to avoid being “ghosted” is to seek the services of a legal recruiting agency. Reputed recruiters have teams of former lawyers who understand the challenges candidates face during the application process. They’ll focus on learning your strengths, interests, experience, and career prospects to tailor their services to your needs. They will then match you with a firm looking for someone with your talents.

The legal placement team at Astor Professional Search leverages its recruiting experience and vast network to match attorney candidates with their preferred law firms and corporations. Contact us for personalized legal placement services. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

All law firms hire associate attorneys, including large, midsize, small firms, and even solo practitioners. However, large firms support large-scale operations, so they often hire more associates than other firms. Factors that make firms take in associates include client-base expansion, branching into different practice areas, and increased workflow. Law firms consider excellent academic records, great interpersonal skills, commercial awareness, and technical competencies when recruiting an associate attorney.

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Call (312) 781-9000 to schedule a consultation with legal recruiters at Astor Professional Search if you need to hire associate attorneys or are looking for law firms hiring associate attorneys.

What Does It Mean to be a Law Firm Associate?

Being a law firm associate means working for the law firm, but that doesn’t mean you are a shareholder or the firm’s partner. Anyone who meets the minimum requirements set by the Illinois State can become an associate. As an associate, you gain experience by interacting with clients, learning to perform legal work, and manage cases.

Being an associate comes with high-performance expectations, working for an extended number of hours and specializing in a specific niche. You also get an opportunity to get competitive compensation and career and professional development. Associate hiring is on the rebound at the moment. Some of the roles and responsibilities you will be expected to perform when you start working as an associate attorney include but are not limited to the following:

Drafting Legal Documents

One of the key responsibilities of a law firm associate is drafting legal documents, such as motions, pleadings, contracts, briefs, and discovery requests. These documents should follow the correct format and structure, as how you prepare them directly affects the case outcome.

Interacting With Clients

Although most firm owners prefer meeting and communicating with their clients in person, associates can sometimes participate in briefings and meetings. They can also handle less complex matters, such as assisting clients with document filing and updating them on their case progress.

Performing Legal Research

Associates act as the professional backbone of many law firms and are expected to handle legal cases and perform legal research. This includes spending a significant amount of time researching local regulations and all legal precedents relevant to the client’s case.

Conducting Due Diligence

Conducting due diligence is an integral part of the legal process, especially when dealing with company mergers, acquisitions, and real estate transactions. Associates must investigate, review, and analyze different documents and records to check for liabilities, risks, and legal implications of the decision.

Making Court Appearances

Beginner associates do not actively participate in court proceedings. Those with at least three years of experience can, however, participate in court proceedings. Associates can appear in court during motion hearings, status conferences, and pre-trial hearings. They can also participate in depositions and settlement conferences.

Managing Time and Billing the Hours

Associates must manage their time well and meet their client’s deadlines. If working with paralegals and legal assistants, they can delegate tasks to focus on more important tasks. They also ensure accurate billing and maintain the overall financial health of the law firm.

Large Firm Needs Vs. Smaller Firm Needs

All law firms have needs to meet. The needs may, however, vary based on their operations, scale, and resources. The key things that differentiate large firm needs from smaller firm needs include.

The Amount of Resources and Infrastructure

Because of their size, large firms require more resources and state-of-the-art infrastructure. They support robust systems and use ERP and CRM tools to support their large workforce. They use high-end IT infrastructure with cloud solutions, cybersecurity, and advanced data management tools. They also have specialized departments like HR, legal, marketing, IT, and finance to perform specific tasks.

On the other hand, smaller firms feature scalable infrastructure and may not require the installation of high-end software. They, instead, use off-the-shelf software. Employees working in these firms may work in cross-function roles. For example, you might be working on contracts today and conducting market research tomorrow.

The Firm’s Overall Financial Health

Big firms deal with many clients and use advanced accounting systems to manage their finances. Their accounting system supports advanced financial management tools that prepare budget forecasts and detailed reports, while ensuring that all regulatory measures are complied with. They also have better risk management tools and can acquire funds through equity markets, bonds, and large-scale loans.

Smaller firms don’t use advanced accounting systems, as they operate with smaller budgets. Because of their smaller cash flows, they have limited access to loans and only rely on personal financing and credit cards.

Marketing

Large firms market their services differently compared to small firms. Large firms, for example, focus on building national and global brands, while small firms focus on the local market. Large firms have different teams responsible for public relations, advertising, and digital marketing. They also support sales teams and distribution channels to manage their broader market.

Smaller firms operate with limited budgets and usually leverage word of mouth to market their services. In some instances, they use social media and digital marketing. Additionally, their sales team covers all the aspects of the sales process.

Employees

Big law firms hire people with specific skill sets to work in various departments. They also offer continuous professional development programs and career progression strategies to ensure their employees meet the changing demands. Employees in these firms also get better benefits, such as healthcare and retirement plans.

Unlike larger firms, smaller law firms work with a small number of employees, as they don’t have many departments. Their HR process is also less formal and is managed by the owners or a small managerial team. Working in these firms also means you get limited benefits, as the firm operates with minimal resources.

What Do Law Firms Look for in Associate Attorneys?

Law firms are quite selective when looking to hire associate attorneys. They ensure they are working with an associate with good personal traits, a wide range of technical skills, and the right academic qualifications. The most common skills employers consider when choosing associate attorneys in Chicago, Illinois, include:

Excellent Academic Records

Law firms looking for associate attorneys ensure they have selected those with strong academic credentials and who graduated from a recognized law school. Potential associate attorneys looking to join large firms should focus on getting good grades and sharpening their skills in legal research and review. These qualities show the law firm that you can handle complex legal research using traditional and modern tools. Besides gaining these highly sought-after skills, working with attorney recruiters can maximize your chances of securing a position in your preferred law firm.

Practical Experience

You can get experience through internships, judicial clerkships, and internships. Having this experience shows that you can apply legal theory to real-world situations. Note that some law firms only hire associates with specific experience, such as corporate law, litigation, tax, intellectual property, or real estate.

Great Interpersonal Skills

You will likely stand out in a competitive legal job market if you work well in teams and communicate effectively with clients and other attorneys. A good attorney should be able to build a strong relationship with the clients and network well with other legal firms and business communities.

Professionalism and Good Work Ethics

Most law firms hire associates who are dedicated, diligent, and detail-oriented. To become an associate lawyer, you must have a strong work ethic and be able to work on tight deadlines. You must also exhibit professionalism and integrity while handling clients’ cases.

Technical Competencies

Nowadays, law firms prefer working with tech-proficient associate attorneys. You should, therefore, know how to use technology tools, such as e-discovery tools, document management systems, and case management software. Knowledge of these tools helps associates improve efficiency and effectively manage heavy workloads.

Law Firm Cultural Values

All law firms have their work ethics and values, which may vary depending on their needs. When looking out for an associate attorney, they ensure they have selected one whose work ethics align with their values. They also choose an associate who can easily adapt to the client’s changing demands, firm priorities, and legal strategies.

Taking Initiative and Understanding the Business Side of Law

While it’s essential to work with an associate who understands the law, law firms prefer someone who can contribute to the business by taking ownership of the case, handling additional responsibilities, and proposing solutions to existing problems. Law firms value candidates who can demonstrate legal expertise and contribute to the company’s growth.

Are you looking for an associate attorney job in Chicago, Illinois? Don’t struggle alone. Our legal recruiters at Astor Professional Search will connect you with a law firm looking for candidates that match your profile. We will walk with you throughout the job search and placement process. Contact us today for personalized and dedicated job placement services

Professionals, employers, and recruiters are increasingly leveraging social media platforms to find work or to recruit inside and outside Illinois. Using social media for legal recruiting is cost-effective, expands your reach, allows you to learn more about prospective hires, and facilitates networking. It also increases the likelihood of hiring people who are already familiar with your brand and are a good fit for your firm’s culture.

Man working on a laptop. He is holding a message bubble symbol showing five star ration. Social Media for Legal Recruiting

The strategies for effectively using social media to recruit legal talent include choosing the right platform, updating well-thought-out content, and incorporating legal recruiting into your overall social media strategy. You should also regularly monitor and evaluate your social media recruitment to determine its effectiveness and areas that require polishing.

At Astor Professional Search, we explore all options, including social media, to send you candidates that perfectly match your hiring needs. Call us at (312) 781-9000 whenever you need to hire new candidates.

Can Social Media Be Used for Recruitment Advertising?

Social media has undoubtedly become an integral part of business operations, from branding to selling to customer experience. Hiring is no different. That said, HR teams, especially in fields like law, are not particularly trained nor incentivized to use social media tools for hiring. At most, some will post job openings on hiring sites like LinkedIn and Indeed, with no further promotion on social media.

Heading into the future, law firms and legal recruiters must pay more attention to social media as a recruitment platform. Using social media for recruitment advertising and hiring has the following benefits:

It’s Faster and More Affordable

Fast and affordable are two words bound to get a recruiter’s attention. A newspaper ad will cost you, and so will using an online recruitment site. Posting jobs on your social media platforms won’t cost you anything. Sites like Facebook and Instagram can bill you per click for advertising, but the fees are a fraction of what you would pay for newspaper space.

Additionally, social media can deliver enough traction to bring in candidates with desired qualities in hours. This fast-tracks the recruitment process for lawyers, allowing you to get a healthy pool of qualified candidates quickly.

Recruiters Can Learn More About Prospective Candidates

Traditional job applications don’t allow for much interaction between candidates and recruiters. The online space has immense real estate, and the recruitment process can allow for a much broader information exchange.

One trend towards this is recruiters asking for more outside of academic and professional qualifications. By allowing candidates to share hobbies, interests, and volunteer experiences, recruiters get a more comprehensive look into a candidate’s identity. More professional and personal information makes it easier for recruiters to find hires who will excel at the role and fit into an organization’s culture.

Similarly, recruiters have the chance to look at applicants’ social media activity and profile to learn more about candidates. This is one way to conduct online vetting, as long as their social media is an authentic representation of who they are.

It Increases Your Reach

Social media recruiting will attract both passive and active jobseekers. Passive jobseekers are unlikely to see job ads in the newspaper job ad section. They also are unlikely to log into job sites. However, if they are social media users, they will see advertised roles on social media. They will take the necessary steps should an ad pick their interest. This broader reach of candidates is always a plus for recruiters.

It Facilitates Networking

Social media allows recruiters and HR professionals to connect and network. With time, effective networking for legal professionals becomes an invaluable channel for referring qualified candidates, discussing hiring trends, and sharing industry news.

You Get Applications from Better Suited Candidates

Social media recruitment allows candidates to look into a company. This includes its culture, values, available benefits, and so on. This is useful in attracting hires, particularly younger jobseekers and well-matched candidates.

By placing job ads on social media, answering questions online, and showing who you are as a firm, you increase your chances of getting a wider group of qualified, interested candidates, already familiar with your brand. This means you have applications from people who know who you are and are keen on joining your team.

You Communicate Better

Traditional job adverts are restrictive in terms of how much you can communicate. For example, a newspaper ad will highlight the job description, but say nothing about a company’s culture.

Social media doesn’t have these restrictions. As such, your recruitment communications can include white papers on LinkedIn, videos on YouTube, and infographics on Instagram and Facebook. This allows your firm to tell candidates as much as you need them to know. For example, you can have your job description and include a video to show your CSR activities or photos to show your office space and work culture. Sometimes, it’s these details that push candidates in your direction, as opposed to applying for a job with your competitor.

Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms

Once you decide to take the plunge and get into social media recruitment, among the key things to decide on are platforms. The following considerations will help you identify the best social media platform for your legal recruitment strategy.

Target Audience

The main social media platforms are LinkedIn, X, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

LinkedIn remains king when it comes to recruitment matters across the board. According to the American Bar Association, 83% of law firms are on LinkedIn. This makes it a fertile ground for legal professionals to conduct job searches. Facebook and X follow closely.

This is not to say you should steer clear of the other platforms. You can use Instagram and even TikTok to show your firm’s personality, within reason. The primary consideration is to understand your targeted candidate. If you are looking for seasoned attorneys or partners, LinkedIn should be your go-to. However, for entry-level attorneys and pupils, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are worth considering alongside LinkedIn.

Resources and Budget

Budget and expertise are paramount when thinking about how to recruit legal executives on social media. The platform you use might require some financing. Similarly, all platforms will require some expertise.

So, ask yourself who will be handling the recruitment account or posts. Do you have a social media person, or is it someone from IT or the HR team? If there is not much expertise within the firm, then keep things as simple as possible with simpler platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook.

Similarly, some platforms like Facebook and Instagram will charge you a small fee for advertising. Familiarize yourself with these fees and whether they are within your recruitment budget.

Best Practices for Recruitment Using Social Media

Just like other tools employed in business, social media hiring must be done properly for it to be effective.

Pay Attention to Content

While you might want to appeal to a younger crop of employees, your content must match who you are as a firm. Showing company culture is important, but your social media posts should be a reflection of your firm and should agree with the content on your website and online profiles.

Similarly, be keen to address jobseekers’ main concerns. The primary ones are typically salary packages, work-life balance, job security, growth prospects, and inclusivity. Whenever your chosen platform doesn’t allow you to give complete information, use hashtags and links to route interested applicants to your website or a platform that gives enough room to communicate.

Include Social Media Hiring in Your Online Strategy

Social media for legal recruiting should be part of your overall social media strategy. This is important on three fronts.

One is that it avoids the pitfall of only making a social media post when vacancies fall open. The second is that it works towards your overall branding and marketing strategy. The third is that it helps keep your audience engaged. You want your audience to keep returning to your page and sharing your content. As such, you have more eyes on job adverts when you post.

Measure and Track

Collect and analyze metrics for shares, likes, comments, questions, and applications from social media. Doing that will give you insights into the effectiveness of your social media recruitment and how to streamline your online hiring processes.

If you have questions on recruitment or need help finding good hires, we are the people to contact. Busy law firms don’t need to sift through hundreds of ill-fitting candidates. Our job is to do the vetting and send you a few names for consideration: quality over quantity. Contact us at Astor Professional Search for more information.

Remote work in law firms comes with a unique set of strengths and challenges. The strengths include an expanded talent pool, cost savings, heightened appeal, and increased productivity. Challenges, on the other hand, include diluted work culture, difficulty striking a healthy work-life balance, decreased collaboration, and ethical issues. Solutions to these challenges range from implementing the right-to-disconnect rule and enhancing confidentiality and security to staying intentional about collaboration.

Man using laptop sitting at the table in a home office. Remote Work in Law Firms

Having a competent and committed workforce can be instrumental in supporting your firm’s overall vision, irrespective of the mode of work. Similarly, attorney candidates can attain job satisfaction and build an illustrious career in the legal field by joining a law firm with an effective remote work policy.

Astor Professional Search is your trusted legal recruiter whether you are looking for a legal job or top legal talent to join your workforce. Call (312) 781-9000 to request a consultation with one of our experienced legal recruiters.

The Benefits of Remote Work

Nothing changed the world and people’s way of life like the global pandemic. Before COVID, the legal fraternity relied heavily on in-person interactions. Everything from how attorneys dress to their demeanor to statute mastery had been previously used as markers of their competence and legal acumen. Until 2020, no one would have imagined virtual settlement negotiations, court sessions, and even all-out virtual civil jury trials.

After the dust settled, existing and newer law firms opted to maintain the remote working system. Others embraced a hybrid system, combining remote work with some in-office work. Either way, we can safely say remote work is here to stay. The following are some benefits of the remote work concept.

Expanded Talent Pool

Without geographical constraints, firms can hire talent from anywhere in the world. This is especially beneficial for small firms that would like specialized services from legal minds but lack the budget to bring them on board. A consultancy arrangement offers a win-win arrangement for these firms. The same goes for firms needing expert witnesses for cases.

Remote working allows you to work for your dream firm in a different state without relocating. This working arrangement expands your options, whether you are job hunting or using legal recruiters.

Cost Savings

Before adopting remote work, law offices served as the yardstick for gauging the competency and success of a law firm. In short, the bigger, more lavish the office was, the better. Unfortunately, you pay a premium for prime, large real estate, and the overheads follow suit.

Working from home has lessened the need to have these grand office spaces that eat into firms’ profitability. With a firm’s workforce operating from home, all that’s needed is a much smaller space for the few in-person meetings you might have and to give the aspect of a physical office space. This arrangement allows you to make cost savings on rent and utilities, insurance, and maintenance.

Increased Employer Appeal for Illinois Firms

Surveys conducted on remote work show that 98% of employees would like to work remotely at least some of the time. What this preference tells employers is that having this option will attract a broader talent pool and increase employee retention rates. Remote work provides employees with flexibility and autonomy. These aspects can lower your turnover rates.

Increased Productivity

A study published in the Chicago Sun Times revealed that Chicago driving commutes were among the most expensive in the country, with workers losing $8,000 annually sitting in traffic. The study also pegged the average commute at an hour and four minutes.

A remote work plan allows workers to bypass this commute alongside the frustration of getting stuck in traffic and getting right to work at their desks. The outcomes are increased punctuality, improved equality for people who find it hard to travel, and adequate rest for employees.

These factors increase productivity. Additionally, reduced travel is better for the environment and saves employees the money they would have otherwise spent on fuel or fare.

What Are the Challenges of Remote Work in Law Firms?

Remote work is not without its downsides for legal practitioners and law firms. Challenges of this work arrangement include:

Diluted Work Culture

Law firm partners and managers usually have an idea of the work culture they are trying to create. This is exemplified in the decor, the hiring process, onboarding, in-person interactions, and workplace events.

With attorneys working from home, having a unified work culture becomes much harder to instill and maintain, and a firm loses some of its cohesiveness. Similarly, because work culture matters is often on the list of questions to ask a law firm in an interview, a firm that’s unclear on its culture can edge out excellent candidates.

The Work-Life Balance Suffers

There is something to be said about a workplace where you go in, do your hours, then leave work and go home to unwind. Unfortunately, many remote workers allow work to bleed into their personal lives because, after all, they aren’t going into the office.

So they can check that email, finish drafting submissions as they have dinner, and do some reading over the weekend. While this can improve productivity in the short term, the inability to disconnect from work can lead to burnout and hurt interpersonal relationships.

Decreased Collaboration

Traditional law offices allow for unlimited collaboration during the day. These brainstorming sessions allow team members to be creative and get new insights on different matters.

Additionally, office working allows for mentorship through sit-ins and research requests to junior employees. Remote work hinders these collaborative and mentorship efforts.

Ethical Considerations

Information that clients share with attorneys is deemed confidential. That’s why we have the attorney-client privilege to protect these interactions. Working from home or while traveling brings in some vulnerabilities as far as client data is concerned. For instance, workers carry home client files or access them online outside the strict protections available in traditional law offices. These actions pose a threat to the confidentiality of client data.

Another consideration is reduced supervision and mentorship from senior attorneys. On top of being detrimental to a firm, it’s harmful to junior advocates who miss in-person supervision, mentoring, and sit-in opportunities.

Best Practices for Successful Remote Work in Law Firms

Many older and new firms want to maintain a remote work system because of the positives it brings to the firm and its attorneys. These benefits can, however, only be fully realized by having strategies in place to counter the downsides of remote work in the legal field. These strategies include:

Implementing a Right-to-Disconnect Rule

While working after hours and weekends might be useful to the firm, the social and health impact of staying ‘’on-call’’ takes its toll sooner or later. One thing law firms can do is implement law firm remote work policies that support a healthy work-life balance. One good example of this is the ”right to disconnect’’ rule.

This rule allows employees to switch off work devices. Firms can go as far as ensuring employees are not contacted after hours, on weekends, on holidays, and during their annual leave. This can improve the work-life balance for lawyers in the long term.

Harness Confidentiality and Security

The trade-off with having lower overheads is the need to boost a firm’s security to protect client information. Remote work increases your risk of data security breaches through unsecured devices and networks.

Implementing robust cybersecurity measures, including secure cloud storage, VPNs, encrypted communications, and stratified information access, can help bolster data security. These measures can prove helpful if your staff is familiar with them and put them into practice. So, rigorous security training will come in handy.

Be Intentional about Collaboration and Digital Law Firm Management

Numerous virtual collaboration tools for lawyers to help legal firms bridge the gap between remote and office work are available in the legal market. These tools will support one-on-one mentoring sessions, departmental calls, and video call meetings.

Modern collaboration tools will also support less serious events like happy hours and online team-building games. These activities promote both work and some fun and camaraderie. These aspects will support work activities and help establish and maintain a work culture.

Want to know how to find a work-from-home lawyer job? Or do you have a few slots in your firm to fill? A seasoned legal recruiter can help you secure a job at a firm that offers remote work options. The recruiter can also help your law firm find and hire lawyers looking for flexible work arrangements, such as working from home.

At Astor Professional Search, we take the time to understand your career goals before matching you with a role that would suit you. For employers, we strive to understand who the best candidates are and how they comprehensively fit into your law firm. By doing this, we can filter out firms and candidates and only send you those that closely align with your requirements. Contact us whether you are a law firm looking for remote attorney candidates or an attorney who prefers working from home.

Some top legal recruiters, and by extension, some firms, will only hire candidates from certain schools. Similarly, some firms in and outside Chicago are particular about not hiring candidates from certain institutions. Recruiters and law firms equate the professional reputation of a law firm with its ability to produce top-notch lawyers. They also believe lawyers from top-tier law schools have the right connections and soft skills to succeed in the legal sector. While these hiring decisions vary from firm to firm, it’s also a shared acknowledgment that there is more to skilled attorneys than their choice of school.

Autumn trees in the park. Legal Recruiters

Whether you are recruiting or looking for placement at a law firm, call Astor Professional Search at (312) 781-9000. We tailor hiring or job placement solutions to your needs.

The Role of Law School Prestige in Legal Recruiting

The U.S. News and World Report indicates that the nation has 206 accredited law training institutions. Yet, in the job market, some firms will only hire from a handful of schools they deem elite. This is the case year after year.

Top law firms often hire through recruitment firms. However, they usually have a list of what they are looking for and specifications of the 3 to 5 law schools they prefer. Some firms will have an additional list with a secondary list of institutions they would be willing to consider should they not land a candidate from their preferred schools.

Respected lawyers, mostly partners in top-tier firms, often opt to take in candidates from the schools they graduated from themselves. The reason is that these lawyers perceive their former institutions to produce more elite graduates than lesser-known schools.

With these in mind, your school’s pedigree can open some doors and shut others. But why does law school prestige matter?

Academic Pedigree

The professional reputation of a law school is seen to equal its ability to churn exemplary lawyers. When a reputable law school has alumni who are globally influential and powerful, its visibility is further enhanced. The fact that we have noteworthy people who graduated from Harvard, Yale, Duke, and Columbia carries the assumption that all other graduates from these institutions are top-par professionals. This is not true 100% of the time, but perception is a powerful tool.

Still, some studies have supported this narrative. One such study by the Harvard Law Review monitored the output of candidates from different institutions and found that those from higher-ranked universities outranked their counterparts, albeit nominally.

There is also a correlation between a school’s prestige and the age of its charter.

Networks and Connections

It’s expected that law graduates from elite universities will possess elite social and family connections. Once hired, these ties and connections are expected to translate into new business from wealthy clients. This is increased revenue for the hiring firm, which is a plus.

High Screening Standards

Getting into any league schools doesn’t come easy. You won’t just fill in application forms, attach academic transcripts, and wait for an acceptance letter. Instead, there is a lengthy application process that includes intensive screening to meet admission standards.

The recruitment process for lawyers in prestigious firms in Chicago and other States employs similar stringent screening measures to gauge new hires. This parallel with top-tier schools brings a comfortable familiarity.

Culture

Pedigree law institutions don’t just teach the law. Along the way, students also pick up on business etiquette and mannerisms. They are also exposed to a multicultural environment and learn the personality and ‘look’ of a confident, high achiever. Top law firms that draw in big business and hob-nob with prominent personalities in the country need these skills and rank them highly, even in new hires.

What Are the Factors Considered Beyond Law School Reputation?

So you did not attend the top 10 law schools in the country; does this automatically mean you lose out on top law firm jobs? Certainly not.

Thankfully, while some prestigious law firms are strict on the schools they hire from, others look beyond the school candidates attended and evaluate them more comprehensively when making hiring decisions. Some candidates stand out in a competitive job market through:

Academic Performance

While law school is important in a legal executive search, grades are equally important. However, the two can work in a trade-off. A candidate who attends a top-tier school and barely makes the grade can be deemed less viable than one who goes to a middle or lower-level school and makes top grades.

So, strive to graduate with impeccable grades, even if you don’t join a top-tier school. Similarly, give your best at your summer associate job and work on your soft skills. These attributes can still land you a plum job at your favorite law firm.

Ability to Bring in Business

With the stiff competition in the legal sector, law firms are looking for more than just good litigators. Employers hiring lawyers also need people capable of increasing the firm’s billable hours.

Attorneys who can showcase commercial awareness as one of their strong skills will ultimately make it into the big leagues.

Experience and Practice Area

While you might be locked out of big firms as a fresh graduate, you might still make it into a prestigious firm a few years into your career. Joining a top-notch firm will, however, take hard work, dedication, and a high success rate for matters you have handled.

The same goes for the practice area. For example, a firm that majorly handles taxation matters will lean towards candidates with experience in taxation. Candidates who have built their practice in taxation issues or handled numerous IRS cases will have an even better chance, despite attending a lower-level law school.

Advice for Prospective Law Students

As a law student looking to join the top firms in Chicago and Illinois at large, it’s imperative to work on becoming a well-rounded candidate. You have better chances if you make the grade and can afford the top-tier law schools because graduates from these institutions are viewed more favorably.

All is not lost if you do not attend a prestigious law school. You still have a fair shot at getting a slot at a prestigious law firm if you attend a lower-level law school and aim for perfect grades. This is especially true when you hone your soft skills, are resourceful in bringing in new business, and have experience in a marketable niche.

Give yourself an edge over your peers by taking up internships, volunteering, apprenticeships, and other opportunities you can get in a legal learning environment. Be sure to get references to use later on in your job search. References should be from people who supervised you and can speak to your contribution to an organization or institution. Top-tier law firms and legal recruiters will do background checks and verify your references, so it helps to be on point with these.

Beginning Your Job Search

A key concern for final-year law students is how to organize a job search after law school. The first thing you need to do is map out your career goals. Do you want to go corporate as an in-house legal counsel, or do you want to work for a law firm? Which area of law do you want to practice? Do you want to get into family law, criminal law, tax law, health law, or commercial law? Do you have a particular state in mind where you would like to begin your career?

The answers to these questions will help focus your job search and land you a role that closely matches your career goals.

Another resource you can’t afford to ignore is the power of networking. Build and nurture networks as you go through your course and after graduation. Your networks can make direct referrals to interning, volunteering, and job shadowing opportunities. These can turn into jobs, and if not, they are more opportunities to network and gain experience. Networking doesn’t have to be in person. Look up professional online platforms, conferences, and webinars and participate in these.

Your Ace Card: Legal Recruiters

You can consider getting professional help by enlisting the services of a legal recruiter. This shouldn’t be a run-of-the-mill firm, but a firm that truly seeks to understand you, your individuality, and your career aspirations. The firm should have the resources and connections to find roles that match closely with what you are looking for at each stage of your career and in whichever geographical location you prefer. Contact us at Astor Professional Search, and let our placement professionals help you find your dream role. 

Knowing how to improve work-life balance for lawyers can help law firms attract top talents and retain existing ones. As a law firm owner, you can enhance the work-life balance for your lawyers by paying attention to their needs and creating a positive work environment. You can build a supportive work environment that promotes professional and personal well-being. You can also use technology to enhance work processes and cut tedious tasks. The workspace should promote mental and emotional well-being by providing ergonomic setups and necessary tech gadgets that make work easier.

Dad and son outdoors. How to Improve Work-Life Balance for Lawyers

Law firms can lighten the load for their teams by hiring more lawyers. Sharing tasks among several hands can cut the time it takes to work on a specific legal matter. Adding more members to your team allows your clients to get sufficient attention. The recruitment process may be draining, but some companies offer legal recruiting services. Legal recruiters will, for instance, handle the search and vetting process and get you the right talent for your team. They can also match you with flex workers when you need more support for your team during peak seasons.

Call (312) 781-9000 for a consultation with our legal placement specialists at Astor Professional Search. We will provide you with actionable strategies for improving work-life balance for your lawyers.

Impact of Long Work Hours on Lawyers’ Well-Being

Lawyers working at large firms can work up to 66 hours a week. That translates to 2,200 billable hours. Lawyers are likely to spend more time behind their work desks than at any other place. This lifestyle can affect their well-being in the following ways:

What Are Strategies to Improve Work-Life Balance?

The demands and fierce competition in the legal industry make improving the work-life balance for lawyers hard. Fortunately, there are strategies that law firms can embrace to help lawyers strike a better balance between their work and life. These strategies include:

Building an Inclusive and Diverse Work Culture

Law firms that want to improve work-life balance for their employees must create an inclusive work environment that allows everyone to thrive. Inclusivity means creating a workplace where everyone feels valued and accepted. It also means understanding that everyone has a different way of doing things and ensuring they get the support they require to achieve their goals. Allow your employees to work without conforming to a norm, so long as they stay within reason.

Leadership and Role Modeling

Leadership plays a major role in shaping the work culture of an organization. The leadership in your law firm should model healthy practices like taking time off and prioritizing self-care. As a leader, you should be at the forefront in helping your team pursue a healthy work-life balance. Ensure all team members work the recommended hours and take their breaks when scheduled. Be sure to promote fairness when sharing work.

Creating Flexible Work Schedules

Sometimes, the traditional way isn’t fit for everyone. Law firms must consider alternative work styles. Technology has already brought so many innovations that allow people to work virtually. Introducing virtual work can improve your lawyers’ well-being.

Creating time to rest, socialize, and connect with other people is vital for a balanced lifestyle. The goal is to create time for things that help them recharge. You can achieve more by adapting various work styles, including part-time work, to support your teams. Your firm can allow members to work remotely at least once or twice a week to give them a break from the commute.

Promoting Professional Growth

Promote professional growth for your team. All your staff members have personal and professional goals that keep them going. Promoting professional growth can increase productivity and boost the morale of your workforce.

A good way to foster professional growth is to implement mentorship programs in your firm and sponsor your employees to attend capacity-building workshops. Learning and mentorship enhance existing skills. They also make people feel valued and understood. You should also offer more opportunities for career growth. Career growth and development enhance employees’ job satisfaction.

Setting Up Ergonomic Workspaces

Your lawyers can benefit from well-organized working areas. So, be sure to create workspaces that promote their mental and emotional well-being. Get ergonomic chairs, ample work desks, and gadgets that make their work easier.

Create rest spaces where lawyers can sit and take a break when needed. Also, invest in great lighting through large windows or artificial lighting to protect their eyes. Make sure you have all the tech that makes work easier for your staff. A modern and well-organized workspace will help them declutter their minds. They will feel motivated to tackle their daily tasks and look forward to spending time at work.

Using Technology to Organize Clients’ Files

Your workforce shouldn’t have to swim through piles of paperwork to access client information. Technology can do so much for you. Digitizing files using a simple scanner can enhance work processes and free up space occupied by all those paper files. You can also invest in cloud storage with the best management tools. Ensure the cloud platform is secure and easy to access for all members of the team.

Legal software solutions are making a difference in the legal sector. They allow you to minimize tedious tasks and enhance workflows for an entire team. You can also easily bring new talent on board, as technology plays an instrumental role in legal recruiting.

Workload Management

Everyone must get a fair share of the workload. Law firms should invest in building their workforce or hire part-time lawyers to take on the workload when it gets out of hand. Overwhelming your lawyers with work leaves them tired and demoralized. So, make sure everyone gets equal work.

Leaving too many tasks for some team members can lead to conflict. You should also set realistic expectations to prevent overworking the lawyers. You should also encourage lawyers to take vacation time to allow them to rest.

Mental Health Support

Work-life balance and mental health go hand in hand. Anything that affects your mental health prevents you from achieving a work-life balance. Lawyers need mental health support due to the nature of their work. Law firms should invest in mental wellness for their lawyers. Your lawyers should have access to mental health and counseling services. They should also attend regular wellness and stress management workshops. You should also create an environment where your lawyers feel comfortable asking for help and support when necessary.

The recruiting process for lawyers can be long and tedious. It is up to you to focus on retaining talent. Changing the work environment to promote work-life balance needs can be instrumental in retaining top talent.

How Wellness Practices Can Help Law Firms Retain Talent

Everyone is looking for a job that doesn’t feel like a prison. Promoting wellness can keep your top talent from exiting the firm, even with higher offers at the table. Some wellness practices law firms can adopt include:

The art of retaining top legal talent goes beyond providing a competitive compensation package. Be mindful of your employees’ wellness by establishing a company culture that promotes wellness. That may include implementing policies that allow your lawyers to thrive, such as assigning young lawyers to more experienced lawyers. It may also involve introducing hybrid or remote working options to all employees so they can spend less time in their regular offices.

The recruiting team at Astor Professional Search in Chicago, Illinois, can connect your law firm with the best legal talent in the market. Contact us today to learn how we can help your law firm grow.