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28 Oct

How Important Is the Law School Attended to Legal Recruiters?

by: Astor Professional Search

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. 

author-bio-image author-bio-image
William Sugarman

William Sugarman is the president and founder of Astor Professional Search. He engages in the successful placement of attorneys with local, regional, and international law firms and corporations. Bill’s extensive legal and business development experience give Astor an edge over other legal recruiters nationwide. At the cornerstone of Bill’s strategic philosophy is providing the highest level of personalized attention to his clients and attorney candidates. This is also a key factor that separates Astor from other legal search firms, and it consistently delivers legal placements year after year.

Years of Experience: More than 20 years

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