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What are associates thinking about these days? Ha. It's the economy, silly. Law firm layoffs fill the headlines, first-year classes are being delayed, and senior associates are left wondering about their real chances for partnership.
In this environment, a lot of associates are out there looking for jobs. What does that mean for those struggling to stand out amid the crowd? Legal Times associate opinion editor Robert Rogers contacted attorney search consultants in the Washington, D.C., area to find out. He also approached career specialists at law schools. Here's what these experts had to say. (Answers were edited for length and clarity.)
What are associates who are looking for work not doing that they should be?
Associates should be networking and must remember that networking is not linear -- rather it is often indirect and interrupted. Also, associates make the mistake of only networking professionally, rather than personally. Although your law school classmate may know of a great job, your Aunt Bee from Cleveland, Ohio, may also have a connection to a great employment opportunity.
And do not focus all your networking online. There are generational differences among practicing attorneys, and often a handwritten letter or a phone call will be met with more success than electronic communication.
-- Katy Montgomery,
Major, Lindsey & Africa
Associates need to utilize all networking avenues. This includes reaching out to current and former colleagues, law school classmates and other attorneys with whom they have worked. Maintaining an updated LinkedIn.com account and/or Facebook account may facilitate contact with friends and classmates who may know of an opportunity or even be in a position to hire.
-- Samantha Yakutiel,
Garrison & Sisson
If you are not being laid off, it's important to explicitly mention this in your cover letter. Employers don't have a crystal ball, and if you are on the market now, the presumption is that you've been told to find a new job. By explicitly highlighting in your cover letter/e-mail that you are not being asked to leave, some employers will view this more favorably. It also shows that you are anticipating what the firm will likely assume, and taking this pro-active step demonstrates good advocacy skills.
-- Dan Binstock,
BCG Attorney Search
With the large number of layoffs, who is most marketable right now in the D.C. area? And who is in real trouble?
Specialty practice areas unique to D.C. law firm practices are most marketable right now. Major merger and financing work has slowed down, so most corporate associates will find it difficult to find work in traditional M&A/corporate practices.
-- Katy Montgomery
The lateral market for law firms boils down to supply and demand. Those who are most marketable have between two to five years of large law firm (or high-end specialty boutique) experience in an active, niche practice area where (1) there is a small pool of associates in D.C. with similar experience, and (2) law firms will have a difficult time retooling their existing associates into the niche practice area because it is too specialized. Examples of some of these niche practice areas include FDA, energy, export control, Section 337/patent litigation before the ITC, patent prosecution, bankruptcy, SEC enforcement, antitrust and health care.
Associates in the most heavily populated practice areas will have the hardest time. General commercial litigators, for example, are having a very difficult time for three reasons: (1) there is a high supply of litigators at all levels in D.C.; (2) litigation, which is traditionally a countercyclical practice area, has not picked up as much as expected; and (3) even if a firm has a shortage of litigators on a particular case, many larger firms believe they can utilize and retool their under-worked associates from other practice groups and quickly train them to provide litigation support.
-- Dan Binstock
It appears that practice areas enjoying the greatest level of activity include FDA, energy, clean tech and intellectual property (primarily litigation). Unfortunately, associates with transactional experience are facing the most difficult time in identifying a demand for their specialized skill set.
-- Samantha Yakutiel
How do people make themselves stand out among the mass of laid-off associates with good qualifications?
By giving serious time and attention to every detail: the resume, the cover letter, and the preparation for and participation in the interview. Your resume and other written materials must be pristine. Ask a trusted colleague or other professional acquaintance to review/actively edit your resume. To stand out in person at the interview you must prepare beforehand. Research the law firm or organization; know their signature clients and landmark cases, or their core business lines and financials.
Be prepared to talk about at least three examples of cases, transactions, counseling or other experience you have that is relevant to the work the firm or in-house department handles.
Be ready to say very specifically why you want this job and project interest in it and enthusiasm for the enterprise. Many interviewees forget to do this, and it is one sure way to distinguish oneself.
-- Sadie Madole,
Garrison & Sisson
The ones that really think about their job searches are the ones that will 'pop' in this market. Tailoring one's resume and cover letter will be important. Rather than using the 'find and replace' function for a cover letter, taking the time to articulate why you are a match will make a difference.
-- Katy Montgomery
Here's my advice for associates who have been laid off for nonperformance issues: If you have copies of prior performance reviews and other evidence of your success at the firm (e.g., track record of merit-based bonuses, history of high billable hours, etc.), you should absolutely mention this information in your cover letter/e-mail. You could even go further and add a line on your resume (under your current employer) highlighting your accomplishments that demonstrate your success at the firm. Right now, employers tend to assume the worst unless you explicitly show them otherwise.
-- Dan Binstock
Should job-hunters be looking at any particular areas of work? Who is still hiring?
There are still a number of select law firm positions, but some are never publicly advertised. Why? Because when a position is advertised, some recruiting departments are getting inundated with resumes and phone calls from unqualified candidates when they post an open position. Don't assume that the only positions are those that are posted, and use your personal contacts and network as much as possible.
-- Dan Binstock
There will most likely be more work in legislative, financial institutions, government contracts, energy and health sectors in the next few months. Bankruptcy and reorganization work, although not yet a hot practice area, will also see an uptick.
-- Katy Montgomery
The federal government is actively hiring attorneys and provides the opportunity to gain marketable expertise in various practice areas. For finance and financial services, consider the Federal Reserve, the FDIC, the Treasury Department, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. For corporate and securities expertise, the Securities and Exchange Commission. For litigation, the Justice Department.
-- Sadie Madole
Are you seeing junior associates come back to the law-school career office for help?
Our career advisers are meeting with more alumni than in years past, many of whom have been laid off by law firms, and we are seeing alumni attend career panels not as panelists but as attendees seeking information and networking opportunities.
-- Jessica Heywood,
Catholic University
Fortunately, we have not seen a lot of alums coming to us who have been let go by the large firms.
-- Victoria Huber,
George Mason University Law School
Could or should they seek help from their alma mater? What career services do you offer your graduates?
While a law school career services office shouldn't be the only place a graduate turns, it should be at least one tool in their tool chest. In our case, there is no charge for speaking to alumni, and there may be new resources for job hunting with which a graduate may not be familiar. My opinion would be that the strongest resource a law school might have for a graduate is the alumni network -- suggestions about who to talk to, which graduates are involved in hiring decisions, etc.
-- Victoria Huber
Catholic always has worked with alumni, and we welcome these opportunities. The Office of Career & Professional Development provides individualized career advising (including conducting mock interviews) and access to online job postings. OCPD recently entered into a relationship with an outplacement specialist who will be working with recently displaced alumni.
-- Jessica Heywood
