The legal world is in a constant state of global flux: new statutes, varying interpretations of existing law and new law firms sprouting up throughout the country. Perhaps the most mobile and ever-changing part of the industry, however, are the very lawyers who make up the profession. My generation especially has rarely been described as loyal with regard to their period of employment with one employer, whereas some former generations pronounce a norm of lifetime employment with a single entity.
Lateral movement of lawyers has especially become a paramount target in recent years due to the state of the progression at large. Since the outset of the economic dark ages for the legal industry triggered by the overall recession in the United States, entry-level hiring has seemingly stalled (although there are numerous reports that the industry is recovering and new hires are increasing at optimistic rates). With the tough economic times, it appears as though firms and companies are avoiding the costs of new hires and looking more to lateral hires to fill more senior roles, even in the associate ranks of law firms. With lateral movement, firms and companies are able to benefit, with much less financial output, from the costs and efforts expended by previous employers in training and experience.
