THE RECESSION, they say, is winding down . . . and as it does, law firms that were temporarily and somewhat adversely affected by the economy are turning their attention away from the issues of downsizing, belt-tightening and headcount adjustments and toward the imminent need for a highly successful 2002 recruitment program. Law firms everywhere are cognizant of the fact that when the market turns and the business booms again, the demand for associate talent is likely to escalate rapidly. The need to build increased capacity will be here in a blink of an eye, and the successful, sustained visibility that engenders effective recruitment of summer, entry-level and lateral associates is critical to the future of any firm.
Clearly, every firm that undertook any sort of adjustment in headcount, whether it was termed a reduction in force or a layoff, or was posed as performance-based departures, will discover that it will need to work hard at recruitment to overcome that history. Students and associates may be somewhat gun-shy with regard to firms that received highly public and somewhat negative reviews of the adjustments they made in response to the economy. Firms with an eye to the future will ensure that their message is received and believed by three distinct audiences that are key to recruiting success: students, lateral associates and search consultants.
