Job Seekers

When being hired as the head of a legal department, it is not only difficult for the new general counsel, whose arrival can send anxiety and uncertainty through a whole company. But there are things that general counsel can do to help ease the transition. 

Some small law firms may have chosen a successor. Most have not. Nor have they written a succession plan. Partners spend the majority of their time growing their practice.

A lot of associates at top firms are ecstatic to see that they will receive thousands of dollars in the form of special fall bonuses. However, given the precariousness of the COVID-19 economy, and the damage it has caused, are there ways firms can show appreciation for their associates when they are unable to give out bonuses?

As the new school year starts every law school professor looking for a position in the field has this question on their mind: Will law schools hire this year? 

The work created in the legal field when the COVID-19 pandemic first became a known threat in the United States—securing federal loans, as an example—may be silencing now. However, as the U.S. continues to cope with the consequences of the coronavirus, law firms are continuing to adapt their practice offerings.

Working from home is here to stay for a while in the legal field amid the COVID-19 pandemic. So when are lawyers and their staff expected to come back into the office? Not until 2021, according to several law firms. 

This year has delivered huge changes to the way our world lives and works. But, will American law firms be ready to recognize and use what is going on in our world as an opportunity to create real change? In her book “Seeing Around Corners: How to Spot Inflection Points in Business Before They Happen,” business professor Rita McGrath defines an inflection point as a moment that ““upends the basic assumptions that a business model is built on.”

The coronavirus pandemic brought sudden changes and unusual challenges to many general counsel and other corporate law department leadership. However, the good news is that the experience of successfully navigating their way through the storm could give in-house counsel a boost to the next rung on the career ladder.

In-house counsel may be overspending on outside counsel despite functioning in an unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic economy. 

Law firms and corporate legal departments were pulling from the cybersecurity talent pool before the outbreak of COVID-19. This pool was not exactly overflowing though. With the sudden influx of employees working remotely and a host of other pandemic-related needs, this pool might have even further narrowed the already hyperspecific criteria that legal professionals are looking for in cybersecurity support.