There is perhaps no hotter topic—and seemingly intractable problem—in the legal profession today than that of the diversity gap. Despite good intentions, client incentives, innovative ideas, best practices guides, tech tools, and a host of surveys, initiatives, benchmarks, and trainings, true diversity Continue reading Rethinking Diversity: Tackle the “Pipeline Problem†by Tapping into Overlooked Talent
The legal sector has seen major growth where emerging markets require immediate organizational development and expansion. Many of these markets are quickly evolving and expanding. The candidate pools are limited, and the talent is in high-demand. Cluen develops recruitment software that supports strategic search teams all around the world. We interviewed some of our clients to decipher what specific industries have seen the most growth.
Data Privacy/Cybersecurity
Data breaches are increasing at an astonishing rate and so is the demand for legal professionals with data privacy experience. The explosion of regulatory compliance in areas like data hosting and storage has resulted in law firms all over the world rethinking their attorney hiring and internal operational hiring altogether. New positions have been created from Privacy Compliance Officer, Data Governance Director, Privacy and Data Protection Counsel to HIPPA Privacy Officer. With U.S. compensation laws coming into play and GDPR around the corner, the need for talent in this area is expanding at an exponential rate.
InsurTech
Technology has changed the way the insurance industry conducts business. This transformation has led to an overflow of regulatory issues and disruption within the insurance product cycle. We now have sensors in cars, personal devices and the ability to break-up various insurance products that allow for media and data tracking in real-time. Â
Brad Bruner, East Coast Managing Partner at Mlegal Group, explains: “The continuing proliferation of InsurTech has not only disrupted the traditional insurance industry in its drive to squeeze out efficiencies in many innovative ways. It has also brought the highly regulated insurance industry into the former regulatory Wild West of technology innovation and online commerce. InsurTech is proving to be a bonanza for attorneys who have the relevant regulatory chops relating to insurance law and the requisite technical savvy to keep up with the lightning-fast changes affecting online commerce across numerous jurisdictions.â€
Blockchain/Cryptocurrencies
These peer-to-peer decentralized networks enable developers to create markets for transactions of goods and services, without a middleman. This can drastically reduce the time it takes to make and log transactions as well as the cost and labor involved in property transfers.
Overall, we found the blockchain practice area to be one of the most challenging sectors in legal recruitment. Evan Fox, Director of Recruiting at Audrey Golden, explains: “We are seeing a very high demand for FinTech attorneys in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space. The work emerging is generally concerned–at this stage at least–with products or transactions that are covered by the securities laws. Thus, the ideal candidate is someone who has a thorough grasp of the technology and can counsel clients on securities issues and financial regulations.
Since the candidate pool is small, firms are interviewing more candidates that they may not otherwise have looked at, such as someone from a lower tier school, a smaller firm, or even someone who’s current practice covers only 20% of what they are looking for. I give all my candidates interested in blockchain the same advice. First, be flexible. Blockchain technology is evolving rapidly leaving everyone to guess the dominant legal issues in years to come. Second, do whatever you can to elbow your way into any deal concerning this technology, no matter how small the role – even the smallest experience can differentiate your resume from the others.† Â
Interactive Gaming
The soon-to-be billion-dollar eSports industry has become mainstream, to say the least. Attorneys are being hired to help players, teams and game developers with their business and legal matters like contract negotiations, legal betting concerns, mergers and acquisitions, litigation, intellectual property, privacy/data collection, and endorsements.
Additionally, there is an increasing need for legal services within the VR/AR sectors. Copyright law, intellectual property, privacy/data collection and even contractual debates regarding collaborations between the two gaming platforms.
Energy
There have been significant increases in energy projects and various developments in renewable technologies. Specifically, clean tech, mining and oil and gas. This means energy companies are required to comply with an increasingly regulated environment. Finding the talent with knowledge of the ever-changing landscape will be vital in ensuring this success of this transforming industry.
Cannabis Industry
According to Cowen & Co, the $6 billion legal cannabis market is expected to reach $50 billion by 2026. Recreational use has been legalized in eight states, including California, and the District of Columbia. This means there has been the immediate need for attorneys to aid in defining countless regulations as well as in every aspect of the process from contracts, manufacturing to distribution, taxes, and sale.
Trending Practice Areas
Scott Love, President of The Attorney Search Group, explains: “One of the hottest practice areas for law firms is corporate transactional. Not only is the immediate activity on an increasing trajectory in terms of short-term revenue potential, but strategically this practice area gives law firms deep roots into clients that can be parlayed into cross-selling opportunities for other practice areas. The true client ownership experience usually starts in this practice area. Once the client relationship is solid, opportunities for legal work can be then shared with other groups, such as IP, Labor and Employment, and commercial litigation.â€
What It Means for Legal Recruitment
Law firms and in-house teams are moving quickly to hire within these markets. If your recruitment firm is looking to capitalize within these areas, you should update your recruitment database by making sure that you are capturing these sectors. Start assessing potential candidates along these vectors and create your talent pipelines accordingly. These positions are in high demand and the market for talent that excels within these industries happens to be limited.
Start your job search with Lawjobs.com today.
AUTHOR:
Kandace Miller.
The Cluen Corporation
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This post is part of our recruiter series where we ask legal recruiters for their insider tips and career advice.
This Q&A is with Joe Ankus who founded Ankus Consulting. After a career as an attorney with two AmLaw 100 firms, Joe has worked with thousands of lawyers for law firms and corporations primarily in South Florida. His Florida legal recruiting experience extends to placing 500+ top-level associates, partners and in-house counsel attorneys with both private and public corporations in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach.
What skills are most in demand in the legal industry right now?
For the South Florida market, we have current strong demand for corporate, real estate and litigation attorneys. The combination of economic growth and natural disasters (Hurricane Irma) have created a unique set of legal needs. We have building projects that are on-going at the same time homeowners are suing their insurance carriers for storm-related damage claims. It’s been interesting to see the merger of these diverse subsets of law evolve in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach.
Where are the biggest growth areas?
First Party Property (Plaintiff/Defense) cases have grown 1000% since Hurricane Irma. Law firms are actively growing in these areas and the demand for talent exceeds the supply. We also see a fair amount of growth in international corporate transactional work, construction litigation and class actions. Tax, Trusts & Estates and IP are fairly stable.
What traits are your clients looking for in candidates?
For lateral associates, the South Florida market still places a high premium on top school rank and Law Review as well as “hands-on†experience with a recognized law firm. For partners, the portable origination requirements grow every year- to be a competitive lateral partner candidate today, most larger statewide firms require at least $750K in sustained portable business and the largest national firms prefer at least $1.5 to $2 MM of the same.
What’s the coolest job you ever recruited for?
I got to recruit for a high tech company in South Florida whose office looked like a cross between something you’d see at a top-notch Silicon Valley corporation and an upscale college campus. There were open spaces, recreational facilities, and the most amazing artistic displays. It was truly a one of a kind work environment. I remember visiting them- and when I entered the lobby- I literally gasped.
Do you have any career advice for our readers?Â
To be successful as a lawyer in private law firm practice (which is approximately 75% of my business), the formula for success is, at the same time, simple and difficult. You have to be an excellent substantive lawyer, a consistent business generator, and a “working†partner who bills his/her own time. The most successful lawyers I know are top notch in their fields, work hard on their own matters, and also control sustained seven figure books of business. Skills alone will not protect a lawyer for their whole career unless they are in a firm that will always “feed them work†all the time.
Sadly, even the most talented lawyers- if they lack a portable client base- are often wondering what will happen “if the billable faucet turns off.†In 25+ years as a recruiter, I have seen, too many times, that if the lawyer is not producing revenue- for whatever reason- many law firms will either cut their compensation, de-equitize them, or “invite them to explore other opportunities.â€
All lawyers, from when they graduate, must remember that law is a profession AND a business. For those who forget this maxim, the market will always be there to remind them of this sobering truth.
Start your job search with Lawjobs.com today.
This post is part of our recruiter series where we ask legal recruiters for their insider tips and job seeker advice.
This Q&A is with Michael Lord of Lord Gurman & Lewis, a boutique attorney recruiting firm focusing on placing attorneys in New York City and Connecticut.
What skills are most in demand in the legal industry right now?
Business and finance lawyers and litigators focusing on securities are in demand.
Partner level attorneys with books of business are always in demand.
Where are the biggest growth areas?
Cybersecurity and privacy law are growing practice areas. Tax lawyers, too, with recent changes to the tax code.
What traits are your clients looking for in candidates?
Good writing skills; self-starter; reliability.
What’s the biggest mistake candidates make in the recruitment process?
Candidates pass on good opportunities because they think a better job will come along. More often than not, they are wrong and have to settle. Another mistake is failing to plan a clear career path.
What’s the coolest job you ever recruited for?
We recently placed a partner to start from scratch a patent litigation practice at a law firm. And, we placed a counsel at a major New York City cooperative apartment complex.
Do you have any career advice for our readers?Â
If you are an attorney in the private practice of law, you must develop a client base. The first step is building a book of relationships with other people, who will serve as a source of referrals. Separately, if you practice in-house, you should plan to relocate to different regions of the country in order to advance your career.
See the latest job postings from Lord Gurman & Lewis and start your job search with Lawjobs.com today.
This post is part of our recruiter series where we ask legal recruiters for their insider tips and job seeker advice.
This Q&A is with David Block of Hertner, Block & Bowser. Based in Florida, they service the legal staffing needs for partners, associates and mergers of law firms as well as placing general counsel and staff counsel for corporations.
What skills are most in demand in the legal industry right now?
For the past year, the market in Florida for real estate attorneys has been strong and the usual commercial litigation has seen an uptick.
Where are the biggest growth areas?
In my eyes, the biggest growth area has been in regulatory & compliance. Europe has changed their compliance laws and most companies are hiring in this area over the past couple years.
What traits are your clients looking for in candidates?
It depends on what your client is looking for but generally, we want candidates to have strong credentials from top schools, training with top firms or well-regarded mentors and longevity at a position. If someone is jumping from one position to the next, every year or every other year, they will not be as “in demand†as those who have a stable work history.
What’s the biggest mistake candidates make in the recruitment process?
They don’t do their homework/research when interviewing at a firm or Company – meaning, the candidate doesn’t research the partners (at a law firm) or attorneys within the legal department at a Company. Not only will the candidate learn more about the specific firm or Company but the candidate may have an easier time “breaking the ice†at that interview – which always helps.
Do you have any career advice for our readers?Â
If you are going to practice at a law firm, try and be a rainmaker. Get a mentor who will show you the ropes as to originating business because when you are a rainmaker, you have many more choices than service attorneys. So always have your eye on the prize of how can I generate business, because then firms don’t really care where you went to school or who you were trained by – they will see that you can bring in business to the firm. Remember law is a business.
Start your job search with Lawjobs.com today.
This post is part of our recruiter series where we ask legal recruiters for their insider tips and job seeker advice.
This Q&A is with David Pedreira of MillerBlowers, a legal recruiting firm that places law firm associates, partners and executives, and corporate counsel across every major business vertical.
What skills are most in demand in the legal industry right now? Continue reading Legal Recruiter Q&A: Job Seeker Advice from David Pedreira, MillerBlowers
This post is part of our recruiter series where we ask legal recruiters for their insider tips and job seeker advice.
This Q&A is with Chris Batz of The Lion Group– they place law partners, groups and corporate counsel around the United States.
What skills are most in demand in the legal industry right now?
Soft skills.
For law firms: sales. To be a good lawyer and trusted advisor is understood but the future of the law firm profession will continue to be determined by those with the ability to sell and retain client business. This is not a gift people are born with but a skill that is learned.
For in-house: team oriented longterm attorneys. Again, lawyering skills are a given. Then many corporate legal departments are inherently flat and looking for committed longterm team oriented attorneys who are content with increasing compensation but rarely titles.
Where are the biggest growth areas?
Corporate legal departments are growing right now and relying less on law firms for regular work.
If readers what to know how to land an in-house role, on my podcast I interviewed the general counsel of Toyota Material Handling on How she Landed an In-House Job. It’s very practical and encouraging.
For law firms, there’s always demand for litigation, corporate and IP patent attorneys. What’s also in demand is cybersecurity attorneys.
And always, if you learn to develop your own business at a law firm, it greatly increases your chances for being a free agent and lateraling to a law firm of choice.
I wrote a book about this called Lateral Moves: a Guide for Partners and Law Firms.
What traits are your clients looking for in candidates?
Dependable hard working attorneys – there is an opportunity for attorneys who are not afraid to put in the time and hard work to shine and stand out to law partners.
I can’t over emphasize this. The ability to sell and having a history will make you stand out to other candidates for law firm opportunities.
What’s the biggest mistake candidates make in the recruitment process?
The biggest mistake job hunters make are doing the same things all the other job hunters do which typically are submitting a resume via the employer website and sitting. I explain what you should do and much more in my step-by-step process called the Job Hunting System on my blog where I show attorneys how to land the job they want.
What’s the coolest job you ever recruited for?
I placed a law partner group of 20+ attorneys at a client where we opened 3 offices and added to existing offices. This group came from two different large law firms at the same time. It was a tremendous and exciting undertaking.
Do you have any career advice for our readers?Â
Never stop learning and most importantly learn sales skills regardless of your age.
Don’t approach job hunting like everyone else. You have to approach an employer different to get a different result.
Don’t jump around. Get skills, experience and make rare strategic moves.
Be mindful of the rapidly changing legal industry landscape. Much will change in the next 10 years. (hoyoskitchen.com)
Start your job search with Lawjobs.com today.
Links to Chris’s work
The Law Firm Leadership Podcast Main Page & iTunes
This is the second post in our recruiter series where we ask legal recruiters for their insider tips and job seeker advice.
This Q&A is with Gay Rineberg Schreiber of McCormack Schreiber. McCormackSchreiber is a longtime leader in the Chicago legal market and is proud to have made nearly 1000 law firm and in-house placements.
What skills are most in demand in the legal industry right now?
The skills most in demand in the legal industry right now are demonstrated business acumen and the ability to develop clients/business.  As for substantive practice area skills, the transactional areas are most active and transactional skills are particularly in demand.
Where are the biggest growth areas?
As noted above, the biggest growth is in the transactional areas, including real estate, M&A and private equity, and other growth areas include privacy and information technology, as well as healthcare.  Litigation has remained fairly steady, though we have seen an increased demand recently.
What traits are your clients looking for in candidates?
Our clients are always seeking strong legal skills, a great attitude and motivation to succeed.  For our more junior candidates, our clients want to see excellent writing and strong communication skills.  For our more experienced candidates, our clients are looking for people with great client relations/people skills, the desire and ability to develop business, and the ability to work well with others and collaborate as a team.
What’s the biggest mistake candidates make in the recruitment process?
The biggest mistakes that lateral candidates make in the recruitment process are failing to tailor their message (including resumes and interviews) to a particular client’s needs; being indecisive or projecting a lack of interest to the client, which can be the case when a candidate drags his/her feet and waits too long to follow through with next steps in an interview process; and not being open and honest with the recruiter so as to better allow the recruiter to assist the candidate through the search and interview process.
What’s the coolest job you ever recruited for?
We have been in business for close to 20 years (in June!) so it is difficult to select just one “coolest” job!  That said, while people outside of law may not believe it, many of our jobs have a “cool” element to them.  Some of our law firm clients are boutiques/spin offs with particularly unique and cohesive cultures that have more of an entrepreneurial feel to them.  In the in-house arena, in addition to our more traditional large public company searches, our searches have included new and dynamic companies in the start-up process, and tech companies with pool tables in their offices – many of which offer “cool” options for our candidates.
Do you have any career advice for our readers?Â
My career advice for attorneys – even at the junior-level – is to decide the area of practice you enjoy most and best utilizes your skills, and to focus your career accordingly, trying to make yourself a “go-to” for this area.  Further, as business development is becoming more and more important, attorneys should start networking early and often in their career, staying in touch with law school classmates, former colleagues, etc., all of which should pay off when it comes to developing your own business and clients, giving you more career options in the future.
Finally, keep a working document of your resume (and as you get more experienced, representative transactions and engagements lists).  If you learn of a new position that could be a great career move, you want to be prepared to move quickly with the best and most accurate presentation of your experience and skills.
Start your job search with Lawjobs.com today.
More about McCormack Schreiber
McCormack Schreiber Legal Search is Chicago’s premier attorney search firm, and with 8 attorney recruiters we are also one of Chicago’s largest search firms.  Since 1998, we have successfully placed experienced attorneys of all levels and practice areas at top large, midsize and boutique law firms, and at national and international corporations.  Our affiliate company, McCormack Schreiber Legal Solutions, assists our law firm and corporate clients with paralegal hiring as well as contract attorney and other legal staffing needs.   McCormack Schreiber is a longtime leader in the Chicago legal market, and we are proud to have made nearly 1000 law firm and in-house placements.
In our new series for Lawjobs.com, we’re asking legal recruiters for their insider tips about where the biggest job seeker opportunities are, and for advice on how candidates can best position themselves to get them.
This Q&A is with Keith Fall of Walker Associates, a legal recruitment firm based in New York city. He specializes in working with Partners and groups as an expert matchmaker and trusted advisor. He has been in the field since 2005.
What skills are most in demand in the legal industry right now?
Corporate and transactional attorneys continue to be the highest in demand, with virtually every law firm seeking to proactively grow with both revenue producing partners and very talented 3-5 year associates. Firms continue to hire litigators opportunistically, but there seems to be less of a strategic emphasis on lateral growth in that area with any kind of urgency.
Where are the biggest growth areas?
FinTech is a burgeoning area of growth that law firms are just beginning to wrap their heads around. The world of financial services is being upended by new technologies – from virtual currencies and blockchain to peer-to-peer lending and enhanced mobile banking – and it’s affecting an increasing amount of existing law firm clients, all while new potential clients open up every day. FinTech is an interesting industry in that it touches upon a large variety of more traditional practice areas within a law firm, including corporate, regulatory, tax, cybersecurity, securities litigation, banking/finance, amongst others, and the industry is asking new legal questions in a space that has yet to be fully defined. For those reasons, we’ll continue to see an increased focus on growth with legal expertise that touches on all areas of FinTech.
What traits are your clients looking for in candidates?
Clients want a clear understanding of why a candidate is considering a change, and what they’re hoping to accomplish with a move. If as a law firm they’re not going to be able to solve whatever platform deficiencies the attorney is presently experiencing, the likelihood of the match lasting is minimal. Naturally, the business case has to be there as well, so it’s critical to them that almost any Partner level candidate demonstrate a client following, and an ability to develop further client relationships with upside. Lastly, law firms are taking their cultures increasingly seriously, and tend to have less and less tolerance for someone they think will be a problem for them in the future. We’ve seen many situations where someone is viewed as ‘difficult’, and despite having a large book of business, they get passed on routinely.
What’s the biggest mistake candidates make in the recruitment process?
The worst thing a Partner-level candidate can do when interviewing with another firm is to inflate their portable business expectations. It paints a target on their back, and when the practice doesn’t materialize, there is a lot of tension between themselves and the leadership of the firm, in what otherwise should be a harmonious relationship.
What’s the coolest job you ever recruited for?
I love working with different kinds of individuals and groups, and getting to know their personalities and what makes them tick. The people I get to work with are always overwhelmingly more interesting than the job they’re interviewing for.
Do you have any career advice for our readers?Â
You’ll never have more leverage in your career than when you have a client following. Whether you’re a big-time producer or are just starting to develop a book of business, you should be spending time every day thinking about how you’re going to market yourself and the firm, and pounding the pavement to get new client relationships in the door. Second, and this may sound counterintuitive coming from a recruiter, but the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence. Before deciding to conduct what potentially could be a time-consuming search, talk to some resources you trust to get other input on whether a move could truly be worthwhile. Finally, when you’ve decided it’s time for a change, work with a recruiter that takes the time to get to know you and your practice, and is able to make good suggestions about what firms and opportunities you should be aware of. Making a career change is a big deal, and you want to work with someone who will take it as seriously as you will.
Start your job search with Lawjobs.com today.
Most law school graduates become first-year associates, but few will rise through the ranks to become partners in established law firms. If this is your goal, you need to appreciate that your legal career begins the moment you accept a first-year associate position and your success requires a plan to stand out from the crowd.
Understand your role. Your job is to complete assigned tasks fully, effectively, and timely. Treat the partner or supervising attorney as if he or she is your client. Anticipate problems and suggest solutions. Become an asset and resource, not a problem.
Learn. No one expects you to know everything; part of your job is to learn how to truly practice law. Take notes regarding legal strategies and processes, and ask questions at a suitable time. This initiative will be noticed.
Say “no” when appropriate. As a first-year associate it is tempting to say yes to everything because you want to be viewed as someone who can get the job done. However, if your work quality is diminished because of your overburdened schedule, you will get a reputation as someone who can’t deliver. Stand out from the crowd by reviewing each work request, measuring it against your current workload, and accepting or passing accordingly.
Demonstrate personal integrity. Take ownership in your projects by meeting deadlines and delivering what you promised. Take initiative and look for work during slow periods. Take responsibility for mistakes and correct them when possible. Show that you are trustworthy and responsible in all areas of your professional career.
Share credit. If another associate, paralegal, or assistant helped you complete a project that is recognized for its quality, be gracious. Even though you did the majority of the work, acknowledging that others contributed will show that you know how to lead a team to accomplish a task, which is a fundamental skill of a successful lawyer.
Understand the case. Most of your assignments will be discrete portions of a larger case. Take time to understand it so your work will seamlessly mesh with other documents and activities. Anticipate problems and present a plan to address them, which can lead to more work and a bigger role on the team. You will demonstrate your understanding of the integration of the aspects of the project and your willingness to support its goals.
Be resilient. You will have losses as well as wins; learn from them and move on. Dwelling on past mistakes will distract you from current efforts, so the sooner you let the mistake go, the sooner others will as well.
Embrace the partner’s goals. The law firm’s partners have a vision for the practice and have set priorities accordingly. Make those priorities your own and become a team player committed to the firm’s success.
Becoming a stand-out first-year associate is one of many challenges you will face as you define your legal career. The quality of your work, willingness to be a team player and understanding of the law firm’s goals are keys to rising above the rest.