Associate Lateral Advice (pt 2 of 3)

Here, for your reading pleasure, is part 2 of 3 of our interview about the lateral hiring process for associates with Jordan Ross, member of the National Association of Legal Search Consultants and principal of Ross Legal Search, LLC:

8. If I am at a smaller firm and want to move to a Vegas branch of a national firm or Phoenix-based firm, how can I make myself more marketable to the larger firm?

Sell at high billing rates. Bring loot to the table. See the [prior] cynical comments.

9. In a firm interview, is it appropriate to negotiate terms (salary, billable hour
requirement and years accepted from prior employment towards partnership track)?

Yes, but understand there won’t be a whole lot that a firm will move on, so suck it up. Unless you have portable book. That changes everything.

10. Do dual degrees (an MBA, Policy degree, or LLM) help marketability for laterals?

A little, but not as much as people think. An MBA is most valued for in house jobs, not so much in law firms. An LLM is swell and can make a difference, but it needs to match your practice area and even then don’t expect a firm to jump up and down about it. With IP, degrees can be absolutely critical for patent work.

11. Does pro bono work and community involvement really matter to a larger firm when applying?

Actually, despite my own personal cynicism about the world, it does matter to larger firms and also to most smaller ones. But it’s a good idea to see where the exact direction of pro bono is pointed in each firm. Domestic firms like to see locally based efforts, regional and national firms may be more inclined to want national causes.

12. If trial experience is a plus, do trials argued as pro bono work qualify?

No.

13. If experience matters, where is the best place to put that information, cover letter or resume?

Generally I wouldn’t wipe my ass with a cover letter and neither would most of my clients. The occasional client actually wants one, but I advise that you leave that to your recruiter. If you submit a resume on your own, keep the cover letter short and sweet. Put the substance on your resume. If you submit by e-mail, that counts as your cover letter, don’t add more crap for someone to read and sort through.

14. Is there an appropriate amount of time for a person to stay at their first firm job before the associate attempts to move to a larger firm (1 yr- 2 yr mark or is it measured by experience in depositions, etc)?

Three years. Really. Job hopping is very bad in this business for an Associate. So what am I going to say next? Right. Suck it up.

[Our thanks to Mr. Ross for donating his time and wisdom to the readers of the blog]

[look for pt 3 of the interview next week]