Strategic Job Resources for New Attorneys
by Mallory Wood
Are you a new attorney seeking to obtain a meaningful position in a law firm, agency, non-profit, or corporation? Are you looking to make a lateral move after paying your dues in your first job out of law school? Or, are you finishing up law school and seeking to lock down your first full-time job before hunkering down for Bar prep? Or, maybe you are in that traditional limbo period after taking the Bar, waiting for results before pursuing the “perfect” law job. Whatever your scenario, finding the right job is an elusive target even in the best of times. But it is tougher still in the current climate, where the legal profession continues to grapple with the lingering effects of the Great Recession over the past decade.
As you embark on your journey, remember that you will likely not find that perfect legal position with your first or second (or even third!) job after law school. Open your horizons at this stage of your career and look for a position where you will gain the skills you need to grow in your long-term professional development. Just like new MD residents who work in a residency after medical school, your first job may serve as a training ground, rather than a long-term career choice. If your heart tells you that the firm is not a good long-term choice, then your hands-on experience will still be valuable to guide you in a lateral move, when the opportunity arises. But remember that hiring managers frown upon job-hopping, so whether you are seeking your first job or looking to make your next move, it is wise to give 100% wherever you land, and to give it a reasonable time frame before looking to make a move.
Securing the right new or lateral position in the early years after law school is a delicate dance, but if you take your time in your search, and do your due diligence, you’ll make the right selection for your long-term career goals. In this article, we address these concerns, providing a range of resources to help you approach your career move in a strategic fashion. The lists below include a broad cross section of legal-focused job-posting sites, legal search firms, general job sites, and more, to help you begin to develop your strategy.
Attorney Search Firms:
- The Barrett Group Legal– The Barrett Group Legal has been around since 1990, providing excellent service to those lawyers searching for new and continuing opportunities. Whether you are just beginning your career or looking for a lateral position as a senior attorney or partner, submitting your resume will allow these legal recruiters to offer you the available positions that just may be the perfect fit for your career.
- BCG Attorney Search– This legal recruiting website aims to match newly graduated attorneys with prospective firms that are hiring within their desired field. The site’s team of experts have been in business for over a decade and operate with the highest of standards.
- Leopard Solutions– Leopard Solutions delivers real-time alerts via one of the most strategic attorney job searches available. This legal recruiting website screens 700+ websites, including Fortune 500 companies. The site offer an inside look at closed as well as modified attorney positions not readily available to the public or on other websites.
- Lucas Group– Lucas Group focuses on in-house counsel positions for new and continuing attorneys. They offer a variety of partner, associate, and legal recruiting options in a broad host of practice areas. After submitting a formal resume, their team of legal recruiting experts will take care of the rest.
- The Partners Group– The Partners Group is a legal staffing company that allows you to search through a directory of current legal positions available around the country. This website provides the opportunity to explore different types of legal choices based on your level of education and experience.
- Robert Half Legal– Robert Half Legal provides legal career consultation services for people interested in the law field. This site will place you in temporary positions that can lead to full-time advancement by utilizing top-of-the-line technology to help match your needs.
Online Law Job Postings:
Law job postings are an important and strategic approach to your legal career startup. The following sites specialize in connecting you to a secured network with daily updates of legal positions. Be sure to enter your email address and choose a password in order to stay up-to-date on the most recent career opportunities. These sites can be quite useful, whether you are in search of the perfect start-up position or looking to make a lateral move.
Law Job Services:
Law job service websites are an excellent source to begin your groundwork searches within the legal field. Using the services offered from these sites, you tap into the many filtering options to specify exactly what you are looking for. The sits also help you educate yourself in new niche areas for consideration.
Other Sources of Legal Jobs:
The following websites are helpful for broadening your job search goals, both in terms of geography or practice areas.
- ABAforLawStudents.com – This site offers everything from how to become a leader, current news within the legal world, career resources, and events within the ABA legal community.
- ABALCC.org – The ABA Career Center provides a wealth of educational information for the legal job seeker as well as frequent postings for open positions.
- FlexJobs.com/jobs/legal Flex Jobs specializes in just that … flexible jobs. If your dream is to work remotely or to telecommute, this unique site offers insight into how to work from home or a remote location, as well as a number of additional flex options.
- Jobs.AmericanBar.org – This ABA forum also posts career opportunities within the ABA.
- Jobs.LawBulletin.com – This site acts is a digital “bulletin board” for available law jobs in your specific area. If you are looking to begin your career in law or favor a different position/firm, Law Bulletin may deliver just what you need.
- Justice.gov/careers – The United States Department of Justice website often posts potential job openings within their main offices. They also offer a number of internships for third year and new law graduate students.
- LegalNurse.com – This site is for those who would like to enter into the medico-legal services world.
- LinkedIn.com – This website allows you to post a biography and resume to show off your accomplishments and successes, and set up search alerts for legal and non-legal positions.
- SpecialCounsel.com – Special Counsel is a recruiting website that specializes in staffing positions within the legal community. The site offers a variety of services for corporate, government, and legal department career placements.
- USCourts.Gov/careers/search-judiciary-jobs – Here you will find a number of career opportunities in federal organizations and courts, as well as non-legal positions. If seeking a position with the attorney general’s office of your state, locate their specific website for your state and run a basic search for prospective job openings.
General Online Job Resources:
The following sites may be utilized to begin your job search. If you do not have a specificity in mind, these links will assist you in narrowing down your search as you clarify and focus your desired position.
Don’t Forget Your Law School!
Did you know that law school rankings depend upon student placement success at and after graduation? So, don’t forget that law schools have a vested interest in the success of their students as well as their graduates in finding full-time legal employment. Law school career service administrators are as hungry as you are to find you a job – so set up a meeting with a counselor, whether you are a current student or alumni, and use all the resources they have to offer!
Further reading:
- The Balance – Be sure to check out the “Legal Careers” pages in thebalance.com, one of the top websites showcasing legal employment.
- HG.org – Provides an excellent source for networking and developing information about a wide range of legal topics.
- LawCrossing.com – In addition to job postings, this site provides a number of helpful articles for legal job seekers.
While the suggestions in this article provide many helpful resources for your legal job search, it is not an exhaustive list. If you are not finding what you need in this article, always consider utilizing accessible resources from your school, online forums, word of mouth, legal recruiters, bar associations, or popular search engines. Your strategic and well-thought-out search is what separates the novices from the experts. And don’t hesitate to think outside the box when conducting your search to ensure the best chances for securing the position you desire, and deserve.
