legal search firms

Beyond OCI: Effective Job Search Strategies for Your 2L Summer I. II. III. Q&A The Importance of Building and Using a Professional Network Employment Options and Resources A. Law Firms 1. 2. Large Firms Mid-Sized and Small Firms B. Federal Government C. State and Local Government D. Public Interest IV. Online Job Search Links -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Drexel University College of Law Career and Professional Development Office Fall 2007 I. Questions and Answers About Your Job Search 1. How do I find a 2L summer job? Network + send ―blind‖ resumes + attend career fairs + apply to posted internships = summer job 2. I am interested in working in a law firm. I’m not a likely candidate for a summer associate position with a large firm because I am not in the top 20% of the class. How do I identify mid-sized and small firms that I might be interested in? Build and use a professional network (see below) Read the legal news The Philadelphia Legal Intelligencer The Philadelphia Business Journal The New Jersey Law Journal New Jersey Lawyer Pennsylvania Bar News National Law Journal The Philadelphia Legal Intelligencer 2007 Law Firm Directory (in law library) (indexes Philadelphia firms by practice area) www.martindale.com Click on ―Advanced Search‖ and use drop-menu to search ―Law Firms‖ Search by geographical area, practice area(s) and firm size Use the list of firms: review each website and Google each firm • • • • 3. Do most law firms post positions for law clerk jobs? Some law firms do post openings, but many do not. Don’t limit yourself to jobs that are posted. For postings, check: • Symplicity.com • See list of Online Job Search Links, below 2 Drexel University College of Law Career and Professional Development Office Fall 2007 4. What is the time frame for applying to firms? For 2L summer jobs, large firms (Philadelphia: 150+ lawyers) begin recruiting in late August and finish by November. Mid-sized firms (Philadelphia: 50 – 120 lawyers) and small firms do not follow any established recruiting schedule. Some hire in the fall and some in the spring (some do not hire law students at all). To be on the safe side, begin sending applications to these firms in late September and early October and continue through the winter. 5. I am interested in a government job. How do I find those, and what are the time frames for applying? Government Honors and Internship Handbook (available in hard copy in the CPDO and also online at www.law.arizona.edu/career/honorshandbook.cfm (email CPDO to get user name and password) 2006 – 2007 NALP Federal Legal Employment Opportunities Guide Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair, October 6-7, Wash. D.C. Drexel College of Law 1L Public Interest and Government Career Planning Guide (available in hard copy in CPDO) • • • • Each government agency has different deadlines for applying. Check the internship websites now so you don’t miss an application deadline! 6. I am interested in working with a public interest organization. How do I find summer jobs in these organizations? And what are the time frames for applying? Public Service Law Network www.pslawnet.org Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair, October 6-7, Wash. D.C. Drexel College of Law 1L Public Interest and Government Career Planning Guide (available in hard copy in CPDO) • • • Each organization has different deadlines for applying. Check the internship websites now so you don’t miss an application deadline! 7. How do I do a mail merge for applications? Julie Allmayer, Instructional Technology Support: presentation during today’s workshop! 3 Drexel University College of Law Career and Professional Development Office Fall 2007 II. The Importance of Building and Using a Professional Network One of the best resources for any job is not a book or an online directory, but the people you know. Using personal and professional contacts, including your family, friends, past employers and fellow graduates from your undergraduate institutions, is the best method for finding potential employment. It is vitally important that you create a network of contacts and use it throughout your time in law school! You can start to build a network of lawyer connections even without help from your family and friends. The single most important feature of a successful job search is exposure to different kinds of law practice through meeting lawyers, watching them work, asking them about their career paths, and letting them get to know you, along with your interests and strengths! Those of you working in Drexel College of Law Co-Op programs will gain valuable exposure to law practice and lawyers; please take full advantage of every opportunity to learn from your colleagues about the legal market and legal careers. There are many other ways of meeting lawyers and building your network: • Consider working part-time throughout the academic year. Watch for job postings that are listed on Symplicity. Because most legal job openings are not posted, however, you should also do a direct targeted job search. That means using your growing professional legal network and sending unsolicited applications to find internships and jobs at area firms and organizations. Identify and target employers and ask them if they need any part-time help during the year. Ask Attorneys for Informational Interviews. Send an email to your undergraduate alumni who are attorneys—introduce yourself, explain your connection, and ask if they would meet you over coffee to discuss their practice and their career path. Tell them you won’t take more than fifteen minutes of their time. Make it convenient for them, in both time and place. Be gracious. Bring your resume but don’t bring it out unless you are asked. And always follow up with a thank you email or letter. Attend career panels and workshops that the Career and Professional Development Office will be presenting throughout the year. Most of the panels will feature practicing lawyers who will be talking about the specific features of their practice and sharing advice on career paths. These lawyers usually stay after the panel is over to talk to law students individually; not only do they participate in these panels to share their experiences, but also to look for promising law students who might be a good fit for their firm or organization. Avoid the temptation to be simply a passive listener—a good impression made here can serve you well out in your job search! Watch for news from the CPDO on upcoming career panels. Participate with your Student Groups in asking lawyers to come to campus and present on areas of particular interest to you. • • • 4 Drexel University College of Law Career and Professional Development Office Fall 2007 • Attend receptions and events sponsored by the Philadelphia Bar Association, and other bar associations depending on your geographical and practice area preferences. Going to these receptions, particularly if you are going alone, can seem unfamiliar and awkward to some of you. But the more you attend, the more comfortable you will feel, and these are wonderful ways to meet the person who might offer you your next job! Keep in mind that an effective job search takes time and patience. You might consider carving out specific time on your calendar to devote to career exploration and job searching, just like you would schedule a class. Take ownership and be proactive over your job search this fall—and remember that the CPDO (along with your professors and other staff here at the College of Law) are always here to help you! III. Employment Options and Resources A. Law Firms Private practice law firms are where many law school graduates begin their legal careers. A very small percentage, however, accepts positions in large firms; the majority seek and find positions in mid-sized and small firms. 1. Large Firms Large firms do their recruiting and hiring predominantly through on-campus interviewing programs. These employers are able to determine their hiring needs a year in advance and they seek students with a high class rank and/or other distinguishing academic credentials, especially law review and moot court board Strong legal research and writing skills are often the first thing employers look for. Employers may require criteria ranging from top half, to top 20%, or top 10%of the class. Some firms often put great emphasis on other work experience such as medical training, insurance work, financial experience, or science/technical background. The hiring process is usually completed between July after your first year and November of your second year of law school. Recruiting committees and hiring partners control the selection process. The competition for these positions is very high and the firms receive thousands of resumes from students throughout the country. Most large firms have a large office in one or two cities, with several smaller offices in different places across the country or around the world. Hiring for summer associate positions is usually centralized through the large office; the smaller, regional offices often do not accept or process law student resumes. The emphasis for these large firms is on summer associate programs; although some of them do look at third-year students, the numbers are much smaller. Another common entry into large firms is as a ―lateral‖ attorney after you have been working at another firm for several years. In large firms, especially as an associate, the opportunity for 5 Drexel University College of Law Career and Professional Development Office Fall 2007 significant client contact and independent action is much less than in smaller firms, but the salaries are much higher. 2. Mid-Sized and Small Firms This is the sector where most students get started in private practice. In the Philadelphia area, a ―mid-sized‖ firm is usually defined as a firm of 50 to 100 attorneys (give or take a dozen on either end). This does not include the smaller, regional branch offices of large law firms. Some mid-sized and small firms do formal recruiting through the oncampus interviewing program, but most of them do not. Their recruiting plans are based on actual need, not what is projected for the next year (or five years!). Many mid-sized and small firms hire on a permanent basis from students who have worked for the firm part-time during law school. These firms focus on law students who have direct work experience, law school extracurricular activities, and personal qualities that are a good fit for the firm. They are usually not as focused on grades and law journal as the large firms. Smaller firms may be boutique practices that focus on a particular area of the law or general practice firms that offer broader services. Associates and law clerks are given a great deal of responsibility. Salaries vary drastically in these firms and some offer creative salary options (like a salary combined with a draw on profits or a percentage of contingency fees on cases that associates bring in). 2007–2008 Drexel Events Showcasing Small and Mid-Sized Firms: Career Panel of Attorneys from Mid-Sized Firms Career Panel of Attorneys from Small Plaintiffs’ Litigation Firms January: One-Day Professional Development Symposium (more than 40 lawyers and judges discussing many areas of law and career paths) February 8: Small and Mid-Sized Firm Reception October: December: 6 Drexel University College of Law Career and Professional Development Office Fall 2007 How to Identify Which Firms You Want to Work For • www.martindale.com (use Advanced Search, and search law firms by geographic location, practice area, and size) • www.nalpdirectory.com (mostly large firms only) • Regularly read local, national, and practice area legal periodicals, especially The Legal Intelligencer, to keep abreast of what is going on in the legal market, who is working on cases or deals that interest you. Contact those attorneys! • The Philadelphia Legal Directory (in the law library and CPDO) • Use Westlaw or Lexis/Nexis to search for cases that interest you and see which firms worked on those cases. 7 Drexel University College of Law Career and Professional Development Office Fall 2007 NALP 2007 Associate Salary Survey – National Summary Charts Median Base Salaries by Associate Year and Firm Size (as of April 1, 2007) Firm Size Associate Year 2-25 Median 26-50 Median 51-100 Median 101-250 Median 251-500 Median 501-700 Median 701+ Median First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Seventh Eighth $68,000 77,250 86,000 83,000 88,750 93,600 105,000 116,550 $81,000 92,000 93,575 95,000 99,500 106,250 118,000 118,000 $90,000 92,400 99,500 101,000 105,000 110,000 110,000 117,200 $105,000 105,000 106,000 110,000 115,000 119,250 122,500 128,500 $115,000 125,000 127,000 131,000 139,500 145,000 151,675 162,000 $120,000 129,000 130,000 137,500 146,625 151,000 158,000 164,750 $145,000 155,000 165,000 173,125 185,000 195,000 205,000 210,000 Range of Base Salaries by Associate Year and Firm Size (as of April 1, 2007) Firm Size Associate Year 2-25 26-50 51-100 101-250 251-500 501-700 701+ First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Seventh Eighth $36k–160k 36k-135k 36k-140k 36k-170k 36k-210k 36k-180k 36k-192k 68k-203k $50k–145k 55k-155k 57k-162k 58k-174k 59k-187k 60k-206k 60k-228k 60k-242k $54k–160k 62k-185k 64k-210k 66k-230k 68k-250k 70k-260k 72k-280k 74k-235k $80k–160k 81k-170k 82k-185k 85k-210k 88k-220k 92k-230k 97k-240k 97k-250k $75k-160k 85k-170k 81k-185k 95k-210k 91k-230k 79k-250k 93k-265k 123k-285k $80k-160k 86k-170k 92k-185k 95k-210k 98k-230k 100k-250k 103k-265k 126k-280k $93-160 95-170k 100-185 105-210 110-230 120-250 130-265 140-280 8 Drexel University College of Law Career and Professional Development Office Fall 2007 B. Federal Government The federal government is composed of hundreds of agencies, commissions, departments and boards. Almost all of these hire law students both for summer and permanent employment. The application process and hiring criteria vary greatly. Given the wide range of options, it is important to work with a counselor on a federal job search and review information in the Government Honors and Internship Handbook. Government opportunities range over a variety of practice areas including: antitrust, litigation, First Amendment, communications, trade, labor law, banking, tax, international law, immigration, environmental law, health law, policy, technology, intellectual property, patents, housing, civil rights, energy, and others. Entering attorneys are given excellent training and usually assume a great deal of responsibility. Federal employment offers some flexibility including alternative work schedules and movement between agencies. Many times promotions are offered in a steady and incremental manner. Entry-level attorneys typically start at a GS-11 but many agencies are moving to higher pay levels. Many also offer assistance with the repayment of student loans. Federal employment is secure but depending on federal budget issues, professional layoffs and hiring or promotion freezes may occur. Many of the larger agencies will recruit and hire new lawyers through their ―Honors Programs.‖ There is also the Presidential Management Fellows program, which is an alternative to the honors programs. Other than these two types of programs, another form of entry for permanent employment is by securing a position posted on www.usajobs.opm.gov for a full-time attorney with experience. Most programs are highly competitive, and academic record and commitment to public service are evaluation criteria. 2007–2008 Drexel Events Showcasing Federal Government Work: September: Workshop: Internships with State Dept, DOJ, FBI, Prosecutors and Defenders Offices October: Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair Washington D.C. January: One-Day Professional Development Symposium (more than 40 lawyers and judges discussing many areas of law and career paths) 9 Drexel University College of Law Career and Professional Development Office Fall 2007 Resources for Federal Government Legal Employment: • Government Honors and Internship Handbook (available in hard copy in the CPDO and also online at www.law.arizona.edu/career/honorshandbook.cfm (email CPDO to get user name and password) • USAJobs --- www.usajobs.opm.gov (permanent jobs only) • Washington Information Directory (in Law Library • Federal Regulatory Directory (in the Law Library) • United States Government Manual (in the Law Library) • The Philadelphia Legal Directory (Fed. Gov’t tab) (in Law Library and CPDO) • Handout from next week’s program Internships with the U.S. State Dept., DOJ, FBI, prosecutors and defenders offices C. State and Local Government State and local government agencies are excellent places to work and they generally hire lawyers and law students. These positions are often not advertised widely, and you should inquire as to availability for summer and permanent positions by contacting agencies directly. You should do considerable research and use your networking contacts to identify these and other jobs. A career as a district attorney or public defender or county attorney are other avenues of employment in state and local government. Some public defenders, district attorneys, and city and county law departments recruit on campus. 2007–2008 Drexel Events Showcasing State/Local Government Work: September: Career Panel of PA State Gov’t Lawyers at University of Pennsylvania, Sponsored by PA Bar Association October: Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair Washington D.C. January: One-Day Professional Development Symposium (more than 40 lawyers and judges discussing many areas of law and career paths) 10 Drexel University College of Law Career and Professional Development Office Fall 2007 Resources for State/Local Government Legal Employment: • Government Honors and Internship Handbook (available in hard copy in the CPDO and also online at www.law.arizona.edu/career/honorshandbook.cfm (email CPDO to get user name and password) • The Philadelphia Legal Directory (Pennsylvania Gov’t and County Gov’t tabs) (in law library and CPDO) • Handout from next week’s program Internships with the U.S. State Dept., DOJ, FBI, prosecutors and defenders offices D. Public Interest There are many types of employment in the area of public interest. These include working for a public policy center, public interest law firm, membership organization, legal aid society, or direct legal services employer. Most of the positions either effect policy change or represent underserved populations including the poor, elderly, children, immigrants, and prisoners. Public interest law organizations look for students and future lawyers who are committed to their issues and causes. Public interest work with the most well-known national employers is more competitive than lesser known or local organizations. Those who wish to enter the field should case a wide net within their area of interest and consider numerous types of job prospects. Many entry-level positions are obtained through post-graduate public interest fellowships. To discuss fellowships, please contact Drexel’s Public Interest Law Coordinator, Karen Pearlman, Esq.. The fellowship process is very specific and targeted and often requires a year or more of preparation and strategy. It is important to lay a foundation in the public interest community. This can be done through developing credentials through Drexel’s pro bono programs and a Co-Op placement. Many employers are not able to pay students for summer work. There are bar associations and other groups that provide summer funding—a comprehensive list can be found on PSLAWNET, the public interest section of NALP. 11 Drexel University College of Law Career and Professional Development Office Fall 2007 2007–2008 Drexel Events Showcasing State/Local Government Work: October: January: Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair Washington D.C. One-Day Professional Development Symposium (more than 40 lawyers and judges discussing many areas of law and career paths) Philadelphia Area Public Interest Job Fair February: Resources for Public Interest Law Employment: • Drexel Public Interest and Government Career Planning Guide (available in hard copy in CPDO and on Drexel Law’s website under Curriculum/ Public Interest Law) • PSLAWNET -- www.pslawnet.org • Equal Justice Works – www.equaljusticeworks.org III. Online Job Search Links You should check Symplicity at Drexel College of Law regularly for notices of job postings. In addition, the following are websites of external organizations or companies that post law jobs – many include law student internships, but some do not. Free Sites: ABA Human Resources Includes internships and permanent career opportunities with the ABA, mostly in Chicago and Wash. D.C. Links to resources and legal job opportunities http://www.abanet.org/hr/home.html ABA Law Student Division Career Information 12 Drexel University College of Law Career and Professional Development Office Fall 2007 http://www.abanet.org/lsd/jobopp.html Association of Corporate Counsel In-House Jobline http://jobs.acca.com/search.cfm Corporate counsel jobs database Attorney Job Store Career Builder http://www.attorneyjobstore.com/ http://www.careerbuilder.com/ Legal job opportunities nationwide General job database, includes legal jobs Database of academic jobs in higher education. Database of jobs, including legal, popular with legal recruiters Directory of nonprofit and volunteer resources on the Web. Information provided by 20,000 organizations in 150 countries Search engine site that gives job seekers free access to millions of employment opportunities from thousands of websites. Includes listings from major job boards, newspapers, associations and company career pages. Intellectual property job postings as well as IP related services/news Database of jobs and internships, including legal, in Philadelphia area Comprehensive online legal employment center from Lawyers Weekly Classified job listings, legal search firm job listing & legal search firm directory. If you go through the Philadelphia Legal Intelligencer portal, it will take you directly to Philadelphia area law jobs on www.lawjobs.com. Job Database and Career Center Chronicle of Higher Education http://chronicle.com/jobs/ Hot Jobs http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/ Idealist.org http://www.idealist.org Indeed.com http://www.indeed.com/ Intellectual Property Law Server http://www.intelproplaw.com/ Job Circle http://jobcircle.com/index.html Lawyers Weekly Jobs Law Jobs.com http://www.lawyersweeklyjobs.com/ http://www.lawjobs.com Law and Policy Institutions Career Center http://lpig.legalstaff.com/Common/ HomePage.aspx?abbr=LPIG Minority Corporate Counsel Association Job Bank http://www.tools.mcca.com/MCCA/JobBank/ Jobs database for corporate law departments and corporate attorneys. You can also sign up to receive a monthly 13 Drexel University College of Law Career and Professional Development Office Fall 2007 Monster Board Legal electronic Hot Jobs posting. Legal job listings and links to corporate profiles Increasingly used to post legal jobs and part-time law clerk jobs in Philadelphia area Official job site of the U.S. gov’t, including attorney jobs (although not law student internships) Database of legal jobs, firm profiles, career fairs and numerous resources. http://legal.monster.com/ Philadelphia Area Craig’s List http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/lgl/ USA Jobs http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/ Vault.Com Job Board http://www.vault.com/jobs/jobboard/ searchform.jsp Fee-Based Sites: Attorney Jobs.com Access to worldwide legal jobs for $30/month Martindale Hubbel eAttorney Career Intelligence Agent Custom job search, including http://www.eattorney.com/wnc/owa/CIA_MARKETING.Sub mail merge functionality, for $99/year Emplawyernet.com Large database of legal jobs http://www.emplawyernet.com/ – law students price is $7.95 per month Law Crossing Large collection of law jobs http://www.lawcrossing.com ($30/month) and law student career center (free) 14 Drexel University College of Law Career and Professional Development Office Fall 2007 Legal Recruiting Agencies: Abelson Legal Search Juristaff Serving primarily the Philadelphia area Endorsed by the Philadelphia Bar Association, full service legal staffing firm with offices in Phila, NY, and DC Specializing in the placement of legal professionals in both permanent and temporary assignments with the top law firms and corporate legal departments around the globe. World’s largest legal search firm – does not serve law students or recent law grads Specializing in the placement of attorneys, paralegals and legal support personnel for law firms and corporate legal departments http://www.abelsonlegalsearch.com/ http://www.juristaff.com Kelly Law Registry http://www.kellylawregistry.com Major Lindsey and Africa http://www.mlaglobal.com/ Robert Half Legal http://www.roberthalflegal.com 15