Many legal recruiters are former attorneys or have had careers in law. A good legal recruiter brings to the table a deep familiarity of the current market and can advise his or her candidate on making a career choice that will be profitable in the long-term. Many attorneys use legal recruiting firms when they are at the end of their rope: they have often tried, unsuccessfully, to find a new job on their own. They may have tried to directly contact law firms or employers and even gone on interviews. Because most recruiting firms will charge a fee for the successful placement of the job candidate, many attorneys will not use them as a first option. However, if an attorney is lucky enough to find the right one, the expertise that a legal recruiter offers can be enormous for a stalled job search. . One such firm is BCG Attorney Search, a legal recruiting firm based in the United States.
Legal recruiters are often able to help candidates gain traction where they might have failed on their own. They are often able to get the attention of a law firm’s internal HR department through their established relationships with that firm or with individual employees on staff. This can help tremendously when you consider that many of these firms receive hundreds of applications in response to a single opening. Against this context, it is extremely difficult for an attorney to stand out against a sea of other applicants. In these instances, a legal recruiter who has a personal relationship with key people involved in the hiring process can be crucial
In recent years, attorney recruiting has grown very competitive. Many law firms will unashamedly poach high-caliber attorneys from their competitors. It is very difficult for law firms to retain talent. Many lawyers will only practice at a particular firm for a few years before making a lateral move, and it is no longer uncommon for an attorney to be at several firms before settling down. More and more, law firms must offer very comprehensive benefits to entice lawyers to stay. Those who do not are apt to find their attorneys leaving as soon as the next (better) opportunity comes along.
From the employer side, the use of a legal staffing agency or recruiter can be useful. Because they will typically be required to pay a placement fee if the agency’s candidate is hired, most will – if at all possible – opt to hire an attorney they can find without the use of a recruiter.
BCG Attorney Search 