An attorney has a lot on their plate in terms of their career. One huge component of their work is flexibility. Having a law degree and a Bar card is certainly marketable, but attorneys, especially these days, need to be mobile and go with the flow. Law is an ever-changing career that can take a professional anywhere.
There is little likelihood that an attorney will simply be hired at a family law firm and then stay in that position for the long term. As a result, there are lawyers who undertake the very necessary job of attorney search director. This is a professional title that is growing in popularity. The position is aimed at helping lawyers find their next jobs and assisting law firms in recruiting new staff — both at the partner and associate levels.
One such professional attorney search director began her career as a public defender after graduating from law school in 2008. Four years later, she went into private practice. Then, in 2017, she decided to change her career as an attorney by becoming a recruiter for another law firm.
The goal of the attorney search director is to help up and coming lawyers decide when it’s the right time for them to make a definitive move in their careers. She stresses that, overall, the main part of finding a new job in the legal field starts after the individual has undergone a successful interview and when the potential employer decides to make an offer. From there, the attorney can start to negotiate a satisfactory salary.
If that proves unsuccessful, it’s important for the lawyer to have a good idea of the average salary offered by that particular law firm. Learning the general average offered by similar firms can also help to serve as a good starting point. Additionally, newer law firms have a tendency to offer not only a salary but nontraditional benefits as well.
The attorney search director stresses that firms and corporations alike seek creative ways to both retain and recruit employees. Such tactics can include catered lunches on Fridays, unlimited snacks or unlimited personal time off. It all boils down to the work-life balance to keep staff happy.
She encourages all attorneys to take advantage of all potential new opportunities so they can further develop their careers. After all, as she points out, not landing one’s dream job is the biggest regret for attorneys and anyone else professionally.
A trial lawyer added that the board of directors of his particular firm is equally balanced out in terms of defense and prosecuting attorneys. He states that this gives his organization a good balance. At the same time, he pointed out that the president of his organization is a woman and that women are in the minority, which is why they are appealing to the legal community to invite more women attorneys to join.
Source: https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/changing-jobs-is-part-of-a-lawyers-career