People Love Legal Authority: Reviews


Need Help? Call 1-800-283-3860.
Already a Member? Sign In
"The most common means of obtaining a job was a letter or other "self-initiated contact" with the employer..."
- NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LAW PLACEMENT
Advice

Get on Track

 

  EMAIL TO FRIEND

  PDF VERSION

  PRINTABLE VERSION

State of the market report



Now that it's 2008, it's not a day too soon for attorneys who want to make a move or move up in their career to act now. Most attorneys put off looking for work towards the end of the year because they are preoccupied with the holidays, vacationing, or waiting to complete the year at their current firm, company, or organization. The end of the year, however, is the best time for an attorney to begin a job search. The attorney ready to move fast will benefit from other attorneys who attend to other matters into the New Year. Attorneys are wise to make use of the typically inactive holiday season to compile resumes, cover letters, writing samples, and other important documents. However, candidates who choose to focus the end of the year with family and functions regarding their current positions still can make good use of the winter season to move forward with their careers, granted that they act right away. But what's more important for the New Year is what candidates have to expect. Being prepared ahead of time is a good thing, but it's better to be prepared with respects to the forecast of the legal market. For 2008, associates practicing in the areas of corporate, IP, tax, and labor/employment law will find that their services are in demand, while bankruptcy and real estate attorneys might find it challenging for placement due to the lack of activity in their respective markets.

Litigation

Litigation is currently quite hit-and-miss depending on where the candidate practices. In Los Angeles, litigation work is always steady and many firms are continually looking for litigators with significant experience in depositions, arguing motions, and trial work. In Texas and Washington, DC, however, the litigation market has not seen much activity lately. Candidates who find that they are having difficulty in locating positions might want to consider the "when" rather than the "how" or the "why" regarding their search. For example, junior litigation associates who want to make a move should do so in early 2008, unless their credentials are spectacular. Large firms pay less attention to lateral junior litigation hiring in the summer and fall because they have to ensure that their summer associates and first-year litigation associates (for the fall) are busy working on projects. Winter and spring, therefore, are the ideal seasons to look for lateral litigation positions. Nevertheless, there are some litigation areas that remain solid:
  • Commercial (specializing in construction or reinsurance)
  • Securities
  • Insurance Coverage
  • Antitrust (litigation and merger-related investigations and counseling)
Corporate

While most markets are not seeing the intensity of corporate work they once had, it is still a thriving legal area. In California, throughout 2006 to early 2007, the demand for corporate attorneys was outstanding. The need was so great that attorneys who were not barred in California were considerable. Now, though the demand is still noteworthy, a candidate would need to be admitted to the California Bar for consideration. Naturally, exceptions will be made for exceptional candidates. Transactional attorneys will do well in applying for positions in Las Vegas at the moment. In some areas, transactional experience and Spanish fluency is a big plus. Moreover, corporate lawyers with the following background should have no trouble finding positions:
  • Mergers and acquisitions
  • Private equity
  • Corporate finance
  • Capital markets
  • Securities
  • Structured finance
  • Venture capital
  • Investment management
  • Hedge funds
  • Project finance
  • Private placement
  • Bank lending
  • Bonds
Tax

Regardless if it's M&A, hedge funds, or financial products, corporate tax lawyers are crucial to law firms. Right now, lateral hiring has been active and international backgrounds are sought by corporate firms. And there's a broad range of opportunities for tax lawyers in the New York market. Cities such as Washington, DC, are also in need of international tax attorneys. Candidates with an LL.M. from favored universities will receive higher consideration, of course; however, candidates with consulting backgrounds with national consulting firms will find simple transitions, particularly with experience in ERISA, employee benefits, and international tax. Another steady market is trusts & estates.

Labor and Employment

For the most part, there is a consistent demand for labor/employment attorneys. Firms tend to be receptive to business/commercial litigation attorneys interested in going into labor/employment. More than any other, this practice area extends to a variety of settings, including boutiques and large and small firms, which means more opportunities. For qualified candidates looking to transition into a new legal arena, labor/employment is an ideal practice to consider. In California, there is always a great demand for labor/employment attorneys; however, candidates should be mindful that being admitted into the California Bar is essential. The specific demand for this state continues to be wage/hour and class action matters. For the DC area, employee benefits and ERISA are in demand.

Intellectual Property

Currently, Intellectual Property is a hot market. Most of the major cities apparently have various openings for IP attorneys:

New York
  • IP transactional associates with outsourcing and licensing backgrounds
  • Patent attorneys with specific technical or scientific backgrounds
  • Trademark attorneys (slight increase)
Los Angeles, Orange County
  • IP litigation
  • Patent prosecutors (with electrical engineering, computer science, chemistry, and physics backgrounds preferred)
(Admission into the USPTO is usually required and weighs more than the California Bar.)

DC
  • Patent prosecutors
  • Patent litigators (with electrical engineering or computer science degrees; mechanical engineering is considered)
  • Trademark litigation (more profitable than trademark prosecution)
(There is a gap growing between attorneys with degrees in electrical engineering or computer science and those with degrees in the life sciences such as biology and chemistry. Attorneys with electrical engineering or computer science backgrounds are clearly favored at this time.)

Dallas, Houston, Austin
  • IP litigation
  • Patent Prosecution
(Backgrounds preferred: electrical engineering, chemical engineering, physics, and computer science)

Atlanta
  • Patent Prosecution (electrical and mechanical engineering backgrounds)
  • IP litigation
  • Trademark
Las Vegas
  • Transactional IP with a science background (representation of gaming clients)
Bankruptcy

While some indicators show that bankruptcy will become more noticeable, it has been a legal market of minimal activity as of late. As a result, the vast majority of firms are keeping their hiring practices dormant. In Atlanta, bankruptcy associates are experiencing an increase of openings from an otherwise stagnant market last year when bankruptcy filings were down 70%. Firms are now anticipating in increase in filings, which means more openings for candidates on the horizon for 2008. In Los Angeles, there have been some openings recently at firms representing debtors, secured lenders, ad hoc committees, and/or official creditors committees.

Real Estate

While many cities have seen a slowing in real estate activity, there are a few markets that remain busy. For the most part, real estate work rises and falls with the market itself. Sometimes, though, if the real estate market in general is not faring so well, there will still be a consistent need for specific types of work such as development, commercial leasing, acquisitions, financing, and purchase and sale. Dallas is the main city that has the highest demand for real estate attorneys. Austin is believed to meet the same demand soon; Houston is not. Las Vegas is a fantastic choice for real estate lawyers with transactional experience such as land development, commercial leasing, title/survey review, and purchase and sale transactions. Most firms here will consider attorneys at all levels.

Otherwise, certain practice areas currently are more in need specifically by city. For example, Houston firms are looking for attorneys with oil and gas experience, as well as acquisitions and divestitures of energy assets; but energy is not so much in demand. However, DC firms are looking for junior to mid-level associates with litigation or regulatory experience, especially with regards to FERC. Litigators looking to transition are being considered as well. Attorneys with healthcare expertise are in demand in DC as well. Medicare and Medicaid, fraud/abuse, regulatory/compliance, and reimbursement experience is a major plus. Those candidates looking to relocate to DC to meet this demand should emphasize regulatory experience. Los Angeles is another city consistent with healthcare needs. While transactional and regulatory candidates are preferred, most attorneys with two to five years of health experience will be considered.




Facebook comments:



Related Articles

One Attorney's Experience: Making the Switch from Corporate to Litigation?

Given recent economic conditions, many Legal Authority clients choose to make the switch from corporate law to litigation each week. While this is not always the best choice (especially if you believ...

Corporate Legal Work-The Perks and the Downside, the Ins and the Outs, and the Methods

For law students considering alternatives to firm practice, corporate counsel positions are often appealing. For years, in-house counsel often was not viewed as ''real'' lawyers or top-notch legal min...

Targeted Mailings - Make It Personal

PERSONALIZING YOUR RESUME AND COVER LETTER is a vital part of your targeted mailing. By doing so, you can ensure that potential employers will not automatically think that you did a mass mailing just ...

Law School for Mature Students

Do any of the following scenarios sound familiar? You have been working for years in a high-level career that is not taking you where you want to go...or you have been slaving away working on your Ph....

Transitioning to Bankruptcy as Your Practice Area?

My firm's bankruptcy practice has been very busy recently and proposed that I transition to this work. What would this mean to my long-term career? ...

Major Practice Areas Analyzed

The Landscape of Litigation Litigation is as American as apple pie. In our litigious society, it is never likely to fall out of fashion....

Law Firm Life

Legal Authority Gets More Attorneys Jobs Inside Law Firms Than Any Other Source. We Can Get You Your Next Law Firm Job....

Legal Authority Can Get You Your Next Law Firm Job

Are you looking for the perfect law firm position? Legal Authority's database contains the hiring contacts of practically every law firm in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Updated hundreds of tim...

The Practice of Law: To Stay or Go

Should I stay or should I go? I found myself asking this very question at a very early stage in my legal career. If you are reading this, I assume you are also pondering whether or not you should stay...

Legal Authority Get You Your Next Law Firm Job

Legal Authority Gets More Attorneys Jobs Inside Law Firms Than Any Other Source And We Can Get You Your Next Law Firm Job Too Are you looking for the perfect law firm position? Legal Authority's datab...



"Show us you are alive! We want to hear your thoughts. Please comment on this article (below)!"

Article ID:  70004  www.legalauthority.com

Article Title:  State of the market report

Be the first to comment on this article!

Add Comment


  • Share this story:


  • BlinkList
  • blogmarks
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • Facebook
  • Google
  • Sphinn
  • MySpace
  • NewsVine
  • Simpy
  • StumbleUpon
  • Technorati
  • E-mail this story to a friend!
  • Print this article!
  • Faves
  • Furl
  • Netvouz
  • Slashdot
  • Spurl
  • Yahoo! Buzz





Sign up for a "Free, No Obligation Resume Critique" and "Free Market Evaluation". Let us tell you how much potential you have!
 
WE ARE VERY DISCRETE IN ALL CALLS.
Reviews
What Our Clients Are Saying
I have been so impressed with Legal Authority's customer service and dedication to finding people jobs. Depending on a professional service to write my cover letter and resume has taken the stress out...
- Martine P.

I wanted to let you know my current situation. After sending out resumes, I got 3 interviews the week before Christmas. I received an offer rather quickly from one: XXX, an intellectual property litig...
- S.S.

From start to finish, Legal Authority helped me secure an associate position with one of my top choice firms in downtown Los Angeles. Less than 2 weeks after sending out 400+ resume and cover letters...
- L.A.

 MORE
Options
Your Options
Getting an In-House Position
Myth Versus Reality for Law Firm Jobs
Myth Versus Reality for In-House Jobs
Myth versus Reality: Law School Professor Jobs
Myth Versus Reality: Federal Clerkships, State &...
Myth versus Reality: Prosecutor Jobs
Pro Bono Legal Work and Your Legal Career
Give Yourself the Most Options
Major Practice Areas Analyzed
Starting a Career as a Real Estate Lawyer
Featured Advice
Featured Advice
New York Versus London Firms
Law School for Mature Students
The First Born Phenomenon
The Story Doesn't End There
Economics and ''Mean'' Law Firms
How to Acquire the Best Legal Jobs
The Art Of Networking - A Guide To A Networking...
How To Use Job Boards And Advertisements To Jump...
Finding Your Niche - The Smart Way To Market Yourself
Be an Effective Negotiator - How to Get the...
Law School for Mature Students
Choose Legal Authority
Advice for Law Students and Attorneys: Emphasize Labor and Employment
New Addition to Legal Authority
Children and Working in a Law Firm as an Attorney
From the Legal Authority Blog
The Practice of Law: To Stay or Go
+ Click here to read more
The Story Doesn’t End There
+ Click here to read more
Will an LL.M. help my legal career
+ Click here to read more
5 Biggest Attorney Job Search Mistakes
Attorneys and law students are one of the most ill-informed groups of people there are when it comes to conducting a job search. MORE
Legal Authority Outplacement Program
Give your attorneys the most opportunities.
Making economic or strategic adjustments in personnel can be a tough decision for any firm... MORE
Law Student Wins with Legal Authority
How a highly successful Manhattan law firm associate auctioned himself off to the highest bidder... MORE
For Employers
Legal Authority's Comprehensive Employee Outplacement Program.
Give your attorneys the most opportunities. MORE
Our Database and Technology
Legal Authority's Comprehensive Database and Advanced
Search Engine.
 MORE
National Advertisement
Legal Authority and National Media
Take a sneak peek at the marketing strategies of Legal Authority. MORE
Get the best legal jobs through Legal Authority.
Click here to understand the simple process and utilize our services to the maximum.
Download Now
Get on Track
Get on Track
Legal Authority Core Values
How Do You Work With Employer Data at Legal...
Why Legal Authority Works: Myth versus Reality
What Legal Authority Does
Legal Authority and Law Students
What Is Legal Authority?
Using Legal Authority for Law Student Jobs
Legal Authority Works!
Legal Authority Is a Great Way for Law Students...
What Legal Authority Does For You
Choose Legal Authority
Choose Legal Authority for Your Job Search
Legal Authority Outplacement Program
Legal Authority Is the Smartest Way for Law Students to Find Jobs. Period.
If You Can Register on Legal Authority You Can Get a Legal Job
Why Legal Authority Will Transform You and Your Career
Do Not Let Your School Control the Recruiting Process
Who Can Legal Authority Help
Legal Authority Is Not for Everyone
An Advocate for Attorneys and Law Students to Get Jobs
What Legal Authority Does Works
Why I Started Legal Authority
Some Things You Probably Did Not Know about Legal Authority
Legal Authority Can Get You Your Next Law Firm Job
On-Campus Interviewing or Legal Authority
How Legal Authority Started: You Need to Have Desire to Achieve Your Goals
Legal Authority Works for Law Students
Legal Authority assists more attorneys and law students, at more law schools, get jobs than any other source.
Request More Info
Learn more about Legal Authority
First Name:*
Email Address:*
Phone Number:*
FOUNDER HARRISON BARNES' BLOG

SIGN UP  |   HOME  |   ABOUT US  |   FAQ  |   CONTACT US  |   HISTORY  |   REVIEWS  |   TELL A FRIEND  |   LEGAL SPECIALTY AREAS  |   PRESS ROOM
LEGAL AUTHORITY JOB SEARCH TIPS  |   SITE MAP  |   SEE WHY LEGAL AUTHORITY IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO FIND A LEGAL JOB  |   TERMS OF MEMBERSHIP  |   PRIVACY POLICY
DAILY JOB SEARCH ADVICE  |   DAILY JOB SEARCH VIDEO  |   FOXES AND HEDGEHOGS  |   OUR SITES
© 2024 LEGAL AUTHORITY INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.