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Free Resume Critique and Free Market Evaluation
Just fill out our Sign Up Form and we will contact you to set up an appointment to talk to you about your job search. We will interview you in depth over the phone to understand what type of legal employment you are seeking. If you would like, ask us for a resume critique, and we will provide you with suggestions to improve the impact and effectiveness of your resume. In addition, we will provide a market evaluation and give you an assessment of your overall marketability. This critique and market evaluation are absolutely free, and there is no obligation to continue. We are committed to helping you find a job, whether you decide to use our full services or not.
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At Legal Authority, we're so sure that our service is the right way to get attorneys jobs, we make the following promise: if you don't get a job within 90 days of using our service, we will give you up to 200 additional free contacts.
This applies to everyone. It doesn't matter what part of the country you're in or what level of experience you have. Legal Authority is simply the best way to move forward in your legal career.
Here's how it works: We put together a personalized search, print your custom resumes and cover letters, and deliver them to you for signing and mailing. If you don't get a job as a result of sending them out to employers within 90 days, simply contact us, and we will give you the same amount of contacts you purchased (up to 200... a value of up to $500) totally free of charge!*
It's that simple. Don't wait though: this offer expires 120 days after the day your letters are dated.
The risk is ours!
So why not try Legal Authority? We're so confident that our service will work for you, that we'll give you up to $500 worth of contacts for free if it does not. Become a member today, and experience the benefits.
*Applies to clients who signed up after September 1, 2005. The offer is valid only for clients who are U.S. licensed attorneys with no disciplinary record, or who are second- or third-year students at a law school in the United States of America. The Legal Authority 200 Free Contact Offer does not cover shipping fees. |
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Don't let your school control the recruiting process
Every law student in this country is familiar with Career Services. You have probably used them to look for either a summer associate position, or a law clerk position while you attended school, or even a post-graduation position after you had taken the bar exam but before your results arrived. Some students have achieved varying degrees of success, but most students have been left dissatisfied, frustrated, and, most important, jobless! If this describes your situation, Legal Authority exists to help students like you.
This article is not designed to bash Career Services or the job that they do. Rather, this article is meant to highlight the fact that while Career Services serves a function, that function is rather limited. One thing that law students are not aware of is the fact that Career Services Departments can only be effective for the top 10% of the class! Unfortunately, the other 90% of the class is left struggling to find positions. Legal Authority will assist that other 90% in finding the best jobs for them.
The primary purpose of this article is to make sure that you, the job seeker, are equipped with all the information you need to take control of your job search. We will look at Career Services in terms of what do they do and whom they help the most. Next, we will look at why it does not make sense for you to place your future in the hands of Career Services. And finally, we will lay out your plan of action and determine how you can take control of your job search!
Career Services: Who are they, and what do they do?
As noted above, every law student in this country will at one time or another visit his/her Career Services office for assistance with a job search. In the fall, most if not all Career Services offices organize some sort of on-campus-interviewing process. Many schools refer to it as fall OCI (on-campus interviewing). During this process, many large law firms go to various law schools and recruit law students up to one year in advance to begin their positions with these firms the following summer. Career Services will help law students draft resumes and cover letters for the available positions. In addition, they will help law students get their resumes to the hiring coordinators of the large firms.
Unfortunately, your decision to work for a firm that recruits on campus is not always in your control. First, firms are usually looking for the top students with the best grades, as well as journal/moot court participation. Second, you might be a student who is looking to move to a different geographic region for the summer, and firms from that region do not recruit on your campus. For the lucky few students who land their positions through this process, the hunt is over. However, for the majority of students, the job search is only beginning, and these students can no longer rely on their school's Career Services office.
Your Future in the Hands of Career Services???
Most students need to be proactive in their job searches and take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that they find the best jobs for them. If you are one of those students, Legal Authority can help you apply directly to almost any legal employer anywhere, including law firms, corporations, judges, public interest organizations, public defender's offices, prosecutor's offices, state and federal governmental agencies, law schools-you name it. With the largest database of legal employers anywhere, Legal Authority has contacts for more than two million legal employers in all 50 states and more than 150 countries. It is not unusual for our clients to get 10 or more offers. The limited resources of your law school's Career Services office simply are not designed to help you get such results.
When looking for a job as a 2L, 3L, or recent grad, it is important to note that the job that you take is critical and will set up the first stage of your legal career. Because your first job as a law clerk or a first-year associate is so important, the wisest job seekers do not leave their job searches in the hands of Career Services. They are great for helping students with the best grades land great positions. And you must remember that your Career Services office has every incentive to promote their best students in landing jobs with firms. This is primarily because it helps to increase the school's ranking and prestige in the legal community. Nevertheless, if you are not one of those select few, Career Services can leave you feeling hopeless.
Take Control of Your Job Search: Your Plan of Action
As you might have experienced, it is very difficult to land a summer associate position if you have not been recruited. It is not, however, impossible. To maximize your chances of getting a great position, you need to first maximize both the quality and quantity of the interviews and then maximize your interview efficiency. This is where Legal Authority makes all the difference. We will help you get your resume and cover letters out to great firms that are looking for someone just like you.
This opportunity is being utilized constantly by students and attorneys alike. Many 2Ls and 3Ls use targeted mailing as a way of getting around the nightmare of fall OCI, where only the top 10% of the class is offered job opportunities. The savviest students know that they can use Legal Authority to create their own fall OCI that is tailored to their needs and targeted to those employers that are not going to dismiss them simply because they are not first or second in their class. The service has helped numerous students from all over the United States bypass Career Services and take control of their job searches!
Remember, when you conduct a job search using Legal Authority, the purpose is not to find just any job. If you sit around long enough, you will find any job. The point of this search is to find the best job for you. You will sample all of the opportunities out there and find the job that is the best fit for you and your needs. No other job search allows that. If you find a job through an advertisement, then you are at the mercy of that employer, including whatever salary and workload it dictates. There is no opportunity to weigh several offers and negotiate the best deal. Targeted mailing affords you that opportunity. You future does not have to be governed by the lack of success during the on-campus-interviewing process. You can determine your career path and land a great position when you take the initiative with Legal Authority and take control of your job search.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE!
CLICK HERE TO SEE HOW LEGAL AUTHORITY WORKS
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Bob Gerberg is one of the country's top job-hunting authorities. His books, seminars, and programs have been used by millions of people worldwide for one simple reason: Bob knows what he's talking about.
His works include The Professional Job Hunter's Guide, An Easier Way to Change Jobs, Sixty Great Letters Which Won New Jobs, and many others. He has also written dozens of articles, and he created The Career Advancement Series and other programs, both in print and on cassettes. His programs have helped professionals in many law firms, the U.S. government and military, major universities, and a multitude of Fortune 1000 companies.
Indeed, Bob knows what he's talking about. And he's been at it for more than 20 years; his concepts have clearly withstood the test of time.
So when Bob Gerberg says that 70% of your job search lies in marketing yourself, you can believe it.
Bob's quotation on our homepage says it all: Your success in finding the job of your dreams is 70% marketing. You can be a great attorney, but until you market yourself correctly, you'll be waiting behind your competition. And that's where Legal Authority comes in...to take care of that 70% for you!
Legal Authority does not wait for employers to post want ads in the newspaper or online. Instead, Legal Authority aggressively finds hiring contacts at some 2 million legal employers and puts you in direct contact with them. So that you can market yourself to them immediately...without waiting for their information to appear in a want ad.
Legal Authority is the natural extension of everything that experts like Bob Gerberg preach. You must market yourself, and Legal Authority is the industry's leading way to do so.
CLICK HERE TO SEE HOW LEGAL AUTHORITY WORKS
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Legal Authority: Is Every Client Happy?
Legal Authority has helped thousands of attorneys and law students find new opportunities and new careers throughout the country. While we can’t speak for each and every one of our clients, the growing list of customer testimonials is a proven track record of our success!
The reason is simple. Legal Authority is a convenient, inexpensive and reliable way to help jobseekers apply directly to almost any legal employer in the country. With a database that can not be offered by any other job boards, classified sections of legal newspapers, legal recruiters, on-campus interviewing programs, or job fairs, Legal Authority is able to give its clients the exposure they need to get hired. And it requires very little effort. Legal Authority does all the grunt work for you, from customized cover letters and envelopes to professionally crafted resumes. All you do is sign, seal and deliver. We’ve been told by our clients that the hardest part of the process was deciding between job offers!
It’s hard to guarantee the level of success that you will have in your job search, however, if it’s any indication of how people have felt about our service, our growth has come almost entirely from word of mouth in the legal profession. Legal Authority’s satisfied and happily employed clients have continuously referred us to their colleagues, friends and family. We hope you let Legal Authority work for you in your career journey.
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Our Writers
Legal Authority's writers are required to undergo an extensive examination and certification process, including a two-hour exam that tests their grammar, proofreading, and problem-solving skills, and a critical resume and cover letter re-writing session which puts their knowledge of resume and cover letter strategy, design, and creative wordplay to the test. Every client can rest assured that his or her resume is in the best hands when our writers are in control.
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Our Quality Guarantee
We guarantee that we will provide you with the most effective, comprehensive job search possible. If we haven't done our best to supply you with the ability to reach every potential employer in any given market, we will refund 100% of your money, less the membership fee. This is how confident we are that our services provide the best job search for attorneys, anywhere.
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"The most common means of obtaining a job was a letter or other "self-initiated contact" with the employer..."
- National Association of Law Placement
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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...
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Free RESUME CRITIQUE
FREE MARKET EVALUATION
We provide a free resume critique and a free market evaluation. There is no charge and no obligation!
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What Our Clients Are Saying
You have amazed me. I was working in the Bay Area as a trademark attorney, and due to the economy, I was let go. I wanted to move to LA and do the same kind of work. I spoke with a number of recruiters and looked at legal advertisements on a daily basis, and nothing. I sent out resumes on my own, and didn't have much luck. Not a single interview for a trademark position. Even the recruiters I spoke to didn't know about any openings.
After working with your company, I sent my application to over 100 different firms in the LA area that have trademark practices. Surprisingly, I got a number of interviews! In fact, I got an interview at a firm that I had never heard of before but does high-level trademark litigation. I was shocked. How could no one have known about this?!?!?! The salary they offered was also exceptional.
I owe my success to you, Legal Authority. Thank you!
- Claudia
I sent out 500 letters in LA County (I am a recent Georgetown grad with no bar results yet). I wanted to let you know that I have received at least 8 interviews (and they are still coming) and that I have already accepted an offer with a criminal defense boutique firm! Thanks a lot.
Best Regards,
- Karen G.
I am from Slovakia and basically had no legal experience at all except my clinic and helping my husband run his property management business. It's hard to try and find work in a new country (although I am already good in English), and I appreciate your help very much-I got a job, after interviewing 3 times.
- K.H.
I am very happy with all aspects of the Legal Authority process. This service is well worth the fee.
- Parjack G.
I WAS VERY, VERY HESITANT ABOUT LEGAL AUTHORITY. It sounded like a good idea, and the marketing seemed great. Still, I was afraid that that was all that it was just marketing. So I talked to an Employment Advocate and then waited about a week before getting started. During that week, I asked everyone I knew about Legal Authority. What finally helped me with my decision was that an associate at the law firm that I was clerking at told me that he used Legal Authority. I did not even tell him that I was looking for a job, but when he heard that I was he called me in the office and told me about "the best kept secret." He said Legal Authority had gotten him his last two jobs and he was planning to use them again in about six months. So I used the service and sent out 550 letters in New York. In about 1 week, I had set up six interviews, turned down three, and still had requests. I have just taken a job in the city of my dreams at a firm I love! Thank you, Legal Authority
- C.B.
I received several interview offers, went to some, and now have a new job. I never would have found the firm without Legal Authority. I'm recommending you to two of my friends.
- A.G.
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Private Practice or In-House? Choosing the Right Path for You
As your parents may have told you when encouraging you to go to law school, having a law degree means you can do much more than simply work at a law firm. Of course, working at a firm can be terrific experience. Young lawyers are exposed to many aspects of the law and may even receive mentoring from senior partners. At some firms, new attorneys will ''learn by doing.'' Your research and writing skills will get an excellent workout. You can develop a specialty and build a client list. The compensation and the perks of working in private practice can be quite enticing. But at some point, every lawyer experiences burnout. Maybe it's the 80-hour workweek, or maybe it's the endless paperwork that accompanies billing in six-minute increments, but after a few years (or even a decade or two) at a firm, you may ask yourself if there isn't a better way. That's when the prospect of becoming a member of a company's in-house legal team can seem especially alluring. Both law firm positions and in-house positions hav e their perks and drawbacks, though. The trick is to determine where you, your skills, and your lifestyle requirements will fit most comfortably.
At the Firm: An Overview
Law firms are excellent places to launch your legal career. Most corporations don't hire members of their legal teams until they have had a few years of seasoning at a law firm. Why? Well, because a law firm is viewed as a type of "finishing school" for a young lawyer. Of course, a lawyer's "finishing" will depend on the type of firm he or she works at.
At a small firm, the environment may be much different than at a large big-city firm. The practice may be more general overall, and the firm may not have a formal training program. Instead, new associates are likely to have more client contact and more hands-on experience from the start. You may not work the long hours that are practically required in a large firm, but you may have to bring in your own business. In addition, small firms don't have the same resources that larger firms do, so you may find yourself handling your own paperwork rather than relying on a legal secretary. Finally, small firms won't offer the high starting salaries of mega-firms. But if you are eager to jump in and control your own destiny, a small firm can provide excellent training. Not all small firms are the same, though. Some small firms are actually "boutiques" and focus only on one specific type of law, which means you won't get exposure to many different kinds of law. Others are spin-offs of larger firms, in which case a new associate may have an experience similar to a larger firm, although the environment itself may be smaller.
At a mid-size firm, new associates are likely to make more money than at a small firm. Also, the practice may be less generalized—a mid-sized firm is likely to have at least a few different departments that will specialize in a variety of legal issues. Medium firms will, of course, have more resources than very small firms, but they still won't be able to match the vast law libraries and administrative support that big firms offer. Still, if you are afraid you might get lost in the crowd or weeded out of a highly competitive large firm, a mid-size firm may be the way to go. A mid-size firm can offer a good combination of solid training in a variety of legal specialties, a good salary, and hands-on experience.
Many large firms have training programs, either formal or informal, that will guide a young attorney's professional development. For example, an associate may be rotated through several different departments before he or she chooses to focus on a specific practice area. That way, the associate gets a broad overview of the firm and of the legal system as a whole. This day-to-day variety will keep you from getting bored. However, working at a large firm may mean you'll spend more time paying your dues by writing boring briefs and memos.
Working at a law firm also provides young lawyers with a sort of safety net. Yes, all new associates have to start out doing the scut work, but eventually, you'll have the chance to work on important deals or cases. No matter what your responsibilities, a more senior member of the firm will always be watching over you and monitoring your work. You'll make mistakes, but your supervisor won't allow you to screw up too badly.
Working at a law firm, no matter what size, also means that you'll get experience servicing clients. Law firms are part of the service industry. Although they offer a very professional service, at the heart of it, the client is still king. After all, the clients pay the bills! Therefore, young attorneys must learn how to meet clients' needs and keep them happy. This is a valuable skill, but that means that your needs often have to take a backseat. According to a former law firm associate, "If a client calls at 6:30 on a Friday night and needs something by Monday, you had better cancel the plans you made for the weekend or else ask for a huge favor from a fellow associate." Still, for anyone wishing to move up the ranks or strike out on his or her own, knowing how to tend to a client's needs is an important skill that will help you be financially successful.
Firms stay financially successful largely based on how much they bill the client. Firms are selling their services. Charging by the hour used to be the norm, but more and more often, firms, especially large ones, are charging by tenths of an hour (every six minutes.) Every minute that associates and partners aren't billing is "lost" time that could otherwise be spent generating revenue. From a firm's perspective, the more time an associate bills, the better. And since clients are so important to a firm's livelihood, associates will eventually be responsible for bringing in new business, or "rainmaking."
The potential to earn big bucks is what lures many young lawyers to big-firm life. Even in an economic downturn, top recruits at big firms may find themselves earning close to six figures right out of school. The dollars come at a price, though. New associates often report working 60- to 80-hour weeks. This is partly because the learning curve is so steep during the first few years, but it is also because the client is king. If the client needs you there on Saturday and Sunday, you'll be there.
Law Firms at a Glance
| Firm Size |
Small |
Medium |
Large |
| Hours |
May be shorter than at large firms |
Definitely a full-time job |
Long hours are expected |
| Salary |
On the low end |
Average |
Usually quite high |
| Training |
Do-it-yourself |
Some training |
A well-developed system |
| Resources |
Expect to do your own paperwork |
Usually some support staff |
Paralegals, word processors, a law library-every thing you need |
| Practice Type |
Mostly general |
Some specialization |
Lots of different specialty departments |
The In-House Difference: An Overview
Working in-house can be significantly different than working at a law firm. First of all, in-house lawyers have only one client, the company they work for. That means there isn't any pressure to be a rainmaker or recruit new clients. And since your sole client pays your salary, you don't have to worry about billable hours.
In the current economy, with firms shedding lawyers or shutting down operations altogether, you may have more job stability as part of an in-house legal team. According to an article in Corporate Counsel, even though large companies may be laying off thousands of workers, those in the legal department are usually spared. "If nothing else, corporations will need lawyers to handle the legal work stemming from layoffs," the article points out.
A common perception is that in-house lawyers don't have to work late nights or on weekends. This is partly true, since in-house lawyers only have to meet the demands of one client. So, if the company you work for is running smoothly, you may not wind up working the crazy hours that private practice can demand. However, if it is crisis time, you'll be expected to put in as many hours as necessary to get the job done. You can bet that Enron's legal team pulled its share of all-nighters! Ultimately, the hours you work will depend on the company and on the state of that company.
There is, of course, a trade-off for the somewhat cushier lifestyle that many in-house attorneys enjoy: salary. Even if you have only been in private practice for a few years, you may see your compensation take a dive when you join a corporation's legal department. And, if you are at the partner level, you may have to take a substantial pay cut—up to 50 percent, according to Kimm Alayne Walton, author of America's Greatest Places to Work With a Law Degree. The Law Department Compensation Benchmarking Survey, conducted by Altman Weil and the American Corporate Counsel Association, reports that in-house attorneys received a median compensation of $92,100 in 2002. Chief legal officers, or general counsels, received an average of $267,500 a year. The good news is that many in-house counsel jobs come with stock options and bonuses that can help bridge the salary gap. In addition, what you may lose in salary, you make up in personal time and control over your working hours.
What Does an In-House Attorney Do, Anyway?
Many in-house attorneys do a little bit of everything. You may find yourself working in areas such as transactions, acquisitions, and contracts. And since many corporations have a global presence, international law may come into play, as well. In short, members of the in-house legal team tend to be generalists. If you enjoy working on a wide range of legal issues and don't want to be pressured to specialize, as may happen at a law firm, in-house work could be right for you. But because in-house counsel is responsible for such a wide range of matters, efficiency is highly valued. According to an in-house practitioner at a Fortune 500 company, "The in-house practice is more about setting priorities and doing the best you can with the time allotted. On exceptionally busy days, 'triage' is a good way to describe your duties."
In-house attorneys are also expected to foresee potential problems and stop them before they happen. While attorneys at law firms quickly learn to recognize the legal issues in, say, a business agreement, an in-house attorney will work more closely with the business people to establish business terms, identify legal issues, and decide what type and level of risk is acceptable. Those at the general counsel level are most likely to function as trusted business advisors and often report directly to the CEO. Business knowledge or a deep knowledge of a specific industry may be especially helpful for in-house attorneys.
One thing in-house attorneys may not do much of is litigate. When corporations are preparing for trial, they often turn to outside counsel for assistance. Because in-house counsel handles such a wide variety of tasks on a day-to-day basis, they can't drop everything and prepare for trial. That's where outside counsel comes in. The in-house attorneys are more likely to manage outside counsel during trial, rather than doing the work themselves.
What Do You Need to Succeed In-House?
- Learn the nature of your own responsibilities. Companies large enough to hire in-house counsel often have several attorneys. Be sure the division of labor is clear.
- Understand the business. How does your company make money? How does the business cycle function?
- Know the limits of your time and of your expertise. Understand the basis on which you may hire outside counsel and develop a good relationship with them.
- Stay abreast of legal developments. While law firms usually do a great job of circulating developments within the firm, in-house attorneys may find themselves more isolated. Subscribe to magazines, email updates, and law firm "client updates."
What Do You Need to Succeed at a Firm?
- Realize that your clients are your lifeblood. Have a strong sense of the client's needs, and be willing to do everything necessary to meet those needs.
- Find a more senior associate or partner who is willing to mentor you. The law firm is your training ground. Take advantage of any professional development programs that are available.
- Understand that as a new associate, you may not be working on the most exciting assignments. Do good work, and that will change. Do sloppy work, and you'll be stuck spinning your wheels.
- Cultivate an outgoing personality. It will assist you in satisfying your existing clients and in attracting new ones.
- Realize that working for a big law firm is NOT a 9-to-5 job.
Making the Switch
First, be sure that you really want to move from a law firm to an in-house position. "While the hours are generally better working in-house, a different kind of stress is attached to accepting more personal responsibility for any given deal," says a lawyer at Mattel. Also, because you may not be doing as much "hands-on" practicing, it may be difficult to return to firm life later on. If you're sure that an in-house job is right for you, the best time to start looking is after you've gotten three to five years of experience in private practice. This is because "you've got some experience under your belt, but you're still—to be perfectly crass—cheap," writes Walton. "The longer you stay in private practice after that, the more likely you are to price yourself out of the market."
When you start looking for in-house positions, try working your personal connections first. Then, do research on the corporations you'd most like to work for. Send your stellar resume and cover letter to the legal department or the human resources department. In-house jobs are in high demand, so you will be facing stiff competition. Be persistent!
What Is Right for You?
Only you can decide whether you would be happiest in private practice or as a member of an in-house legal team. Whichever path you choose, Legal Authority can assist you in researching the corporations or law firms that will be most receptive to your talents.
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