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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
I didn't think I had a chance in NYC, since I went to Tulane, but I've gotten two interviews so far! There are almost 100 firms that I haven't heard anything from, and I'm still waiting on these two firms to come through with a decision. I think both interviews went really well, though, especially because one of the people I spoke with was originally from New Orleans! I'm really happy with the resume and cover letter, and I've got several friends who I know will be calling you shortly. Thank you!
- Nicole
After sending out 20 plus resumes, I had two interviews: one from [College], and all other colleges replied by saying they would forward my resume to their correspondent business colleges. [University] in NJ said they were extremely interested in having me as a visiting lecturer because of my bicultural legal studies. I feel this is a great response for someone with no prior teaching experience.
- Guadalupe
Just an update: I've had three firms contact me. One for a position I wasn't interested in (ERISA), and two of which I've already had a formal phone interview. Of those two, I haven't heard back from one yet (it's been about 10 days since the phone interview); the other invited me back, and is flying me to interview at their office next week to meet with several people.
- Patrick S.
I sent out all of my letters and resumes yesterday, and today, I received one inquiry for an "of-counsel" offer. I am enthusiastic that I have already received responses. No interviews yet, but I am hoping this is a good sign for things to come! Thank you and I will keep you posted.
- J.S.
To be totally frank about it-I went to a non-ABA accredited school and I guess I would be considered "old" in today's job market (I had a non-law career already). But ha, I have 4 interviews. In your face, 22 year old Yale Law grads.
- Dan
Just wanted you to know that I procured an in-house position as General Counsel for a privately held corporation only a 15 minute commute from my home as a result of the direct mailing of my resume and cover letter to a company that you located through Legal Authority. Obviously, I'm excited about my new job.
- M.W.
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| Proven Results |
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In any given city, if a job exists that matches your interests, there is only one way to be sure that you find that opportunity. You must contact these specific employers who match your interests.
It is as simple as that.
No job boards, classified sections of legal newspapers, legal recruiters, on-campus interviewing programs, job fairs, or "networks" can provide you with access to every available job opportunity.
 In today's job market, it is estimated that more than 85% of all legal jobs are not advertised. Recruiters fill less than 3% of all available positions. When jobs are advertised or when recruiters get involved, a legal employer may receive in excess of 1,000 applicants for one position. The fact is that many employers do not have job openings until they are presented with a candidate who is attractive to them and who has already expressed interest. This is why a self-initiated targeted mailing is the most effective means for finding a legal job.
If you are serious about getting the type of legal job you want, you have come to the right source. Legal Authority has the largest database of legal employers anywhere. In the 2002 edition of What Color is Your Parachute?, the author states that more than 1,400 resumes are mailed for every one job secured. While a legal job can generally be found by mailing far fewer resumes, if you are sporadically applying to the occasional job via the Internet,  classified ads, or through a recruiter, it may take you a long time to find the position you seek. Legal Authority can help you ferret out and apply to the organizations you want. It is your choice: Either you can remain unhappy with your current employment situation, or you can find the job you want today. Smart attorneys do what it takes and contact employers on their own.
Legal Myth
Mailing an unsolicited resume to an employer is not effective.
Legal Authority
When you perform a self-initiated mailing, you are sending unsolicited resumes and cover letters to a carefully compiled list of employers, defined as a group by their geographical location, type and size of business, and areas of practice. Such targeted mailing has an extremely high rate of effectiveness.
In fact, the National Association for Law Placement, a nonprofit legal research organization, has determined that targeted, self-initiated mailing is the most successful job hunt tactic used by graduates and experienced attorneys, beating both on-campus interview programs and online resume posting.
You need to remember that organizations which hire attorneys are businesses. As such, they are seeking to hire individuals who can enable them to increase their bottom lines (i.e., make more money). If you are approaching law firms, your time can be billed out to clients and the legal employer can take on additional work for you to work on, thereby increasing their bottom line. If you are approaching corporations, the company will save money by not having to rely as much on outside counsel.
If someone were to approach you and at no cost provide you an immediate opportunity to make more money, the chances are you would be interested in speaking with them. It is the same when applying for legal jobs. Every application an employer receives serves as an opportunity for them to save money or make more money. Each application is evaluated and, if it believes it will work, the employer will want to speak with you.
One advantage of targeted mailing is the "opportunity" your application represents for each employer. Without retaining a legal recruiter, going to a job fair, or posting an ad in the classified section of a legal newspaper or an Internet job board, the employer is presented with the opportunity to increase its bottom line.
Another advantage from an employer's standpoint is that when you contact it (assuming it does not have an opportunity advertised) it is under the impression that you have researched it and find the possibility of working for it something you are interested in. When you contact an employer using Legal Authority, the employer believes that you know about the firm already and are interested in speaking with it. The fact is that most people (and organizations) like those who like them. When you are automatically predisposed to contact an employer independently, you are showing that employer that you like them. Of course, if the employer already has an opening, then it will think you responded to an ad. Either way, you win.
Legal Myth
I'll just post my resume on a job board and wait for the employers to contact me.
Legal Authority
Job boards can be effective for companies comfortable with online job hunting and recruiting. As a rule, law firms, universities, government offices, and in-house legal departments remain most comfortable with "snail mail"—cover letters and resumes they receive from the post office. Writing professional cover letters on good stationery shows that you have taken the time to contact the employer by writing a letter, addressing an envelope, stamping it, and putting it in the mailbox. It is far more effective than simply hitting the "send" button on your email program. In addition, a recent study by the Privacy Foundation has stated that job seekers who post their resumes on popular job board websites may be sacrificing their privacy.
With the high number of attorneys seeking jobs, hiring partners and recruiting coordinators have the luxury of waiting for resumes to come in the door. Unless they are doing proactive recruiting with legal search firms or law schools, there is little "resume searching" done. In an economic downturn, proactive recruiting can decrease dramatically, leaving you few options other than to contact employers on your own.
Legal Myth
I can't trust my future career prospects to you. I need to do it all myself.
Legal Authority
With your input, we will select the employers that meet your standards, and you will have approval every step of the way. With Legal Authority, you remain in control of your job search, and you will send out the final cover letters and resumes.
Theoretically, you could do much of the work we do by yourself. However, you are not likely to hit all the appropriate opportunities, and your work would likely take you weeks. The point is that you could do it. There is a way to do things the right way and a way to do them the wrong way.
 We have the most sophisticated database in the legal industry and do nothing but update our database, counsel attorneys, and review and revise resumes and cover letters. Who better to trust your future with than a firm that spends 100% of its time doing what we do? We will help you save time, improve your resume, and create a cover letter that will garner attention.
While the decision to use a service like ours is certainly up to you, the odds of success in doing the work yourself are not as strong as using Legal Authority.
Legal Myth
I already have a headhunter. I don't need to do any more work to find a job.
Legal Authority
Using a headhunter can have a distinct disadvantage over self-initiated targeted mailing. For in-house hiring, clerkships, and of counsel positions, you have a much greater chance of receiving a positive response if you do not use a recruiter. It is a well-known fact that the substantial majority of corporations do not use recruiters to fill positions, and neither does the government.
For law firm positions, recruiters will limit your exposure to (1) the small number of firms willing to pay them a portion of your annual salary if they hire you and (2) firms which have been unable to fill positions on their own and have requested that a recruiter help them find appropriate people. Recruiters typically work with less than 5% of the law firms in a given geographic market, and less than 2% of the attorneys in the workforce today. Even in the largest cities, a recruiter will typically limit your exposure to less than 20 firms, and you have no way of actually knowing if the recruiter has done what it said it was going to do in terms of submitting you. Targeted mailing can be done for far more firms, and we can help you send resumes and cover letters to as many hundreds of firms as you desire. Legal recruiters charge employers fees which are generally 25-30% of your annual salary. While employers engage recruiters for hard-to-fill positions, they would rather not pay these fees, and they generally only pay these fees for the most stellar candidates. By "stellar," we mean attorneys who graduated from top-ranked law schools and are coming from top American law firms. Accordingly, the firms which use recruiters tend to be the largest national law firms, with massive recruiting budgets, and even these firms do not use recruiters all the time.
One of the advantages of using a legal recruiter is that he/she can review and revise your resume and tailor a cover letter for your job search. Legal Authority actually does the same for its clients. The only thing missing from the letters Legal Authority prepares on your behalf (prevalent in most recruiters' letters) is the language about how it will cost the employer tens of thousands of dollars if it hires you.
Legal Myth
I don't have the time to prepare 500 cover letter and resumes.
Legal Authority
All it takes is filling out our Sign Up Form, spending a short amount of time on the phone with us discussing your options, and signing your cover letters that we provide to you after an extensive consultation.
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