Page 88 - Leaders in Legal Business - PDF - Final
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whom you would speak on a daily basis. … However, the advent of websites and email changed
that.”18
Major also adds that the ever-increasing amount of information on the Internet has
provided a lot more “noise” for clients and candidates alike. “What has not changed, but become
more essential, is the clients’ and candidates’ need to work with highly qualified, savvy,
knowledgeable legal recruiters and staffing professionals. Technology will continue driving
changes to the legal market, and the successful legal recruiting and staffing professionals will
always need to adapt to the oncoming wave of technological advancements.”
“In our search-optimized, app-laden world, anyone with access to the Internet can get a
decent snapshot of available options in a given market,” explains Michelle Fivel, a partner in the
Associate Practice Group of MLA’s Los Angeles office, and Ru Bhatt, a managing director in
the Associate Practice Group of MLA’s New York office.19 As this generation of lawyers is
more technologically savvy than any of its predecessors, it becomes apparent why creating
greater access to both openings and candidates is enticing. However, simply sending in a resume
to an online database will not get a candidate in the door.
“Unfortunately, the process of lateral movement is not that simple,” said Fivel and Bhatt,
as there are numerous additional factors to consider, including the unknowns that only a trusted
advisor can identify and address for all parties involved.”20 Posting jobs online is passive and
will not yield the same results as a good recruiter, one who is familiar with the firm’s needs
regarding a new candidate. For instance, the ideal candidate might not even be actively searching
for a new job. A recruiter, on the other hand, knows who is working where and can get ahead of
the game by actively finding these lawyers. “The waiting game isn’t aggressive enough because
targeting only those active job seekers can delay finding the perfect fit, costing money in missed
business opportunities for the firm.”21
Technology can be a useful tool for an experienced legal recruiter, but in the same way
that it cannot replace high-level professionals who are lawyers, it cannot (at least for the
foreseeable future) replace legal recruiting and staffing professionals.
Conclusion: Legal Recruiting and Staffing Are More Significant Than Ever
Change is in the air, but certain constants remain:
Nearly half of 85 law firm administrators in a recent survey reported an increase in
alternative career path/non-partner track lawyer recruitment and temporary lawyer
recruitment.22
Alternative business solutions have forced the legal industry to take a hard look at how it
provides high-quality, cost-effective, efficient legal services.
Law firms are embracing the non-partner track and other staffing alternatives, and legal
recruiters and staffing firms are specializing in order to provide those options as well.
Law firm partners faced with multiple options increasingly rely on professional counsel
from recruiters with market intelligence in order to make the most informed choices.
18 Id.
19 Michelle Fivel & Ru Bhatt, Don't Click Through Your Career, MAJOR, LINDSEY & AFRICA (Oct. 2, 2014),
https://www.mlaglobal.com/publications/articles/do-not-click-through-your-career.
20 Id.
21 Id.
22 Supra note 4.
74
that.”18
Major also adds that the ever-increasing amount of information on the Internet has
provided a lot more “noise” for clients and candidates alike. “What has not changed, but become
more essential, is the clients’ and candidates’ need to work with highly qualified, savvy,
knowledgeable legal recruiters and staffing professionals. Technology will continue driving
changes to the legal market, and the successful legal recruiting and staffing professionals will
always need to adapt to the oncoming wave of technological advancements.”
“In our search-optimized, app-laden world, anyone with access to the Internet can get a
decent snapshot of available options in a given market,” explains Michelle Fivel, a partner in the
Associate Practice Group of MLA’s Los Angeles office, and Ru Bhatt, a managing director in
the Associate Practice Group of MLA’s New York office.19 As this generation of lawyers is
more technologically savvy than any of its predecessors, it becomes apparent why creating
greater access to both openings and candidates is enticing. However, simply sending in a resume
to an online database will not get a candidate in the door.
“Unfortunately, the process of lateral movement is not that simple,” said Fivel and Bhatt,
as there are numerous additional factors to consider, including the unknowns that only a trusted
advisor can identify and address for all parties involved.”20 Posting jobs online is passive and
will not yield the same results as a good recruiter, one who is familiar with the firm’s needs
regarding a new candidate. For instance, the ideal candidate might not even be actively searching
for a new job. A recruiter, on the other hand, knows who is working where and can get ahead of
the game by actively finding these lawyers. “The waiting game isn’t aggressive enough because
targeting only those active job seekers can delay finding the perfect fit, costing money in missed
business opportunities for the firm.”21
Technology can be a useful tool for an experienced legal recruiter, but in the same way
that it cannot replace high-level professionals who are lawyers, it cannot (at least for the
foreseeable future) replace legal recruiting and staffing professionals.
Conclusion: Legal Recruiting and Staffing Are More Significant Than Ever
Change is in the air, but certain constants remain:
Nearly half of 85 law firm administrators in a recent survey reported an increase in
alternative career path/non-partner track lawyer recruitment and temporary lawyer
recruitment.22
Alternative business solutions have forced the legal industry to take a hard look at how it
provides high-quality, cost-effective, efficient legal services.
Law firms are embracing the non-partner track and other staffing alternatives, and legal
recruiters and staffing firms are specializing in order to provide those options as well.
Law firm partners faced with multiple options increasingly rely on professional counsel
from recruiters with market intelligence in order to make the most informed choices.
18 Id.
19 Michelle Fivel & Ru Bhatt, Don't Click Through Your Career, MAJOR, LINDSEY & AFRICA (Oct. 2, 2014),
https://www.mlaglobal.com/publications/articles/do-not-click-through-your-career.
20 Id.
21 Id.
22 Supra note 4.
74
