Career Transition Blog for Lawyers

A few months ago the phrase that was getting a lot of attention was “Quiet Quitting.”  Now it’s “Stealth Layoffs.”  Abovethelaw.com, in a September 9 article with the somewhat breathless sub-heading “Yikes! Sorry but the party’s over” reports that some large law firms are planning to reduce their attorney headcount...

The legal market is as dynamic as it has been in a generation. The difference in compensation between the top of the market and everyone else is continuing to widen. And it’s not just compensation. It’s also the quality of work. More legal work is becoming commoditized, made routine, and...

News about pay increases for associates at Am Law 100 firms have been dominating headlines since the start of this year. While it sounds like an enticing factor for attorneys looking for new career opportunities, this so-called “salary war” may not be as consequential as many lawyers think.  A recent...

Depression and compromised well-being are commonplace among lawyers. New data shows the situation is only getting worse. A 2021 Bloomberg Law report reveals burnout is becoming an increasing problem for both law firm attorneys and in-house counsel.  Bloomberg’s Attorney Workload and Hours Survey examined job satisfaction, workload, well-being, job status,...

Legal media has created eye-popping headlines about Texas law firms offering up to $500k signing bonuses for associates. Let’s unpack what is at work. Texas appears to be experiencing a once-in-a-generation shift in demand for certain practice areas, such as M&A and securities law. The influx of businesses moving to...

Candidates recently turned to Reddit to chronicle their worst experiences as law firm interviewees. From a lawyer who suggested a female candidate be “perkier” to another who “berated” an associate over the phone with a potential new hire sitting in the room, it’s understandable that some might look back on...

Working with law firms is not for everyone, and many recruiters do good work that too often goes underappreciated. However, legal recruiters have become less effective in the last year for reasons that are market-driven. After the demand for recruiters plummeted during the pandemic, it has in recent months surged...

An article published this summer in the Wall Street Journal draws attention to the danger inherent in myths around the earning power that comes with a law degree. With sites like Above The Law constantly tracking Big Law associate salaries north of $200,000, it’s easy to understand why so many...

Law firm leaders aren’t often thinking about their firms’ work in terms of routine tasks, but with payroll as the highest expense, investors will. In a working paper for the National Bureau of Economic Research, economists from Boston University and MIT assert that “between 50% and 70% of changes in...

Attorney Jonathan Wolf, writing for Above the Law, recounts a nonprofit board’s decision to reduce employees’ hours to 33.75 per week without any drop in salary or benefits. Last year, the board saw a small increase in productivity, but members were still hesitant to make the change permanent, opting instead...

The ABA Journal wrote last month about the rise of former lawyers amongst the ranks of university presidents. Noting increasing regulations on colleges and the frequent crises facing these institutions, the article describes via several examples why professionals with legal backgrounds are particularly appealing to the boards that hire school...

After a year of low replenishment for partners and senior counsel, we will soon begin to see how much lateral movement may be ahead for lawyers with books of business in the range of their annual compensation. Attorneys who bring in revenues in excess of $1 million will continue to...

Through no fault of their own, many lawyers in the hiring process avoid asking law firms the important questions that will impact their careers. It’s not just about what you ask, but also when you ask it, and a lawyer with some experience maximizes their bargaining power in the time...

For lawyers, the risk is high right now that a lack of satisfaction at work could lead some to consider ditching the legal industry entirely. The field has been shaken up in the past year, and those shifts may have shone a light on bad management practices or unhealthy workplace...

Lori Mihalich-Levin’s career provides a great example of how attorneys can pursue other passions, even in a professional capacity, without leaving the practice of law. Currently a partner in Dentons’ health care practice, she is also the founder of Mindful Return, an organization which hosts groups for working parents in...

Responses to Law360’s survey on partner compensation revealed that 43% of the 584 attorneys included (all from firms with 25+ lawyers) had taken pay cuts directly resulting from COVID-19. With an average of 12 years at the partnership level, these respondents are describing circumstances that may lead to an unprecedented...

End-of-year figures showed legal employment returning to the numbers it saw at the start of 2019. While this means that 2019's gains were essentially undone by pandemic losses, a 2.3% unemployment rate in this sector suggests the industry is doing well relative to the overall economy, which finished the year...

Robert Parker, described by Baltimore Magazine as “the father of modern wine criticism,” began his career as a corporate lawyer. Before becoming a hugely influential voice in the wine world, Parker developed an obsessive interest in the beverage while visiting his now wife during her college study abroad experience in...

Engineering/construction behemoth Bechtel will be adding junior lawyers to its team via alternative legal services provider (ALSP) Legal Innovators. The press release announcing the deal highlighted Legal Innovators' focus on creating opportunities for attorneys from diverse backgrounds and demographics. Beneath that emphasis, however, is a statement from the ALSP's CEO...

Even in-house roles are not immune to elimination, as paint supply company Benjamin Moore showed in November when it got rid of its entire legal department. Unlikely to become a pattern, outsourcing to employment law firm Littler Mendelson may work for the Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary, but most in-house departments cover...