Involvement in the Legal Community Increases Your Employability

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Involvement in the Legal Community Increases Your Employability [by A. Harrison Barnes, Esq.] Your work may seem to be isolating, but the future of your legal career can sometimes depend on how well you get your name out in the legal community.

For many attorneys, especially those in large

1. If You Are Visible, You Will Be In People’s

they did not have this talent, they would not

law firms, life as an attorney can seem pretty

Spotlight

be as successful as they are.

and entertaining email exchanges with your

It would be difficult to think of any politician,

I am assuming a lot of this conversation

peers, as well as meetings with other at-

even the proverbial class president, who was

sounds quite familiar. Yes, this is the same

torneys and clients. There is the occasional

able to rise to the top without networking

rationale for “branding” that corporations

CLE event, firm retreat, or maybe even a firm

with a lot of people and being involved in the

follow all day long. Branding makes sense. If

social event here and there. Nevertheless,

community. The class presidents you have

you have ever wondered why a brand might

many attorneys rarely venture too far out

known probably attended all the football

pay $50,000 to have a two page ad inside a

of the office and into the legal community.

games and cheered, even if they hated foot-

magazine with a couple of attractive models

Time away from work is “family” or “recre-

ball. The traditional politician goes out and

and nothing more the answer, of course, is

ation time”-something to be cherished and

gives speeches. The traditional politician may

branding. Here, as with all branding exer-

certainly not time you would want to spend

even write books and articles. Most of these

cises, the company will be attempting to get

with other lawyers.

articles and books are all the same, some-

your attention so you associate their brand

thing about the “need for change”. None of

with something.

I have been studying successful lawyers for

this is an accident, in order to capture the

more years than I care to count. The most

public’s attention, politicians, like successful

The main reason to be visible in the legal

successful attorneys are also generally the

lawyers, must get into the spotlight.

community is so that you can be in the spot-

it usually is. Moreover, when an attorney is

If you were unjustly accused of a crime and

gal community. If you are visible, people will

attempting a lateral move, being involved in

needed a criminal attorney-a really good

see you. If they see you, they will associate

the legal community is something that can

criminal attorney-my sense is that one of

you with whatever you are doing to be visible.

help them a great deal. In numerous place-

a few names would come to mind. I am as-

If you are making a speech about an area of

ments I have made-and in the majority of the

suming Barry Scheck, F. Lee Bailey, Johnny

law, they will associate you with this area of

largest and most significant ones-it was the

Cochran and others might be among these

law. Even if you are not regularly speaking,

attorney’s involvement in the legal com-

names. Regardless of whether or not these

but just attending events about a given topic

munity that was the “clincher” that got them

are good attorneys, their unique knack for

regularly, they will associate you with this

the job.

self promotion and the ability to harness the

area of law, as well. In order to succeed at

power of the press has put these names at

the practice of law, people need to know who

This article discusses the importance of get-

the tip of your tongue and in your personal

you are.

ting out in the legal community to your legal

spotlight.

solitary. There are, of course, the subtle

most visible. This is not always the case, but

light of others both inside and outside the le-

Rising above the hundreds, thousands, or

career and, ultimately, to getting a job. While there are several benefits to being visible,

The fact is that there are names like this

tens of thousands of similar attorneys in

the most important of these are: (1) if you are

in every major legal market in the United

your legal market is no easy task. Most of

visible, you will be in people’s spotlight, (2) if

States. This is true whether or not you are

the activities that attorneys are involved in

you are visible, you will learn more, and (3) if

talking about mezzanine financing, workers’

are quite solitary and involve their firm, their

you are visible, you will have a better chance

compensation litigation, personal injury or

firm’s clients and perhaps judges if you are

of getting a job and being employable.

corporate bond issues. In all cases, the attor-

a litigator (who goes to court). All of these

neys who get ahead-in a major way-manage

people may know who you are, but there are

to put themselves in the legal spotlight. If

literally thousands of other people who need

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WEEKLY RECRUITER SPEAK

to know who you are.

tive clients and others to these presentations.

is really no substitute for direct knowledge

This is not to say that these are not noble top-

from others. All of this is more concrete and

When you read your local legal newspaper,

ics and the attorneys who attend them will not

far more likely to be advantageous to you. In

there are undoubtedly numerous articles

learn anything-they will, but the substantive

addition, you are likely to get more “nuances”

referencing attorneys in your community.

content of most of these events is pretty weak.

of various information as well as “off the

Judges, lawyer politicians and others also

Given this fact, there must be another purpose

record” information about the legal commu-

need to catch the attention of outside people

to these sorts of events. There is.

nity. The advantages of learning more through networking cannot be understated.

in order to get where they are. Moreover, major rainmakers must also do the same. By

Following (or prior to) one of these events, a

being visible in the legal community, you open

well-managed law firm will generally issue a

While learning through networking is some-

yourself up to a whole host of potentialities

press release and email the attorneys in their

what of a personal calculus vis-à-vis what it is

that would not exist without you being visible.

firm about the speech or event. The point of

to you, I believe that one of the more impor-

In order to be visible, you must take action.

all this activity is to generate a “buzz” that

tant aspects of this is that it gives you a better

the law firm and the attorney(s) making the

appreciation of what you are doing. For ex-

There are several ways attorneys take action

given presentation are experts in one area

ample, if you know the network of attorneys in

to become visible in the legal community. If

of the law or other. This will be reinforced in

your practice area in your city you have a bet-

you write an article about a legal topic and it

the attorneys inside the presenter’s firm, as

ter sense of what you need to do to compete

is seen by numerous people, this will likely

well as the attorneys who ultimately hear the

to get clients. If you know more about your

generate referrals for you because people will

presentation.

practice area, you can improve your work. If you bring all of this together, you can have a

think you are an expert on the given topic. The same goes for speeches and attending events

The value of this is that an individual or the

better appreciation for the practice of law and

of legal significance. The more visible you are,

firm is being put in the spotlight. A strong

become a more complete attorney.

the more likely it is that reporters in the legal

percentage of rainmakers in law firms man-

community will know who you are as well. You

age to consistently get into the spotlight in

The fact is that you need to get involved with

need to publicize yourself. If you are unknown

various methods. They often do so by making

the legal community and other attorneys in

in the legal community, you will certainly not

speeches or writing articles about the banal

order to make this happen. You will learn

be able to benefit from everything the world

and obvious. Regardless of how this is done, it

more if you are involved in the legal commu-

can offer you when you are known.

is crucial for an attorney to be in the spotlight

nity and this will help your career.

in order to advance.

3. If You Are Visible, You Will Have a Better

If you are practicing in a law firm, the chances 2. If You Are Visible, You Will Learn More

Chance of Getting a Job

made a speech about some patently obvious

If you are visible, you will be in a position

I want to be clear about one thing: It is not

topic from time to time. Some examples im-

to learn. The image at the beginning of this

easy to get a job as an attorney. If you have

mediately come to mind that I have heard in

article - of the solitary attorney working alone

been practicing for more than 5 or 6 years, it

the past:

inside an office - is all too common. By getting

is even more difficult to get a job. If you have

out in the legal community, you will be ex-

been practicing more than 10 years and do not

• “Real Estate - Will the Market Improve?”

posed to others, knowledge about what others

have any major business, it can be extremely

• “Discovery In Litigation - Tactics for Im-

are doing, the status of different ideas, who is

difficult to get a job. While my recruiting ef-

provement”

who and more. By learning all of this informa-

forts are focused on law firms, my rationale

• “Expert Witnesses - Techniques for Prepar-

tion, you will put yourself in a position to even

applies equally to other types of legal employ-

ing Them for Maximum Effectiveness

further distinguish yourself, because you can

ers you may be interested in. Moreover, the

• “Employment Law - How to Protect Against

recalibrate and adjust to this information to

more prestigious the employer, the more dif-

FMLA Violations”

become more effective.

ficulties you will have getting a job with them.

All of these are noble topics. Most of these

Insulated inside a law firm, you are learning

have virtually never hired laterally throughout

topics, however, are pretty obvious to most

from the attorneys you are working with and

their entire history.

experienced practitioners. Nevertheless, law

the clients you are working with. Certainly,

firms will trumpet out their clients, prospec-

you may read legal periodicals, but there

are that you regularly hear that such and such an attorney from your law firm has gone and

Some law firms are so exclusive that they

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One of the hallmarks of a law firm is that it

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WEEKLY RECRUITER SPEAK

is somewhat like a 15th century guild. Law

I could go on and on with similar stories.

go out, an informal chat may occur. Whatever

firms, in particular, are extremely suspicious

Nevertheless, the point is that when you con-

happens, the results that occur and potential

of outsiders and attorneys that are not part

nect with people outside of your own sphere

hire may occur because someone was “in the

of their firm. When I am placing attorneys

of influence, this will help you. The familiar is

spotlight” and in the partner’s radar. That is,

laterally, for example, it is quite rare for an

always more comfortable than the unfamiliar.

someone was in the partner’s radar who does

attorney to move from a less prestigious to a

If you become familiar to others in the legal

not even work at the firm.

more prestigious firm. This does happen-and

community, you will have a better chance of

given vagaries of practice area demands, the

getting a job if you ever need one.

Conclusions

even happen a lot during certain times. Never-

While I have not even touched upon this, and

As a recruiter, I can tell you that the most

theless, as a general rule, it does not happen

you would think I would, another real benefit

sought after attorneys are the most visible.

that often.

of all this involvement in the legal community

Becoming visible can get you clients. Becom-

is that it can lead to a job. When you walk

ing visible can help you learn more and be-

When a group of lawyers are deciding whether

around most law firms, I would estimate that

come a better attorney. Becoming visible can

or not to hire you, or even bring you in for

as many at 20% of the attorneys at many law

also make you much more employable than

interviews, they are going to be suspicious as

firms are there because they knew some-

you would be if you choose not to be visible.

a general rule. Guilds being what they are,

one. They knew someone from some sort of

attorneys are going to be suspicious of anyone

involvement in the legal community.

state of the market and other factors-it might

In terms of employability, visibility is important because it gives others a “comfort level”

who is switching jobs. They will be even more suspicious if they do not know you, or know of

How do you think hiring decisions are made in

you. If they know you and do not like you, then

most law firms and other legal organizations?

or small the legal market you are practic-

you are toast, of course. If they know you (or

One of the first things that happens is the

ing in, you are a brand. In almost all cases,

of you) and have a generally good impression

law firm has to identify a need. If the law firm

employers-like consumers-choose the more

of you, they are going to be much more likely

identifies a need, the chances are very good

familiar over the less familiar brand. Become

to want to speak with you. Some sort of “prior

that they made this determination because a

a familiar brand.

group acceptance” really goes a long way.

partner somewhere in the firm-or a client-was

Here are some short examples of conversa-

throwing off work that could not be adequately

tions I have had with hiring partners over the

serviced with the existing personnel inside the

years:

law firm. Once this need is met, before an ad goes up in the paper, a job board, or on the

• “The people who interviewed him were all

firm website, the partner will generally ask

unsure, but Nancy from accounting noticed

themselves: “Do I know anyone?” This will oc-

him in the hall and said that she remembered

cur even prior to a recruiter (such as myself)

him from a public speaking course and thinks

getting involved in the search.

he is a good guy.” (third year lawyer) • “We really could get by without someone

What happens a large percentage of the time

like him at his level, but one of our clients

(especially at smaller and midsized firms)

has spent some time with him at a couple of

is that the partner does know someone. The

law school alumni events and everyone really

person he knows may not necessarily be

liked him.” (fourth year partner with no busi-

the most qualified for the position, and may

ness)

not even represent the massive universe of

• “Although he is a litigation candidate, Jim

possible candidates for the position. What

from our tax department said that people

the partner will know is that (1) he knows the

in the local bar association like him a great

person and (2) based on their previous contact

deal.” (fourth year lawyer)

with the person, he feels comfortable with the person. An instant seal of approval. A call may

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with you as a brand. No matter how large