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Non-Attorneys as Legal Recruiters [by James Fant] One BCG Attorney Search recruiter explains how even though some recruiters did not practice as lawyers, they sure can be successful at placing them in desirable positions. It’s all about acclimating yourself to a foreign culture.
One of the little known secrets of the legal
had completed at the various programs. You
possible to go a step further, and put this
recruiting industry is that a select few are
could call this presenter a salesman with a
in context: the mark of a successful legal
not, in fact, attorneys. For some, this is
tin ear, a simple buffoon, or even, based on
recruiter is the ability to produce optimal
deeply unsettling: how could a person who
the torture that we endured, a sociopath -
results for you in your job search. What else,
never attended law school, passed the bar,
but he was (unconsciously) on to something.
by comparison, matters? LSAT scores? (Con-
or billed 2500 hours a year at a top firm,
Understanding needs and getting results is
fession: I have never even taken the LSAT).
possibly understand, help or even deserve
still not the acid test in many people’s minds
to play a role in the legal profession? In this
when working with a recruiter. Getting the
Why join a club that wouldn’t have me as a
view, a legal recruiter without a law degree
best results should have primacy. Pedigree
member?
is at best a poseur, at worst a rank amateur.
can be very important in the legal profes-
One could imagine Woody Allen in Zelig sit-
sion, and in life, for a number of reasons
A corollary of Groucho’s famous dictum
ting in a partners’ meeting, nodding gravely
beyond the scope of this article, but in legal
would seem to apply here. Why would
in a hiring strategy discussion, despite not
recruiting, it’s arguably less so. The question
someone want to join an industry in which
having finished high school, or even knowing
should be ‘What can you do for me?’ The
they were never previously a member, other
what a law is.
proof of the pudding should be in the eating,
than for crass commercial reasons? This
viz, helping you get the job that you dreamed
is perhaps a question for the ages but I am
I have to confess sympathy for this preju-
of, and helping law firms get the ideal new
happy to answer it in my own case, however
dice, and prejudice it is, despite being a
associates and partners that they seek.
unrepresentative it may be.
my business career prior to joining BCG
Agents in Hollywood are often (justly) held to
I grew up in what could be termed a legal
Attorney Search, I stumbled across count-
scorn by creative people for not understand-
household. Talk of the latest batch of sum-
less individuals and organizations who felt
ing, in an even shallow manner, the artists
mer associates, pending cases, and the
entitled, for one reason or another, to get
that they represent -- for being, in effect,
slings and arrows of outrageous clients was
something from me without ever having
predatory intermediaries. Yet despite this
practically mother’s milk to me. But I made
earned the right to it. Invariably, the root of
bad rap, the best agents are highly sought
the decision not to be an attorney very early,
my irritation was that the guilty party wanted
after, and many aspiring actors and writ-
supposedly at the age of three, when asked
something for nothing. That’s not cricket, I
ers would practically rip out and hand over
by a family friend if I would be a lawyer “like
thought. Some of the transgressors seemed
one or both of their kidneys if that would
my daddy,” and I indicated that, no, I hadn’t
to draw their peculiar sense of entitlement
secure their representation, and if they could
taken the LSAT yet and had no plans to do so.
from their educational or other pedigrees,
physically reach that part of their backs. And
Whether this was the result of genetic drift or
and had scant concern for helping me. For
some of those agents would probably happily
a deeply rebellious streak does not matter.
instance, I once sat in on a presentation in
accept such a bribe if they legally could, and,
But the truth is, I have always been drawn to
which a fairly successful businessman was
perhaps, sell the bleeding organs on eBay.
the law like a moth to the flame. For Robert
trying to win my business. Rather than taking
What gives?
Duvall in Apocalypse Now, the smell of na-
legal recruiter sans law degree myself. In
palm in the morning was a stimulant, for me,
the time to listen, to try to understand my needs, and explain how his firm could help
Security is in the product
the smell of a conference room on a Saturday morning, littered with coffee cups and half-
us, he went through a litany of degrees that he had earned at various schools, and a long,
General Douglas Macarthur famously defined
eaten danishes and even, in those halcyon
anesthetizing discussion of the syllabi he
security as the ability to produce. But it is
days before ordinances about secondary
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CAREER COUNSEL
smoke, cigars in ashtrays was exhilarating.
leagues here who are attorneys, we are all
Besides getting results, the sine qua non
Or at least I remember it that way.
striving for the same thing, which is to do the
of any effective recruiter, there are other,
very best possible job we can through relent-
“softer” yet still important aspects of legal
When I was an undergraduate at the Uni-
lessness of focus and constantly working at
recruiting germane to this discussion. While
versity of Chicago, I spent a term abroad
becoming better recruiters.
I believe they are secondary, they are never-
at Oxford University. One of my professors arranged for me to work in a barrister’s
theless important. Doctor, heal thyself
office for the summer at the Royal Inns of
An excellent recruiter is more than someone
Court. He was a Queen’s Counsel, a ‘silk,’
As has been discussed elsewhere on this
who merely gets you a job. She is also, in
and had a case he was arguing before the
site, legal recruiters are sometimes dis-
many cases, a trusted advisor, a listening
House of Lords when I arrived. I researched
missed as failed attorneys. Some of them
ear; someone who can empathize with and
and wrote memoranda summarizing vari-
undoubtedly are. Others, though, aren’t, and
understand, on a profound level, the situation
ous motions and pleadings, and drank tea
have simply found a way to use the skills
of the candidates that she represents. And
with the chambers every day at 4pm, feeling
they developed as attorneys to create greater
here I must admit something that I can never
very much at home. It was as though I was
value for law firms and candidates than they
quite overcome: I have never been in your
transported into the fictional world of John
ever could billing out an hourly rate as as-
exact situation. Yes, I have been overworked
Mortimer’s Rumpole of the Old Bailey, but
sociates or even as partners. Their satisfac-
and underappreciated, yes, pulling all-night-
I didn’t pretend to be anything other than I
tion comes from helping people get jobs, and
ers in college and graduate school, sweating
was: a college student. In fact, I established
their passion is simply a reflection of their
through interviews, or trying and succeed-
precedent by being the only mini-pupil (a sort
success in doing that.
ing to move to a more congenial part of the
of summer associate) who was not studying
country, or the world, but I haven’t practiced
law. I was, as one waggish member of the
The truth is that having a law degree, while
chambers termed it, a “quasi-mini pupil.”
extremely useful and worthwhile, and an ex-
law at an AmLaw 100 firm.
cellent start to becoming a legal recruiter, is
If that is what is most important to you, then
But I am not a quasi-mini recruiter, because
no more predictive of success as a legal re-
shoot me. No, actually what I will do is I will
such a thing simply cannot exist, except per-
cruiter than is having a hernia operation. The
refer you to one of my many colleagues who
haps in an Austin Powers movie. Like Avis, I
army of failed attorney-recruiters is a sad
have done that. However, I will say in passing
have to try harder. One of the most exciting
testament to that. But there is one species of
that the advisors we come to know and trust,
things about this industry is that it is entirely
legal recruiter to beware of, and that is the
the service professionals that we seek out
knowledge-based. But the knowledge that
person who feels entitled to work with you
in a variety of industries, are not simply ef-
you need to become a legal recruiter is not,
purely as a result of what he or she has done
fective commiserators, or recovering former
strictly speaking, taught in law school, during
in the past and not for what he or she will do
associates who have become agony aunts,
clerkships, or at law firms.
for you today; in other words, the belief that
but people who are objective and empathetic.
he or she deserves to represent you without
You don’t seek out a surgeon who has broken
The knowledge it takes to be a successful
putting in the extremely hard work that the
his arm to get orthopedic surgery, but one
legal recruiter is gained through practical
legal recruiting industry requires. Unlike a
who is a true expert, and a consummate
experience and very hard work, meeting with
hedgehog and more like a peacock, such a
professional.
firms, understanding their cultures and prac-
recruiter will flourish his or her feathers but
tices, and advocating on behalf of candidates
at the end of the day, that won’t help you get
to help them get the best jobs they possibly
the job that you want and need. Avoid this
can. In my case, it has been gained by learn-
species of recruiter like the plague.
The business of legal recruiting
the country, the CEO of this firm, who was
On the other hand, BCG Attorney Search has
The legal profession is many things, but at it
willing to take me on board and mentor me.
carefully built up its reputation over several
heart it is a business. As the latest recession
It is gained by being a hedgehog, in philoso-
years through present accomplishments, not
has proven, law firms are not insulated or
phy if not in appearance, which is such a
only past glories.
isolated from broad macroeconomic trends,
Every day I work hard at being both.
ing from one of the top legal recruiters in
rare creature that it is a protected species in Great Britain. A hedgehog is an animal with a singular focus, and like my talented col-
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or microeconomic profitability considerOther considerations
ations. Unprecedented layoffs, partnership dissolutions, and a massive fall-off in
continued
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CAREER COUNSEL
corporate work have driven this reality home
oxymoronic, if not downright humorous, then
I say that that is how we would like to be
to many who considered the law to be a safe
you have had the experience that so many
judged. And based on the large volume of
haven from the slings and arrows of the
attorneys have had with recruiters who are
placements that we make, and satisfied cus-
outrageous economy.
essentially on autopilot, or worse. Neverthe-
tomers that we have, our ability to get things
less, it is important that you consider the
done puts us at the pinnacle of the legal
What does this have to do with legal recruit-
ramifications of not working with a thinking
recruiting industry.
ing? The answer is, plenty. In fact, a few of
recruiter.
the most famous recruiters in the United States are not attorneys. The reason is sim-
For example, suppose you were considering
ple: they approach the challenge of recruit-
relocating, and you had the choice of working
ing as the profession that it is, rather than
with someone who was merely going to call
as a frivolous sideshow of the law. They are
a few firms in your target area and pray for
business people that put a premium on client
the best, or someone who would actually
relationships and satisfaction. As a result,
spend time actively listening to you, even
law firms pay close attention when they send
challenging some of the assumptions you
candidates over for consideration.
might have made, and developing a strategy based on your peculiar strengths generated
In my career to date, I have conducted busi-
by Socratic discussion. Furthermore, if a re-
ness in over 25 countries, hired dozens of
cruiter functions as a drone, or an automatic
people, helped build millions of dollars of
toaster, and merely spends each day popping
revenue, and lived abroad for several years.
out resumes to the “usual suspects,” you are
During that time, I have gone over at least a
almost certainly missing out on opportunities
thousand resumes, three hundred interviews,
you may not be aware of. It takes a kind of
and even hired a prestigious law firm in the
scrappiness, an entrepreneurial approach, to
Bay Area for my last company. This pro-
make sure that no stone is unturned in your
cess gave me quite a bit of insight into what
search.
makes a good employee and how to conduct yourself when you are looking for a job. Most
Whom would you rather work with?
recruiters, attorneys or not, have not made numerous hiring decisions themselves, and
Changing a job is one of the most important
have not been forced to live with the con-
things that you can do in your life. Attorney-
sequences of a bad match. Hiring decisions
recruiters, while hard-working and often
are literally among the most important that
brilliant, do not have a monopoly on this type
a firm can make. Because many candidates
of thinking process.
have not been through large numbers of interviews in their careers, and in many cases
Conclusions
are more familiar with the specialized kinds of interviews that they encountered in law
It is easy to dismiss legal recruiters who are
school, it is important to work with someone
non-attorneys. But to do so risks limiting the
who can guide you through the process of
options you have, and, more important, miss-
getting a job in an expert fashion.
ing out on working with me.
Thinking ‘outside the box’
I believe that it stems from a misapprehension about the role of a legal recruiter. In
While this may come as a surprise to many,
essence, you should choose a recruiter not
the quality of a recruiter is directly a result
for what she has done in the past, but for
of the quality of thinking that he or she does,
what she can do for you now. As one of the
and the action taken based on that thinking.
few non-attorney recruiters at BCG Attorney
If the concept of a thinking recruiter sounds
Search, I believe I speak for all of us when
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