Non-Attorneys as Legal Recruiters

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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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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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