NALSC: the National Association of Legal Search Consultants

We at NALSC: the National Association of Legal Search Consultants are thrilled to announce the availability of the new Universal Lateral Partner Questionnaire (U-LPQ). The purpose of the U-LPQ is to minimize inefficiency in the lateral partner recruiting and hiring process, conserve all parties’ time and resources, enable more choices for candidates and law firms, streamline the often burdensome and duplicative LPQ process, and provide crucial partner data in the most accurate manner. #legalrecruiter #law #lawfirms #lawpartners #lateralhires

NALSC: the National Association of Legal Search Consultants is thrilled to announce our 2024 Fall Symposium headliner! Fresh from the Paris games, our keynoter, Paralympian medalist in wheelchair basketball and wrestling and Secret Service employee Trevon Jenifer will discuss the balance of elite performance and mental health. In conversation with NALSC Board Member Stuart TenHoor, Esq., of Stuart TenHoor Legal Search and current Board Member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI-Maryland Chapter), Trevon will draw from his own experience combined with substantive legal industry data to share how we, as legal recruiting professionals, can help not only ourselves but also our candidates and clients strive for peak performance both individually and as members of teams. Don’t miss this exciting keynote presentation - Balancing Mental Health and Elite Performance with Paralympian Medalist Trevon Jenifer at 2pm on Friday, September 27th at the historic Mayflower Hotel in Washington DC. Symposium sessions run from 8am to 5pm followed by a networking reception from 5-7pm one block away at the offices of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP. For the full agenda, registration, and room block details, see: https://buff.ly/3PMCCXb We greatly appreciate our reception host Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP. We also thank our all our sponsors (https://buff.ly/3J2Cv6e) for making this amazing event possible. We look forward to seeing you there! #nalsc2024 #legalrecruiting #legalrecruiters #nalsc #lawjobs

“Culture, though impossible to define universally, is what makes attorneys enthusiastic about returning to work each day. Positive firm culture makes attorneys feel like welcomed and valued members of the team, without having to conceal aspects of their identity and personal expression. “Historically, law firms employed white, male attorneys, and the culture at law firms reflected that reality. Law firms can attract and support diverse talent only when their cultures evolve such that white men are no longer the default employee. According to the Yale Law Women+ (YLW+) annual Top Firms Report, “Firms can also foster reputations of treating attorneys fairly and kindly, such that attorneys are encouraged to build careers at the firm rather than leave due to burnout or lack of support in a ‘toxic’ work environment.” The Report provides recommendations for firms for hiring and retaining lawyers from a wide variety of traditionally underrepresented groups, including not just lawyers of color, but also candidates who are female, LGBTQ+, parents, disabled/neurodiverse, first generation professionals, religiously observant attorneys, and others. Read the details here: https://buff.ly/3S0qQZT The Report considered responses by this year’s Vault Law 100 firms to a survey on their DEI practices; Yale Law students with previous law firm experience as SEO fellows and/or summer associates, or with interest in working at a firm in the future; and Yale Law Women+ alumni who were previously or are currently employed at a law firm. How many of these recommendations are already implemented by your firm? Where is there room for improvement? #nalsc #lawjobs #legaljobs #legalrecruiting #lawfirmculture

“There are a million ways a handshake can go wrong. Sometimes, it’s on you, and sometimes, it’s on them.” As legal recruiters, NALSC: the National Association of Legal Search Consultants members often advise their candidates to open and close any in-person job interview with good eye contact, and strong handshake, and a smile. Easy, right? Maybe not. In https://buff.ly/4cvUY7o, author and humorist Bull Garlington describes 9 icky handshake styles and how to deal with them. They are: Dead fish Pro wrestler Your date’s dad Slider Two-handed shaker Overshaker Holder Bro Awkward shaker Which do you like the least? Or, do you have another contender for the worst handshake? #nalsc #jobsearchtips #handshake #interviewtips #legalrecruiting

Law firm merger mania continues unabated and is a world-wide phenomena. Kristin Stark, a principal at Fairfax Associates, attributes the frenzy to client pressure and the difficulty for firms outside of the Am Law 50 to grow via lateral activity, without getting dented by attrition. See further discussion of past, present, and predicted future law firm merger activity here: https://buff.ly/3Wdsv0I Legal recruiters, what are you seeing in your markets? #nalsc #lawjobs #legaljobs #legalrecruiting #lawfirmmergers

Do law firm compensation systems contribute to the mental health crisis in the legal profession? It should come as no surprise that many attorneys suspect that the eat-what-you-kill model that permeates Big Law is detrimental to the well-being of the people working under equity partners. “Non-partner attorneys and staff work in the business of making lemonade and we’re the lemons—we get squeezed until there isn’t any more juice to squeeze out of us. When we’re used up, there’s another batch of lemons coming in,” one lawyer stated in response to The American Lawyer 2024 Mental Health Survey, which fielded responses from more than 2,000 law firm attorneys and over 400 legal staff. “This profession sucks for everyone except the rain-making equity partners.” What else did lawyers have to say? What can be done about it? See: https://buff.ly/3VOSRod #nalsc #lawjobs #legaljobs #mentalhealth #legalprofession

It’s all about the bottom line. According to a new survey of managing partners, CEOs, and other firm leaders by Edge International, “Financial and client development metrics trumped technical skills and people management in a ranking of firms’ most important measures of partner performance.” Much of this scrutiny is due to increasingly intense competition to grow through the lateral hiring of expensive equity partners. See a discussion of those results and what firms intend to do about it here: https://buff.ly/45R8Y9i Are you surprised? #nalsc #lawjobs #legaljobs #legalrecruiting #lateralpartners

Law offices primarily are a place for attorney social interaction—really? According to the Cushman & Wakefield Legal Sector Benchmarking Survey, “Partners believe the primary purpose of the offices should be social, identifying items like relationship building, teamwork, networking, morale, and business development.” It would be interesting to hear associates’ reaction to that. What have you heard? Check out more data from the survey here: https://buff.ly/4cFsqbf #nalsc #lawjobs #legaljobs #legalrecruiting #returntooffice

Newsflash: “None of the firms that made the Top 10 list for being the most prestigious made the Top 10 list for being a best firm to work for.” In the Vault 2025 Best Law Firms to Work For survey, associates were asked to rank their own law firms based on categories most relevant to their overall quality of life, including satisfaction; firm culture; hours; compensation; quality of work; business outlook; career outlook; associate/partner relations; transparency; formal and informal training; pro bono; and overall diversity. Apparently, the highest paying firms also ranked high on Vault’s list of the most prestigious firms, but not on this list. See who made Vault Best Firms to Work For rankings here: https://buff.ly/4chRMwg Just goes to show that money isn’t everything. Recruiters, what are you hearing from your associate candidates? Are they most concerned about money, prestige, or quality of life? #lawjobs #legaljobs #legalrecruiting #associatesatisfaction #toplawfirms

NALSC: the National Association of Legal Search Consultants wishes you a safe and sane July 4th! #nalsc #july4 #independenceday #fireworks #fireworkssafety