Much like law firms narrow their outreach efforts to communicate primarily with potential future associates from only particular law schools in particular regions, employing this approach would help you better understand hiring managers, managing partners, and the business of law. To understand the market in which you would like to practice, you should live there and integrate yourself with the surroundings. Cultural fit, both domestically and internationally, is important as you build your book of business. There are no clear-cut answers, as every firm is distinct, but there are ways to unpack and understand how you can grow and flourish where you find yourself to deliver the best results for your clients and your budding professional career.
Use “AI”—Advocates and Insiders—to Help Your Search
Artificial Intelligence impacts your search whether you like it or not. To increase your understanding of the firm deliberately, make a concerted effort to learn directly from advocates and insiders. If you previously knew some associates, partners, or other practitioners before you started as an associate, take advantage of these connections. These contacts may have served as critical resources who helped you secure that job offer before you graduated, let alone pass the bar exam.
Once on the job, bear in mind that paralegals and support staff are particularly instrumental in the firm’s daily operations. Beyond the glimpse of the firm presented while a law student, maintain relationships with those who advocate for you and share the inside institutional knowledge of the firm’s operations. This is invaluable to increase your understanding and find your fit.
Time is needed to build relationships. This is made more complicated as, traditionally, pre-set on-campus interview dates are circumvented by some law firm hiring teams to make offers even before a year of law school is completed. Whether this development becomes a lasting trend, the fundamentals remain the same: early, independent research is pivotal. As offers to become a summer associate are made quickly and earlier than at any point in recent memory, and so many full-time associate positions tend to be offered to those involved in these programs, firms and new lawyers must make informed decisions.
Look Beyond the Numbers
Much like law schools outside of the United States produce top talent, there are firms beyond your geographic region attracting multinational clients and closing cross-border deals. As competition increases, so do learning and growth opportunities.
Firms tend to look to numbers frequently to inform their marketing efforts, highlighting the number of offices they have, the year they were founded, and by whom or how the firm itself was founded. The history is informative, but the substance of the work, variety of prominent practice areas, availability of mentorship, and growth potential in real terms cannot easily be quantifiable in numerical terms. Numbers may inform the legal profession—the billable hour is a near-constant reminder—but it is operated by people. And people interpret numbers differently. Knowing and seeking out people at your firm or target firm to build relationships where you can inquire how you can now or in the future be included in the type of work you would like to do will make your outreach and interaction much more informed and mutually beneficial.
As law school lectures have been replaced by CLE lectures, and as reading notes and casebooks have been replaced by reading emails and drafting memos, associates have much to learn in the first years of practice. Understanding the firm's structure and how you fit in helps maintain perspective around how your responsibilities and work product benefit the firm and your professional development.
What attracts some repels others. Some firms are integrated globally. Manhattan is home to millions, is the headquarters of many firms with a cross-border presence, and provides much for its many clients and practitioners who hail worldwide. Beyond structural issues, some firms have equity partnerships. Some firms share profits throughout the firm, while others operate independently and share their profits only among their partners at that firm office. Associates must consider these factors before committing to a firm.
Narrow Your Search to Expand Your Opportunities
While firms may have a presence in your town or city, throughout your state, nationally, and internationally, it is a safe bet to presume that most decisions that directly impact your exposure to projects and partners are implemented locally, even if they are not determined there. Some firms have a mothership, and some plant flags to have a firm presence in different markets where they operate to various degrees as independent affiliates. Much depends on how much commercial awareness you have to differentiate between what is presented.
Many associates focus on where and with whom they want to be associated. The earlier a symbiotic and collaborative relationship can be established, the better. To be a firm with world-class practitioners, firms and those who wish to join them should provide opportunities for genuine interaction and outreach. It is through learning together that we as a profession can grow together.
