Legally Speaking – Legal Recruiter Blog

It’s the eternal question. Should I do what I love, money be darned, or should I go for the big bucks, idealism be darned? Just how much should money factor into your career decision? It’s a big question, one that you can’t be expected to have a ready answer for right out of school. And it’s an ever-evolving question, the answer to which will likely change throughout different stages of your life. The answer isn’t easy, but, as always, there are both practical and personal things to consider.

Choose Your Field

Different fields have different compensation standards; research average salaries for careers in your field. Typically, for example, someone in a technical or engineering field can realistically expect to make more than someone in an arts or service field. But also keep in mind that where you start doesn’t necessarily determine where you’ll finish. Your field doesn’t have to limit you. There’s creativity to be found in utilizing your individual skills to create your own unique niche. The maxim “Do what you love and the money will follow” is often true.

Leverage Your Skills

You can also leverage your skill set and passions in different ways. If you’re an English major, a future in teaching or publishing isn’t set in stone; you could use your writing skills in the communications or public relations department of a big company. If art is your passion, consider a commercially viable creative path such as graphic design. Every industry you can think of needs a whole team of people with different skill sets behind it.

Intangibles vs. Tangibles

No matter what, there are two tangible aspects of your life to which your work is undeniably tied: money and time. What you do does determine how much you earn, and how much you earn reasonably affects other aspects of your life, like how much time it will take to pay off student loans, how much you can save, how much you can afford to spend on essentials like rent and groceries, and how much you have left over for luxuries and fun. Living on less isn’t impossible, but will involve some budgeting and prioritizing. You might have to look into free or cheap fun things to do and (gasp!) learn how to cook. In terms of time, different fields require different time commitments from their employees. An investment banker far out-earns an editorial assistant, but makes up for that money working double the hours. Are you willing to put in all the hours required in a demanding position, or would you rather spend fewer hours at work and have more free time to yourself? There’s a reason they say “time is money.” If anything, time is more important than money. No one lies on their deathbed wishing they had more money, but everyone wishes they had more time.

On the other hand, there is a huge intangible aspect of your work, the importance of which is equal to or greater than that of the tangible aspects: job satisfaction. Do you find fulfillment in your work? Do you wake up every morning dreading the day to come, or do you wake up in the morning in anticipation of it? Do the hours at the office drag or do they fly by? Hours spent at the office don’t seem like a burden if you enjoy every second.

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We all know today’s legal market continues to evolve and it certainly presents unique challenges. With the uncertainly still looming over the financial markets, many law firms continue to streamline their ranks and trim compensation for partners whose business has fallen off. It is not uncommon to push partners into early retirement or into counsel positions for those who are no longer producing at an acceptable partner level.

So…in light of these not so attractive elements, how do you stay nimble and place yourself in a position to exact the most benefit from the current market situation? How do you maintain a vital position and keep your firm enamored with you?

Answer: Do some soul-searching and ask yourself these thought-provoking questions. If you answer them honestly, they will help you determine if you should stay the course with your current firm or start to look for new digs.

1. Are you satisfied with your firm’s reputation in the legal and business communities?
2. Is your firm well managed?
3. Are you optimistic when it comes to the financial health of your firm? Do you believe management is making the right decisions regarding the firm’s future?
4. Does your firm provide the platform you require for building your practice? Does your practice coincide with the strategic vision of the firm?
5. Is the firm committed to marketing? Does the firm provide you with the resources you need to successfully market your practice?
6. Are firm billing rates compatible with your specialty and your clients and has your firm adopted a flexible billing program?
7. Do you have the opportunity to participate in important departmental or practice decisions? If you desire a leadership role in the firm, is that a real possibility?
8. Do you feel you are compensated fairly when compared with your peers at your current firm and with those at similar firms?
9. Is your firm a good cultural fit? Do your peers share your views of work/life balance and superior client service and reputable character?
10. Does the firm’s physical surroundings provide an atmosphere where you can be productive?
11. Do you feel respected and valued by your peers? Do you respect and value your colleagues’ legal work? Are you comfortable referring your clients’ matters to them?
12. Do you receive adequate support from other partners, associates, paralegals and support staff in order to get work done in a timely fashion?
13. Is the firm committed to pro bono work and community service in a way that coincides with your values and beliefs?
14. Does the firm have a fair policy for recognizing cross-marketing and service to yours and others clients? Is there equality regarding how much work you receive from others as opposed to how much work to you throw off to others?

Article as seen on Law.com – By Gina Passarella of The Legal Intelligencer – March 14th, 2013

As the final pieces of the America Invents Act are about to go into effect March 16, intellectual property lawyers are scrambling to get thousands of last-minute patent filings in before the old rules expire Friday.

And with firms inundated by clients’ interest in updating their patent filings before the country moves from a first-to-invent to a first-to-file patent system Saturday, those lawyers expressed concern that the servers at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office may not be able to handle the surge in online filings.

Attorney Kenneth N. Nigon of intellectual property boutique RatnerPrestia in Valley Forge, Pa., said his firm has been asking clients to file in advance of March 15. He said a number of clients were looking to file last week and this week. The firm — which Nigon pointed out is just one of hundreds of patent firms across the country — has more than 120 applications currently waiting to be filed before Saturday.

“Because of that we also are kind of wary and think the patent office electronic filing system may not be able to handle it,” Nigon said. “We’ve also prepared our in-house staff to do paper filings if need be.”

Aside from the Saturday date for implementation of the new patent system, Nigon said he would expect another round of increased filings in advance of March 19, when filing fees are set to increase.

Cozen O’Connor intellectual property attorney Kyle Vos Strache said in a typical week he may personally file a handful of applications. This week, Vos Strache said, he anticipates filing dozens.

“I imagine the patent office is going to be incredibly busy come Thursday and Friday,” Vos Strache said. “We’ve really been pushing clients to get us responses to our drafts in the last two or so weeks and not this week. It’s hard to say whether the servers at the patent offices will be able to handle it.”

Vos Strache said he is trying to be proactive and avoid filing anything Friday. He said there is “truly that potential for something to go wrong” in this situation. To avoid that as best as it can, Cozen O’Connor has approved its attorneys and staff to work late all this week to get everything done, he said.

Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney‘s intellectual property group co-chairman, Michael L. Dever, said there will most likely be a “huge spike” in application filings Friday. That is something the USPTO had been preparing for, he said.

The USPTO is not expecting a problem this week. The office said it “has deployed sufficient server capacity to support any potential surge.”

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Originally seen:  Law.com – March 8th, 2013 – By: Tom Huddleston, Jr.

Legal hiring rebounded slightly last month after suffering a major drop-off in January, with the industry adding 200 jobs, according to seasonally adjusted preliminary employment data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The initial estimate of February’s modest gains comes a month after the BLS reported that the legal industry had shed 2,400 positions in January.  The positive news contained in Friday’s report was, however, offset by a revision to the preliminary January figures that pushed that month’s estimated job losses up to 3,500. (Friday’s report showed the agency’s December estimate holding steady at 1,900 jobs gained for the month.)

Factoring in Friday’s hiring estimates, the legal sector now employs 5,000 more people than it did at this point last year and roughly 1.125 million people overall—about 50,000 fewer than it did at its prerecession peak in 2007.

Overall, the U.S. economy added a better-than-expected 236,000 jobs in February, according to The New York Times. The uptick dropped the unemployment rate to 7.7 percent, the lowest it’s been since December 2008.

The National Law Journal reports that as of mid-January there was a 20 percent decline in applicants for seats in American Bar Association-accredited law schools, and the AM Law Daily speaks of the recent British law firm lay-offs and poses the question: Will U.S. firms be next? From massive firm lay-offs and talks of restructuring legal departments to an immense decline in the number of law school applicants, the handwriting is definitely on the wall – the legal industry is changing. So I ask you: Are you prepared to change with it? Are you ready for the new “normal”? While it can be difficult to determine what to do in this new market, it is crucial that you explore creative solutions and determine which options will best suit your goals, personality and skill set. There are many options, but doing nothing isn’t one of them (check out our blog post to learn why).

An up-and-coming trend you may want to consider with endless rewards and possibilities is contract work. An independent contractor (IC), as it relates to the legal industry, is a lawyer who, instead of being a salaried employee with a particular law firm, is “contracted” to work on particular cases or for a designated time period for one or several law firms. Working as a contract attorney could be your safety net until you determine which direction you’d like to go in your career.

You are only as good as the people you know in today’s job market. One of the benefits of contract work is that it provides you the opportunity to make connections and get your foot in the door of many notable firms. Making these connections with recruitment coordinators and partners may be just what it takes to give you an edge when it comes time to recruit new lawyers. It doesn’t hurt that the employer gets to see a few samples of your legal work, either.

Besides helping you make connections, another perk contract work offers is flexibility. You control how much time you spend working on projects and how many projects you take on. Contract work can be used to supplement the income you are already receiving at your current firm or you can make a full-time job of it. It is also flexible in that it allows you to work on projects from any location – the office, from home, the hotel while on vacation or while visiting your mother.

You may be thinking, “OK, I’m listening. So how do I even get started working on projects for these law firms?” Fortunately, I have the answer for that. GLI/Global Legal Recruiting network has a sister company called GTS that has potential projects in 30 different locations in the U.S. as well as in more than 77 countries, which means we anticipate a continuous, steady stream of interesting projects. If you are interested in working on projects or have any questions regarding available opportunities or contract work in general, I would be happy to be of assistance. The legal world is changing – wouldn’t it be more savvy if, instead of getting wiped out by the title wave, to instead be prepared to ride the wave in the sea of change. Isn’t it great to have choices!

Hello!  I’m Nancy Grimes.  In today’s workplace, we find many people who are unhappy in their current work situations.  There is a smorgasbord of reasons for their unhappiness: the work is not challenging, there’s no room for advancement, the work atmosphere or office culture is not conducive to producing a top work product, they don’t like the supervisor or their co-workers…  The list goes on and on.  However, after assisting thousands of people with their careers, I’ve discovered that these reasons are a “smokescreen” for what I feel are the foundational reasons for discontent with jobs – the employee has not acknowledged or uncovered their core career goals and objectives.

Until a person has a clear vision regarding his career goals and objectives, it is near impossible to realize maximum fulfillment from his job.  So, let’s delve into some basic career goals every employee should consider:

1. Expanded Skill set – Over time, your chosen career field will grow and change. In order to stay competitive, you must grow and change as well.  This may mean taking classes or attending seminars so you stay ahead of the curve.  For example, a doctor who doesn’t stay up on the latest techniques and medications will see his practice shrink over time.  In order to ensure you stay a marketable commodity, you must stay on top of the latest advancements.

2. Financial – Let’s face it.  This is one of the most important considerations.  If you feel you are underpaid, those feelings lead to your feeling undervalued, which snowballs into frustration that transfers into your work ethic and work product.  However, if an employee is overpaid, they may become lax and not as productive to the company as they were prior to their pay increase, which can lead to job loss.  So, there must be a balance where your pay is equal to what the work product is worth to the company.

3. Satisfaction – When you think about it, an activity that brings no satisfaction is an activity you rarely want to be involved in.   If you get no or little satisfaction from your job, you feel as if you’re trapped in a no-win situation.  For most of us, there is no amount of money you can substitute for job satisfaction.  Sooner or later, the money just isn’t worth it.

4. Variety – We spend 75% of our lives working.  It makes sense that we look at our careers not only to “get ahead” and provide for our families, but also to experience new challenges and expand our knowledge.  Look for ways to add different elements to your “standard, every day routine.”  This will stimulate your mind and help you keep a positive outlook.

If you’re feeling dissatisfied with your current job situation, it is imperative that you get a firm handle on the reasons why.  Often, if we take a good, hard look we’ll discover the primary problem is we don’t really know what we want to do – we just know what we’re doing isn’t it.  Until next time!   

Nancy Grimes, Senior Partner of GLI, represented two U.S. attorneys who were in search of a respected legal recruiting firm which could accommodate them by locating opportunities with an international practice that provided an opportunity for cross-marketing to/from an energy practice for purposes of growth and expansion. They also sought a financially sound firm, well positioned in the US as well as globally, which could provide litigation support in the International Dispute Resolution arena. Of course, a strong team concept where partners were completely supportive of one another and had a mentality of providing appropriate support for other partner’s clients were also key components to their search. Nancy Grimes turned to her highly touted research team who after an extensive search pinpointed a sprinkling of firms which were each impeccable matches. Grimes laid the groundwork, identified firms which were synergistic and optimal matches for the two partners and their clients while they continued their global travels and focused on client demands.

The dynamics for the search were very unique because their extensive travel schedule required that GLI manage nearly 100% of the search. Their practices demanded a firm with international connections in Africa, Europe and South America where there was opportunity for cross-marketing to/from an energy practice. Nancy’s knowledge of the global legal scene enabled her to not only locate the widely publicized international firms, but also to uncover those which fly “slightly below the radar” and offer customized international access that could be easily tailored to meet the partners and their clients’ needs. Nancy served as agent/mouthpiece to the legal market, acquiring and deciphering detailed information supplied by the firms in order to narrow the field to the most compatible, synergistic firms. Once that due diligence was completed, all that remained was presenting the select opportunities for review and decision.

Because of Nancy’s dedication, commitment and follow through, she was able to present a number of tremendous opportunities which ultimately led the partners to accept an optimal firm and opportunity. When asked about their new firm, one of the partner’s commented, “I am excited to join a firm as experienced and as respected in international litigation and arbitration as this one. It seems like it is a perfect fit for my practice, and I look forward to working alongside this talented group of lawyers.”

Grimes Legal, Inc. is known as one of the most respected and successful legal recruitment firms in both the national and international markets. We specialize in extensive career counseling that is unique to the candidate. GLI takes the time to get to know you AND your practice, your wants and needs, and use this information to locate the opportunity that is the ideal fit for you. We utilize in-depth evaluation to fully ascertain YOUR needs and locate firms which match those specific criteria.                                       

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