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Legal Network for Contacts, Clients & Candidates

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How are you growing your legal network? Build your legal network! This mantra is drummed into attorneys from law school onward. Associates dutifully attend events and collect business cards. Back at the office, they send out “friend” requests and consider their network built. Established attorneys tend to stick with the same circle of contacts for years, sometimes decades. Although LinkedIn and Facebook allow us to connect with hundreds, if not thousands of people, they are not dependable networks. Online connections can’t replace the personal contact needed for lasting professional relationships. Benefits Stronger business relationships – Meeting your contacts in person is more powerful than communicating through social media. Stay on top of industry trends – Direct communication with your peers is the best way to exchange ideas and learn about business or employment trends. Build your niche – Consistently attending the right events will help to get your name and face known. You can then build your reputation as a helpful expert in a specific area. More client referrals – If you are sincere in your efforts to help, and generous with your knowledge, you will be top of mind when opportunities arise. Solve a dilemma – A diverse network can answer unusual questions, or point you in the right direction. Find new hires – If your firm is looking for talent, networking can help fill the candidate pipeline. Tips Start by giving – If you lead with the intent to get something from other people right away, your efforts will fall flat. Take the time to listen, ask meaningful questions, and share useful knowledge. Mix and mingle – Don’t stick together with familiar faces at an event. Not only do you lose opportunities to meet new people, but a tight-knit group appears unapproachable. Be a matchmaker – Not in the romantic sense, of course! Connect your contacts with each other and help grow their networks. Set targets you can meet – Connect with one person each week, have lunch with prospective clients twice a month, or attend an event once a quarter. Targets Internally Most people don’t think about networking within their company.  The truth is, knowing people at all levels of your firm is critical in developing your career and establishing a strong legal network. Make an effort to grow entry-level to executive relationships. Legal Network Arena Take advantage of CLE programs, events, and specialized groups offered by your local and State Bar Association. Branch outside of your practice area to meet lawyers in other specialties. Join organizations such as The Association of Corporate Counsel. ACC is a global community of more than 40,000 in-house counsel that provides resources and networking opportunities. Meet legal recruiters. A recruiter should be part of your network at all times. Good legal recruiters have extensive connections and knowledge about current trends and the state of the market. Industry & Trade Legal Network Whether it’s banking, energy, construction, or healthcare, trade, or industry groups are representing your niche and should be added to your legal network. Community & Social Building your legal network is not completed merely through the workplace. Valuable contacts are made on the sidelines of a little league game, at church, or through volunteer projects. Full-Service Legal Staffing You Can Depend On Collier Legal is a full-service legal staffing company.  We place well-credentialed partners, associates, and legal professionals at every level in law firms and corporations. Our experience, connections, and unique approach to building our candidate database deliver consistent results. We are committed to the success of our clients and our candidates. Find out what we can do for you. Contact us at 832-239-5253.

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Implementing Temp to Perm successfully

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Utilizing a temp to perm hiring opportunity is resourceful. Temporary or contract workers are a valuable source of talent for law firms and hiring from temp to perm position can be resourceful. A temporary or contract worker can fill in short term vacancies, such as when an associate or paralegal is off on maternity or medical leave, they can bring in expertise on a particular practice area, and they can be hired to handle volume increases related to new casework. Lawyers, in particular, are uniquely suited to temporary or contract work because they are trained to quickly analyze a situation and act accordingly. In contrast to temporary or contract workers,  a “temp to perm” employee is brought on to work for a predetermined period, during which time the firm decides whether to offer a permanent position to the employee. With the failure risk as high as 50% for new hires, temp to perm has gained popularity among hiring managers as a way to reduce the risk of a bad hire. Benefits to law firms include: Enables partners time to observe attorneys and legal support staff to see if they are a fit for the firm’s workload and culture. Avoids wrongful termination and unemployment costs – With a temp to perm arrangement, there’s not a guarantee that the position will become permanent. Therefore, the employee is not eligible to claim wrongful termination or file an unemployment claim against the law firm. Reduces the cost of administration and benefits, since these are all covered by the staffing agency until the worker becomes a full-time employee of the law firm. Here are some things law firms should consider when implementing a temp to perm hiring strategy: Pick a reasonable timeframe for a temp to perm trial period. Too long and the candidate may pass up your firm. Too short and you won’t get a good idea of the fit. Confirm the time period with the staffing service and have them explain this to the employee prior to their start, so everyone is clear of the guidelines. Treat temp to perm workers just as you would a permanent employee, providing them with the support, training or resources they may need to perform their duties. Introduce them to the partners, associates and support staff that they will be working with. Include temp to perm workers in firm-wide initiatives such as training and team building. This will give them the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and align with the firm’s culture. Have a transparent process in place to ensure that the firm is being fair. If the firm exhibits a constant cycle of letting workers go before they reach permanent status, the firm’s reputation will suffer, and it will be increasingly difficult to attract quality candidates. If there are any issues, ask the staffing service in to deliver the information. Until the worker becomes a permanent employee of the firm, the staffing service can manage the temporary employee for you. Full-Service Legal Staffing You Can Depend On Collier Legal Search is a full-service legal staffing company that specializes in placing well-credentialed partners, associates and legal professionals at every level in law firms and corporations. Our experience in the industry and our unique approach to building our candidate database consistently delivers results that clients can depend on. We are committed to maximizing success for our clients and our candidates.  Contact us at 832-239-5253 to give us the opportunity to work with you.

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Grow Your Firm in 2019

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Adding a legal staffing firm can help grow your firm. After a year of robust growth, many law firms are uncertain about what the coming year will hold. The increasingly fast pace of business, whip-lashing market movements and overall volatility has left many firm partners and managers scratching their heads about their 2019 hiring plans. Adding a legal staffing firm to your business strategy can help control expenses and manage unpredictable staffing needs. Whether your firm anticipates just a few specific hires or a sizeable contingent of contract attorneys, here are some ways that a staffing company can help you grow your firm while controlling the budget: Reduce the Cost of Hiring The cost of recruitment can exceed thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars per employee. Much of that expense is the time that can’t be billed to clients because they are consumed with discussing the opening, placing advertising, screening, interviewing, re-interviewing, background checking – and then repeating the entire process over again. A legal search and staffing firm can return these billable hours to the firm by allowing the partners to focus on the business of law. Reduce Training and Onboarding Costs Training and onboarding are expensive and time-consuming endeavors. By employing attorneys who have already been identified as skilled and qualified for your firm’s particular needs, you can significantly reduce training costs and improve productivity. Some staffing firms can even create a tailored orientation and training program for new hires. Build Up or Scale Down Quickly For law firms, a complex case can suddenly necessitate additional attorneys and support staff. Conversely, when a significant case ends, there may not be enough work to go around. Through regular communication with your staffing partner and strategic use of contract attorneys and support staff, these transitions can be made smoothly. Control Benefits and Administrative Costs Benefits can cost 25% – 30% over payroll expenses. For workers contracted and paid through a staffing firm, those expenses fall to the staffing firm and not the law office. By utilizing temporary staff instead of direct hires,  you can transfer the costs associated with processing and administering payroll from your organization to the staffing firm. Protect Existing Staff from Burnout Many law firms have “down-sized” and “right-sized” to the point that associates and legal support staff are pushed to the limit. Partners expect staff to produce more with fewer resources. Additional contract attorneys will help your staff avoid burnout, reduce the cost of defects, avoid productivity losses, and limit turnover expense. Damage Control A bad hire can cost you several times the employee’s annual salary. A temporary employee can be vetted to see if they fit the corporate culture before making a final permanent hiring decision. Prevent Unemployment Claims Contract attorneys and staff are technically employed by the staffing partner—not the law firm. Consequently, any unemployment claims won’t reflect on the firm. Collier Legal Search is a full-service legal staffing company that specializes in placing well-credentialed partners, associates and legal professionals at every level in law firms and corporations. Our experience in the industry and a unique approach to building our candidate database will deliver dependable results. Let us help you grow your firm in 2019.  Contact us at 832-239-5253.

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What’s Ahead For Law Firms in 2019

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Here’s what to expect for law firms in 2019. 2018 was the best year in a decade for revenue growth, and U.S. law firms can expect to see another year of steady growth in 2019, according to a recent report from Citi Private Bank’s Law Firm Group. The report, based on surveys of nearly 200 American law firms,  found that revenues grew an average of 6.3 percent in the first three quarters of 2018, far exceeding the growth rate from the same period of the previous year. Most of the revenue increases were at firms occupying the largest and smallest ends of the spectrum, with mid-sized firms being squeezed. The report anticipates the following shifts to the legal landscape in the coming months: Even more consolidation in the middle 2018 was the busiest year on record for law firm mergers, and 2019 will likely see a lot of activity among mid-sized firms. The mergers will probably be larger firms acquiring mid-sized firms as well as mid-sized firms seeking merger partners. Right-sizing may finally be paying off – After several years of right-sizing their practices, streamlining operations, consolidating duties and developing new revenue streams, many firms are reaping the rewards with increases in revenue growth and a more agile staff. Firms will continue to explore ways of maximizing potential through innovative staffing. The majority of firms reported that they planned to increase their temporary/contract personnel and two-thirds said they would increase their ranks of permanent low-cost employees. Partner retirements require better succession planning –  With more baby boomers retiring, law firms need to anticipate the challenges caused by the departures. Firms must proactively transition the client relationships or risk losing clients to other law firms. The more a firm engages with a client before a partner retires, the more likely it is that the client will remain with the firm. Many firms incentivize this transition and tie retirement benefits to the successful development of their former clients. Evolving skills and characteristics of associates The skills and attributes demanded of today’s associates go beyond strong technical skills, but also include the need to be business-minded, creative thinkers, with project management skills. Most law firms are seeking candidates who are entrepreneurial and commercially savvy, and able to integrate technology into the delivery of legal services. Changing aspirations of associates A surprising percentage of associates no longer aspire to be equity partners. Instead, many would prefer to pursue an array of different career and lifestyle alternatives. Ironically,  the possibility of achieving equity partner is likely to increase over the next few years as retirement numbers outpace hires. More alternative fee arrangements The shift toward alternative fee arrangements (AFAs) is growing at a rapid pace and is primarily driven by client demand. In 2017, survey respondents reported that AFA represented nearly 19 percent of firm revenue and the number continues to increase. Looking forward, law firm leaders believe the shift towards AFAs will continue with zero survey respondents anticipating a fall in AFA usage. Firms will continue to maximize the use of contract attorneys, legal support staff and technology to deliver competitively priced services to clients. To see the full report, click here.

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Etiquette of Leaving a Law Firm

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Are you planning on leaving your firm in the coming year? Here are etiquette of leaving a law firm.  The era of spending an entire career at one law firm is mostly gone. In today’s volatile legal job market, associates, partners, and legal support staff regularly switch firms for a myriad of reasons. Whether it’s a lateral move, a promotion, or a career change, maintaining professionalism when you quit is critically important to your reputation and prospects. The following are some things to consider if you are leaving your current law firm without burning bridges or committing ethical violations: BEFORE YOU GIVE NOTICE WHEN LEAVING A LAW FIRM Review the partnership agreement – Partners should carefully check their partnership agreement for any notice requirements, penalties or possible forfeitures. Time your notice and departure to minimize any penalties and accommodate needs. Complete the conflicts check – Conflicts clearance often takes much longer than anticipated. Most job offers are contingent upon the completion of conflicts checks so wait until everything has been cleared or waived before you give notice to your current firm. You don’t want to end up in limbo between the firms! Determine how much time you will give – The minimum notice for any professional is two weeks, however many attorneys give much more time. It is advisable to have everything you want to take with you in your possession before actually giving notice. HOW TO GIVE NOTICE Keep it quiet – Do not discuss your move with coworkers, clients or support staff until you give formal notice to management. Resign in Person – Always resign face-to-face and in private. Do not leave a voicemail, e-mail or text, unless there are extenuating circumstances. Friday afternoons have always been favored since all parties have the weekend to process the news and there is less time for the office rumor mill to get started. The first person you should inform is your immediate superior. After you have spoken with him/her, find out if there are others in management you need to speak with directly. Follow up with a letter of resignation. Inform colleagues – After you have notified management, let your colleagues know about your impending move. Depending on your office size and culture, you can tell them directly, by email or any other communication. Refrain from airing any complaints. HANDLING CLIENTS After an attorney has decided to join a new law firm, he/she has an ethical obligation to inform current clients of the departure. However, it is entirely up to those clients to decide whether they will follow the attorney to the new firm or continue to be represented by attorneys at the current firm. To avoid any breach of ethics: A notice should be limited to clients whose matters you are actively involved with at the time of the announcement. You should not urge the client to sever its relationship with the firm but may indicate your willingness and ability to continue responsibility for the matters upon which you are currently working. It must be made clear that the client has the ultimate right to decide who will complete or continue the matters. Keep complete copies of communications to ensure a clear and accurate record in the event of any claim of impropriety. Full-Service Legal Staffing You Can Depend On Collier Legal Search is a full-service legal staffing company that specializes in placing well-credentialed partners, associates and legal professionals at every level in law firms and corporations. Our experience in the industry and a unique approach to building our candidate database consistently delivers results. We are committed to maximizing success for our clients and our candidates. If you are planning to leave your law firm this year, we would love the opportunity to work with you. Contact us at 832-239-5253.

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Benefits of Hiring a Project Attorney

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Going to trial? Here’s how a project attorney can help. Much has been written about the use of a project attorney to maximize billing profits and minimize overhead expenses for law firms. Many firms use project attorneys to take on some of the day-to-day operations and smaller tasks to free up the time of staff attorneys and partners for higher profit activities. However, the versatility of project attorneys should not be overlooked in the case of trials. A major trial is a Herculean task, and even relatively simple cases can involve thousands of pages of documents, multiple witnesses and countless hours of preparation.  Consider the benefits of having the extra-legal talent for the following aspects of going to trial: Trial Prep The period leading up to a major hearing or trial can be overwhelming.  This phase of litigation is extremely time-consuming and often more detail-oriented than many lawyers tend to anticipate.  The deadlines get progressively tighter, and numerous details need to be settled at this stage. A project lawyer, brought in at the outset, can help with discovery, preparing witness questions and exhibit lists, trial briefs, jury instructions, anticipating evidentiary issues or objections, and any other preparations required for the upcoming trial. 2nd Chair Co-Council If the firm has a major case that is too big for one attorney to try alone or if the first chair attorney doesn’t have extensive jury trial experience, a qualified project attorney can guide the process from start to finish. A contract second chair attorney can help implement the trial strategy, offer support and ensure that everything runs smoothly throughout the trial. Fieldwork and Court Appearances Being in two places at the same time is impossible, but attorneys are often required to do just that. Required activities such as taking depositions can often consume entire days of valuable time that could be spent on higher-return activities. A project attorney can handle depositions, conduct interviews, and site visits, appear for routine court hearings, defend a deposition or represent clients at a settlement. Litigation Support Staff Document-intensive litigation can overwhelm a law firm’s daily operations. Furthermore, the increase in client communication prior to a trial can consume significant amounts of an attorney’s time and resources. Temporary paralegals, legal assistants or legal secretaries hired specifically for trial-related work can keep the documents organized, the parties informed, and the case running smoothly and on deadline. Office Support Sometimes a trial consumes the time and attention of the law firm’s entire staff and pulls resources away from day-to-day operations. Everything from billing to marketing to client communications can suffer. Hiring legal office support staff for the duration of the trial can minimize the disorganization and fallout when the trial concludes, and business must return to normal. Full-Service Legal Staffing You Can Depend On Collier Legal Search is a full-service legal staffing company that specializes in placing well-credentialed partners, associates and legal professionals at every level in law firms and corporations. Our experience in the industry and unique approach to building our candidate database consistently delivers results that clients can depend on. We are committed to maximizing success for our clients and our candidates. Contact us at 832-239-5253 to give us the opportunity to work with you in hiring a project attorney.

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The Perils of Professional Ghosting

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Has Professional Ghosting Crept Into Your Workplace? Halloween is right around the corner, and the streets will soon be filled with little witches, goblins, and ghosts. But what about the ghosts wandering the corporate realm? Ghosting was once a term reserved for the dating scene and used to describe a person who suddenly disappeared from the relationship by going dark on social media, chats and other digital communication. As with most digital trends, it was only a matter of time before the ghosting phenomenon crept insidiously into the workplace. Professional ghosting is just as unpleasant and unnerving as personal ghosting and can take many forms: Examples of Workplace Ghosting Managers ignoring job applicants, even after sending strong hiring signals. Candidates failing to appear for scheduled interviews with no explanation. Candidates accepting a job and never showing up. Employees leaving a job with zero notice and ignoring communication attempts. Candidates suddenly ignoring a recruiter that has been working on their placement. Reasons for Ghosting Employment professionals have identified many reasons that professional ghosting has become rampant: The job market is excellent and qualified candidates often have more offers than they can handle. Most people do not like confrontation or awkwardness, so they select the route of least resistance where no response is, in itself, a response. The younger generation of millennials and Gen Z are less adept at face to face, or even digital conversations, that are unpleasant. Some people can’t say no, and they overcommit instead of turning down offers. Consequences of Ghosting in the Workplace While the person doing the ghosting may feel that their disappearance is a harmless and inevitable part of doing business, the person who has been ghosted often has a bitter impression that isn’t quickly forgotten. Anyone who intends to build a career should consider these factors: Reputation– Most industries are close-knit, with the same professionals sharing information, advice and business leads. If someone has been ghosted, they will share the experience with others, and word will get around pretty quickly. Relationships– The job market is excellent today, but ghosting an employer or recruiter will burn bridges in your professional life. It’s risky to alienate a manager you may end up working with in the future or a recruiter who could be instrumental in developing your career. Respect– The Golden Rule applies in the workplace, just as in personal relationships. Treat others as you would like to be treated. A simple phone call or email explaining the situation may be uncomfortable,  but it is preferable to vanishing into thin air – like a ghost. Full-Service Legal Staffing You Can Depend On If you are ready to start developing a professional relationship with a trusted advisor, contact a consultant at Collier Legal Search to find out how we can help you attain your career goals. Collier Legal Search is a full-service legal staffing company that specializes in placing well-credentialed partners, associates and legal professionals at every level in law firms and corporations. Our experience in the industry and unique approach to building our candidate database delivers dependable results. We are committed to maximizing success for our clients and our candidates. Contact us at 832-239-5253 to give us the opportunity to work with you.

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Job Search Tips for New Graduates

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Are you a new law school graduate looking for your next big opportunity? If so, here are some job search tips that may help you find the perfect position. If you are a recent law graduate, your career trajectory can be determined by the experience, contacts, and reputation you gain in the first few years of your profession. The first job search after law school is often the toughest. If you have passed the bar, but don’t yet have a job secured, here are some job search tips that may help you find the perfect position: Apply to Every Law Job Opening – If you have graduated from law school and do not have a job lined up, you need to act quickly and with intensity. Do not be selective – apply to every single law opening there is. The more firms you apply, the more likely you are to get a job offer, perhaps multiple offers. Be Flexible Geographically – You need to go where the jobs are and look at areas outside your comfort zone, whether they are 50 or 1500 miles away. Regardless of where you work, you will be spending the majority of your time behind a desk so that the scenery won’t matter. Network and Talk to Everyone – Every person you speak to could know of an opportunity and become your advocate. Reach out to your professors and former employers, join your local bar association, become active on a committee and take CLE courses in the practice area. Join your alumni association and attend all upcoming undergraduate and law school functions. Part of your networking strategy should also be to reach out to a recruiter who specializes in legal placements. Creating these relationships now will serve you well into your career. Utilize the Career Services Office– Your school’s Career Services Offices should be able to provide information and assistance on everything from interview techniques to starting salary ranges. You paid for it, so be sure to take advantage of everything they have to offer! Clean up your online presence The legal industry is still very conservative. Scour through all of your social media platforms and delete profiles, pictures, and posts that an employer might consider the slightest bit questionable. Make Sure Your Materials Are Perfect – Attorneys are supposed to be detail-oriented and meticulous in handling client matters. This same attention to detail must extend to your resume, emails and professional documents. A typo or grammatical error reflects poorly on your competence, and you may be eliminated due to this alone. It is a good idea to have an outside company review your application materials. Volunteer. If you have time on your hands, volunteering is a powerful way to demonstrate your passion for the law. Look for a law-related volunteering opportunity with responsibility, since that will increase your marketability. Consider document review or contract attorney positions – For a newly minted attorney, contract work or document review can be a launching board for gaining experience and getting to know a firm’s culture. A legal staffing professional can help navigate the contract opportunities available for new graduates. Do not take a non-law job – If you give up and take a non-attorney position, trying to reenter the field will be tough. Not only will you be competing with more experienced attorneys, but also a whole new crop of enthusiastic graduates. Your chance of securing a full-time position at a law firm declines precipitously with every day you spend outside the field. Let the experts at Colliers Legal Search help you put your best foot forward. From the initial contact to the final interview, we work with our candidates every step of the way. We are a full-service legal staffing company that specializes in placing well-credentialed partners, associates and legal professionals at every level in law firms and corporations.  Follow our blog for additional job search tips. Apply now to be considered for our open positions.

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Legal Recruiting in a Candidate-Driven Market

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Legal recruiting can be challenging in the current candidate-driven market. Many law firms and corporate legal departments are struggling to find talent in 2018’s candidate-driven market. The national unemployment rate is at historic lows, and the Texas job market is no different. Experienced legal professionals, from attorneys to support staff, are in high demand with qualified candidates enjoying leverage when considering a move. In particular, the legal industry’s lateral job market continues to grow, often constituting a significant percentage of a firm’s overall numbers. For firms and corporate legal departments trying to fill positions,  now is the best time to utilize outside expertise. An experienced legal recruiter can help with the four C’s of finding talent in this candidate-driven market: Consultation The first step of working with a recruiter is to establish a relationship through a meeting of the minds. The recruiter should meet with the partner(s) responsible for the search to learn about practice areas, growth, plans for the future, critical issues, preferences, and other matters that will allow the search firm to work more efficiently. A recruiter who can knowledgeably answer candidates’ questions can represent the firm, the partners and the position accurately. Culture Workers today are very interested in an organization’s corporate culture, and attorneys are no different. Company and department branding carry greater importance as competition for candidates continues to tighten. Being able to articulate and promote your firm’s particular culture is very important in attracting the kind of candidate that will be a good fit. A recruiter can help crystalize the finer points of your firm’s culture, differentiate it from other firms, and market it to candidates. Candidates Of course, the desired outcome of working with a recruiter is to find qualified, well-matched candidates for open positions. Seasoned recruiters maintain databases and regularly stay in contact with the top attorneys and support staff in their market. Furthermore, they often have in-depth knowledge of those individuals’ skill sets, career objectives and compensation packages, even if those professionals are not actively looking for jobs. A recruiter can discreetly reach out to individuals that they already know will match a firm’s criteria. Compensation With candidates currently receiving multiple offers and counter-offers, employers must differentiate their proposal to remain competitive for top talent. While salary will always be one of the top criteria, other factors such as flexible work schedules, telecommuting, performance-based bonuses, training, and paid parking are some of the perks that can tip the scales. A recruiter with extensive knowledge of the market can advise what the current compensation trends and most attractive packages are. Full-Service Legal Recruiting You Can Depend On Collier Legal Search is a full-service legal recruiting company that specializes in placing well-credentialed partners, associates and legal professionals at every level in law firms and corporations. Let us help you with your legal recruiting needs. Our experience in the industry and a unique approach to building our candidate database consistently delivers results that clients can depend on, especially in a candidate-driven market. We are committed to maximizing success for our clients and our candidates.  Contact us at 832-239-5253 to give us the opportunity to work with you.

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Preparing for a Presentation Interview

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Are you preparing for a presentation interview? When presentations, public speaking or persuasion are part of a job description, candidates may be asked to make a presentation as part of their interview. A presentation interview can test many things about a candidate; the ability to represent and sell an idea, the ability to inspire an audience with confidence and, the ability to organize thoughts and structure an argument. If you want your presentation interview to shine, DON’T do the following: Ignore Instructions  Before you begin crafting a 40-minute dissertation, find out exactly what the interviewer is requesting. What is the topic and how long should your presentation be? How many people will be in the audience? What’s the IT and audio-visual setup? Staying on task shows that you can manage your time, that you respect your audience and, most importantly, that you can follow directions. Use PowerPoint It’s not 1987 anymore, and Microsoft PowerPoint is an outdated and mediocre format guaranteed to induce yawns. In today’s competitive market, you must think beyond PowerPoint. There are numerous online programs and applications available to help you craft professional presentations.  Using a more current platform also shows your audience that you are committed to keeping your skill set up-to-date with new tools and technologies. Read your slides Reading your slides is perhaps the most annoying presentation error thing that speakers commit. When you first display a slide, your audience will stop paying any attention to you and will read what you’ve put up on the screen. Give them a moment to read and when they’ve finished, do not repeat word for word what they’ve just read! Ideally, your slides should contain bullet points or headings that your presentation expands or explains. Stay seated  Standing for a presentation exudes confidence and control. Standing as you are speaking enables movement, wider hand gestures; a greater ability to get up close to the audience and, it injects more energy into your presentation. Compelling and persuasive speakers do not sit behind a desk and mumble their notes. Standing will also enable you to breathe deeply which will give your voice depth and volume. Wing it  The only way to ace your presentation is by practicing. Rehearse in front of someone who will give you honest feedback. If you are working with a recruiter, they can assist with preparation. Don’t assume that the company’s technology is compatible with your Mac or PC or you may find that all of the beautiful slides you prepared won’t show up on their screen. To avoid this nightmare scenario, take your fully charged laptop, not just the USB drive containing your presentation. Even if the screen is small, it’s a better backup plan than nothing at all. Email the slides to yourself and save them as PDFs, which should work on anything. Finally, print a few copies of your slides and take them with you, just in case. Let the experts at Collier Legal Search help you put your best foot forward. From the initial contact to the final interview, we work with our candidates every step of the way. We are a full-service legal staffing company that specializes in placing well-credentialed partners, associates and legal professionals at every level in law firms and corporations.

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