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Q4 Tips for Junior Associates

The fourth quarter of 2023 is right around the corner. Most successful professionals spend considerable time at the end of the year reviewing their current goals, assessing their career growth, identifying shortcomings, and strategizing for the coming year. For law associates with five or fewer years of experience, this year-end ritual will lay the foundation for a successful 2024 and beyond. Let these Q4 tips for junior associates be your guide. Building a Book of Business To be a successful lawyer, you must strive to think like an entrepreneur and businessperson. The business side of the practice of law often demands that each lawyer eventually builds their own clientele/book of business. One day soon, this may be key to your performance reviews. Firms are usually patient with junior attorneys, more often evaluating their business value based on work product/performance. Later, most firms will look for experienced attorneys to be able to juggle both the work and client development. So, how do associate attorneys begin building their originated book of business? Provide excellent client service: Build relationships with the firm’s existing clients with which you have contact. Listen carefully and understand client needs. Go the extra mile for your firm peers and senior attorneys when tasked: beat deadlines and present complete, polished work. As you become known for providing outstanding service inside and outside the firm, the business referrals will come. Actively start marketing and branding: Begin crafting your brand by developing expertise in a specific practice area. Build your reputation and circle of contacts by remaining active in professional associations, school alumnae events, legal aid organizations, volunteering your time and other relevant groups. Contribute articles, participate in discussion panels, and look for speaking opportunities. Participate in professional social media platforms such as LinkedIn, always ensuring your biography and list of accomplishments are updated. Connect with others through these platforms. Develop a reputation for honesty and integrity: Be truthful, even about your mistakes. If you make a mistake, admit it, and make amends. Maintain professional and personal confidence. Keep your word and follow through on the promises you make. On the professional side, stay abreast of any ethical developments and requirements that apply to the legal profession. Polish Communication Skills: Lawyers must communicate clearly and persuasively with their clients, coworkers, partners, judges, and others in the legal field. Don’t forget that effective communication requires highly active listening skills! Conduct an honest assessment of your public speaking ability or ask a trusted friend for a critique. Developing a speaking voice that is calm and confident can take years of practice, so seek out opportunities in the coming year to hone your skills. Building Your Success Inside the Firm The pandemic shifted several aspects of law firm operations. Remote meetings, remote or hybrid work, and online collaboration are the new realities. This often means new associates are left alone to develop their interpersonal knowledge and skills. If you feel you aren’t getting the exposure and training you need, take matters into your own hands. Here are some personal growth goals you can set for 2024: Find a Mentor: If your firm offers a mentorship program, take advantage of it. A mentor can provide guidance and support and help develop your skills and network. You will have to be more proactive if there is no formal mentorship program. Reach out to an attorney you would like to emulate and find out if they would be willing to mentor you. Contact your local Bar Association chapter about mentorship programs. Ask coworkers how they found mentors. Enlist Support Staff: Fostering a good professional relationship with the firm’s team of legal support staff is a smart career move. Professionals like clerks, paralegals, and administrative staff are the ones who keep the workflow in the law firm moving efficiently. These employees are a wealth of information and should be treated with respect. Get to know the legal support staff, not as cogs in the firm wheel, but as individual professionals. Utilize Technology: Junior attorneys have the upper hand when it comes to technology. Older More senior attorneys and partners often resist adopting digital tools and platforms, but the reality of business today means that technology will impact nearly every aspect of the practice. Mastering tools such as legal research databases, analytics, e-discovery, document management software, and other legal tech will increase your long-term value to the firm. Attend Continuing Education: Many attorneys feel that CLEs are a waste of time, but new associates should take advantage of every opportunity to learn and grow in their field. Attending courses in person may also present opportunities to grow your professional network. Work with Collier Legal Search Collier Legal Search strives to match attorneys and legal staff with ideally suited law firms and company clients. Our team works on the movement and placement of legal professionals at every level.

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Grow Your Firm in 2019

Blogs, Companies / collierlegal

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

Blogs / collierlegal

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

Blogs, Candidates / collierlegal

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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