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Managing a Multi-Generational Legal Team

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In today’s dynamic legal landscape, law firms and legal departments are increasingly composed of multi-generational teams. This diversity of age and experience can lead to significant benefits, but it also presents unique management challenges. Here’s what you need to know in managing a multi-generational legal team. The legal workforce now includes five distinct generations: 1. Silent generation (born 1928-1945)2. Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964)3. Generation X (born 1965-1980)4. Millennials (born 1981-1996)5. Generation Z (born 1997-2012) Each generation brings unique perspectives, work preferences, and communication styles. Understanding these multi-generational differences is essential for fostering an inclusive environment and leveraging the strengths of your entire legal team. Key Challenges Communication Styles Different generations often prefer different communication methods. Baby Boomers and Generation X favor emails and phone calls, whereas Millennials and Generation Z prefer instant messaging and social media. These differences can lead to miscommunication and frustration if not managed effectively. When hiring individuals, ask how they like to communicate. Consider taking a poll of your existing staff to make sure your communication methods align with the preferences. Create a culture where open communication is encouraged. Regular team meetings, anonymous feedback channels, and one-on-one check-ins can help bridge communication gaps and ensure everyone’s voice is heard. Technology Adoption Younger generations tend to be more comfortable with new technologies, while older team members may require additional training and support. Bridging this gap is essential for ensuring everyone feels competent and confident in their roles. With AI permeating all industries, preparing your team to adapt continuously to new technological advances is critical. Platforms like LinkedIn Learning and Coursera offer courses that can help bridge the technology gap. Encourage continuous learning and provide resources for team members to upskill at their own pace. Effective Practices for Managing a Multi-Generational Legal Team Mentorship Encourage mentorship programs where experienced lawyers mentor younger team members while engaging in reverse mentorship to learn from the tech-savvy younger generation. This two-way exchange fosters mutual respect and knowledge sharing. Showing your multi-generational force working together benefits your firm and can provide diversity in thought leadership and innovation. Engage in Team-Building Activities Team-building activities that require collaboration can help break down generational barriers. Activities should be designed to be inclusive and engaging for all age groups. Some ideas include: Problem-Solving Workshops – Host workshops that tackle common legal challenges to foster creative thinking and strengthen bonds through collaborative problem-solving. Team Offsite Meetings or Retreats– Organize offsite meetings focused on reflection, planning, and goal-setting to build rapport in a relaxed setting and allow for long-term strategic planning. Collaborative Legal Research Challenges—Challenge the team to research and analyze a recent legal issue to encourage knowledge sharing and keep them updated on trends. Adaptive Management Styles Be adaptable in your management approach. Understand each generation’s unique motivators and career aspirations and tailor your management style accordingly. Boomers prefer authoritative or directive leadership. Adversely, Gen X prefers a laissez-faire or results-oriented leadership style. Millennials, however, thrive under a coaching or transformational leadership style. Gen Z responds well to inclusive, participative leadership. An adaptable, inclusive approach that respects individual needs while promoting collaboration and shared goals creates an environment where all generations can thrive. Shared Goals Aligning the team around common objectives or goals can create a sense of purpose and drive success. Ensure all in the firm understand the mission and vision so they can rally around it as it provides meaning to their work. Look for overlapping values and motivations or common values such as professional growth or achieving success. Consider establishing a unified measurement of success that defines KPIs or metrics so all generations feel ownership over the team’s success. Highlight common objectives and the value each team member brings to the table, regardless of their age. Focusing on shared goals can help unite the team and reduce generational friction. Establish Clear Expectations Set clear expectations regarding performance, communication, and collaboration. Outline specific goals, timelines, and deliverables. Avoid ambiguity and ensure everyone knows their roles and responsibilities. Communicate expectations through various channels (e.g., emails, meetings, instant messaging, team platforms) to ensure all generations receive the message. Ensure these expectations are communicated effectively and understood by all team members. Regardless of the generation, it is important to communicate expectations clearly and consistently. Recognition and Feedback Implement a recognition program that acknowledges the contributions of team members from all generations. Boomers prefer less frequent but formal feedback, focusing on performance milestones and accomplishments. Gen X prefers feedback to concentrate on results and practical improvements. Alternatively, millennials and Gen Z prefer real-time feedback and praise often. With these considerations, customize your feedback approach for each team member. Some prefer structured performance reviews, while others prefer more informal, frequent check-ins. Recognition can be a powerful motivator and can help foster a positive and inclusive workplace culture. Let Us Help You Build a Multi-Generational Legal Team Managing a multi-generational legal team comes with challenges more than ever, but with the right strategies, partners, and managers can transform these challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation. By understanding generational differences and leveraging the unique strengths of each generation, you can create a cohesive and dynamic legal team. Let Collier Legal Search help you build a multi-generational legal team. With over 20 years of experience, we are connected to the legal community and represent top talent in the great Houston area. Contact us to learn more about our available candidates.

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Successful Lawyers Go the Extra Mile

Leave a Comment / Blogs, Candidates / collierlegal

The most successful professionals are driven by a more profound motivation and a willingness to go the extra mile for clients, peers, supervisors and team. Here are a few ways for you to go the extra mile. Communication Be a prompt and clear communicator! Establish and understand expectations regarding communication channels and response times. One way to achieve this is by establishing a reliable communication schedule, providing professional updates while always receptively addressing inquiries. It’s also essential to determine others’ preferred communication methods and timing, whether it’s via phone, email, virtual meeting or text. Always remember the undeniable opportunity to build trust through personal visits or meetings and never forget that the legal professional provides a highly personalized service. Tailor your communication to the service you provide and you will enjoy long-lasting professional relationships. Stay Up-to-Date on Current Issues Legal professionals need to be familiar with the latest legal developments and trends. The law is constantly evolving, and attorneys must know about the latest changes to provide their clients with the best legal advice. Staying up-to-date on current issues shows that an attorney is diligent and committed to providing clients with the best possible representation. Consider inviting your clients to events or seminars hosted by your firm or relevant industry organizations that show your connection to leading legal organizations and provide crucial legal industry updates. Provide Exceptional Client Service Successful Lawyers go the extra mile by proactively anticipating clients’ needs and prioritizing their interests. Offer additional resources or information that may be helpful, even if not explicitly requested. Also, maintain professionalism and ethical conduct by adhering to legal and ethical guidelines, maintaining confidentiality, and avoiding conflicts of interest. Firms can also go the extra mile by training and empowering legal staff to prioritize customer service. Train your legal staff to prioritize responsiveness, empathy, professionalism, discretion and ethics when interacting with other legal professionals and clients. Finally, develop a plan to check in before, during, and after client matters are resolved to ensure satisfaction and to address any lingering concerns. Regularly evaluate client satisfaction and identify areas for improvement. Solicit feedback from clients. Use feedback to refine customer service strategies, communication approaches, and service delivery. Let Us Help You Build a Team to Go the Extra Mile If your firm is looking for outstanding legal candidates willing to go the extra mile, Collier Legal can help. We can connect you with a large pool of Houston’s leading legal candidates to help you build and enhance your team. Our experienced staff can help you determine the availability of talent on the market and set your firm up for continued success. Contact us to learn more.

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10 Evolving Skills That Lawyers Need in 2023

Boom of ESG in Legal Consulting

Blogs / collierlegal

Recent years have seen a boom in ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) in legal consulting. ESG factors are continually growing in importance to businesses, investors, customers, and suppliers, and the trend shows no signs of stopping. Expected to continue for many years, corporations and law firms are now hiring their own armies of ESG experts, consultants, and advisors. Globally, ESG has taken hold as a central concern in corporate, financial, and legal entities to such a degree that to neglect ESG integration in your business is likely to lose you customers and jeopardize your competitive advantage. The financial industry in the United States today has already fully incorporated ESG, with younger investors, in particular, fueling the development. It follows that there has also been an boom of ESG in legal consulting. If you are a legal firm looking to incorporate ESG into your company structure, look no further than Collier Legal Search. We can draw on our extensive network of legal professionals fully versed in ESG to help overhaul your company to meet modern standards. What is ESG? Business as usual no longer suffices for U.S. companies to compete globally. With the explosion of global interest in ESG and the integration of ESG into the decision-making processes of almost every industry, you cannot afford to ignore it. But what is ESG? ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and (Corporate) Governance, which are intangible assets within an enterprise that nevertheless translate into a kind of social credit for a company: Environmental relates to environmental concerns such as the climate crisis and sustainability. It includes addressing externalities associated with a company’s revenue not strictly measured in market mechanisms. Climate change and sustainability issues factor into investment choices in ways that seek to both maximize revenue and act ethically toward the environment, for example, through investment in renewables and other technologies. Social relates to social concerns and the imperative of a company to act in a socially responsible manner, including in its hiring process. Considerations can include human rights, diversity, consumer protection, and animal welfare, among others. Governance relates to rights and responsibilities in managing a company, relating to corporate ethical standards for the board, the shareholders, and the stakeholders. Examples can include issues such as management structure, employee relations and management, and employee compensation. Each company must decide who holds the responsibility for ESG within it. Usually, it will be the board of directors, often creating unique ESG positions and appointing ESG experts to ensure compliance with its commitments. In addition, it is becoming increasingly common for investors and stakeholders to request reporting on non-financial opportunities and risks. The Head of ESG ensures that reporting is also available for all the company’s externalities and non-financial activities. What is Driving ESG Growth? Companies are beginning to understand value in ways besides financial reporting. Especially among younger generations, the future shareholders and industry leaders, there is a strong imperative to support ESG companies over more traditional ones. Consumers are voting with their wallets. However, there still needs to be convergence between ESG and the company’s bottom line. While this can appear contradictory, incorporating ESG priorities into the corporate values and culture of the company can be complementary to the bottom line, especially today. Some of the benefits of implementing ESG initiatives are: Being seen as a thought leader in your industry, which today is unlikely without an ESG strategy Boosting the company’s social brand and reputation, both in your industry and without Building trust to increase engagement within the communities your business operates in Mitigating ESG risk exposure, e.g., by systematically detecting and assessing significant ESG risks inherent to specific business transactions Fostering a win-win mentality by encouraging more responsible business practices while growing the company’s bottom line in the longer term On the other hand, some of the risks of a wait-and-see approach to ESG are: Waiting too long may result in extra costs if potential regulatory reforms become mandated Not adapting could lead to a loss of competitive advantage, hurting sales and talent attraction and retention Not adjusting damages the company’s brand and reputation merely through the semblance of irrelevance ESG Drives Hiring There is no uniform approach to ESG. It can be industry, company, or issue-specific. Your company can decide which opportunities and risks to address and be measured against by getting ahead of any universal standards or federal mandates on the issue early. Having pre-existing ESG incorporation explicitly tailored to your company can help mitigate any externally mandated demands and costs later. Professional services network PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) is an example of a company that invested in ESG early. The result has been that PwC projects that it will expand its workforce by ⅓ over the next five years by hiring 100,000 new employees. PwC plans to seek experienced, qualified workers with a profound, active knowledge of ESG. Futureproofing Your Organization This year, U.S. law firms have begun aggressively building ESG practices into their company structures to anticipate new federal government initiatives and increasing interest from their clients. Law firms are retooling and positioning themselves to provide legal guidance to clients regarding ESG-compliance. A legal consultant can advise on how best to perform ESG reporting according to a company approach. A strong stance on ESG can help you attract the best new employees and retain the valuable ones you already have. Having a law firm on your side can help you smoothly transition to ESG compliance without unsettling your daily operations or upsetting your bottom line. How Collier Legal Staffing Can Help Collier Legal Search offers services in placing associates, partners, and legal professionals of the highest credentials at every level in corporations and law firms. With our extensive connections, experience, and exclusive approach, we have built a candidate database that delivers consistent results and on which our clients have come to depend. We commit ourselves to satisfied clients and successful candidates. If you are considering migrating your company into ESG compliance, discover what we can do for you.

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Preparing for an Interview

Blogs / collierlegal

As we enter the tail end of 2020, many attorneys are thinking about their career trajectory and whether they should consider a move. Despite perceptions, the market is largely stable and expanding! Lateral opportunities abound! Whether or not you are thinking about a change, it is always a good idea to update your resume. If you are actively and seriously seeking new employment and preparing for an interview, consider polishing up your interview skills: Always consider your current position before searching for a new role. Before embarking on a formal job search, strive to alleviate any issues you have with your current employer. Otherwise, you need to be prepared to address why you did not take this step. No matter your credentials or level of practice, be prepared for multiple rounds of interviews with varied HR professionals to law firm partners. Firms vary, and you must flex to their processes. When preparing for an interview, do some homework on the law firm, and, if possible, read up on whom you are meeting. Be respectful and professional in every meeting, whether you are interviewing with human resources or a partner. Each is taking time out of his/her schedule to give you an audience. While confidence is important, consider leaving your “ego” at the door. Consider that your interviewer wants to establish trust early on—be responsive, offering accurate details about your work history. Occasionally, you may have to address something negative from your work history—it’s OK. If you handle the issue professionally and diplomatically, you can turn the experience into a “positive,” distinguishing it away from your future work goals. Never naysay a prior employer! Consider that your interviewer is spending valuable, often billable time with you—be prepared to graciously speak to the value you would bring as an employee. Dovetail into conversations about your practical experiences, your attention to detail, your ability to complete tasks, your work ethic, and your ability to produce whether with a team or working alone. Use specific examples! Show your serious side while maintaining an air of approachability and friendliness. Always remember no matter how experienced you are, junior to senior levels, that an interview is an opportunity to gather information. Ask smart, open-ended questions just as your interviewer will ask of you. Let your interviewer know that you are interested in giving and collecting more information in a hopeful, next round of meetings. Should you need any assistance or guidance on steps you need to take in your job search or preparing for an interview, please do not hesitate to phone Kay Kurtin Egger, Co-Founder of COLLIER LEGAL SEARCH, LLC – she stands ready to assist you.

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Up Your Resume Game

Blogs / collierlegal

If you are looking for a new position, you may be tempted to dust off your old resume and begin sending it out to every available job. Before you do, you need to know that some of the rules have changed, technologies have evolved, and the hiring tables have flipped. A computer may scan your resume before it ever reaches human eyes. A hiring manager might only spend 15 seconds or less reviewing your life’s work before moving on. For lawyers or legal support staff, there are additional considerations. Here are some tips to up your resume game: Put information in the correct order. If you’ve worked in the legal field for more than three years, begin with your experience. Did you attend a top-tier law school? You can start with education even if you’ve been working for a few years. New associates should also list education first. In either case, list your experience in reverse chronological order with dates. If you still list internships on your resume, consider placing it as a bullet point under law school. Check your contact information. Put your contact information prominently at the top. Hiring managers don’t want to hunt for your phone number or email. Make sure all of the numbers, letters, and symbols are correct. Use your personal email, not the email of your current firm. If your email address is something like Bigbadboy89@myemail.com, you will look ridiculous. Use something neutral or a variation of your name. Forget the “one-page” rule. Despite what you may have heard, there are no rules set in stone about resume length. If you have five-plus years of experience, your resume may run longer than one page. Many people try to squeeze everything onto one page. Other candidates include dissertations about irrelevant qualifications or redundant experiences. The correct length is precisely the space it takes to showcase your most relevant experiences concisely. No more, no less. It’s not an art project. Hiring managers are not impressed by a resume with four different fonts, boxes, borders, clip art, and garish colors. A well-laid-out resume with clear headings, correct spacing, 12-point type, and plenty of white is much easier to read. Use a professional font such as Helvetica, Calibri, or Times New Roman. Objectives are out. Summaries are in. The objective section used to be the traditional opening for most resumes. That tide has shifted. It’s not about what you want. It’s about what the employer wants. Use a summary statement to represent what you’ve accomplished and how you can benefit your employer. Focus on your value as an employee, not what you want from the company. Strike these from your resume: The word “I.” The phrase “references available upon request.” Your photo, date of birth, marital status, sexual orientation, political affiliation, or religion High school education Footnotes Select outside interests carefully. Hobbies can serve as an ice-breaker and show that you’re a well-rounded person. Any hobbies and interests you list should be work-appropriate. Include memberships or affiliations with alumni, law, or special interest groups. Include keywords and skills. An increasing number of firms use an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) to automatically screen resumes. The ATS searches for keywords that match the open position. Review the job description carefully and use the same keywords. Include any technical skills such as experience with eDiscovery software. Use action words. Don’t simply list duties. Describe how you made a difference at each company and provide specific examples. Here are some effective action words: achieved, delivered, directed, secured, resolved. Highlight your publications. Include any law articles you’ve published, especially if they’re related to the firm’s practice area. Customize your resume. Many job seekers create a generic resume and use it for every position they apply. Your resume should be a dynamic, living document, and you should continually update it. Find out as much as you can about the job, the firm, the partners, and the practice group. Then, modify your resume to match what they are seeking. Proofread! Then proofread again! Maybe once more for good measure. Did I mention that you need to proofread? Typos and spelling mistakes are among the first reasons a resume gets tossed. Lawyers, in particular, are expected to have impeccable writing abilities. Spelling and grammar are indicators of two essential skills to any job: attention to detail and communication. Work with a professional. Collier Legal Search 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 that clients can depend on. 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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Steal the Show in an Online Interview

Blogs, Candidates / collierlegal

Are you interviewing right now? Many companies will require you to complete an online interview. Here are a few tips to help you win the job! Many companies are still hiring. However, the process has been transformed by COVID19. The traditional routine of networking, face-to-face interviews, hiring, and onboarding has moved to the virtual space for the time being. As before, you should thoroughly research the firm and be prepared to discuss details during your online interview. Study company profiles, industry bios, and LinkedIn to familiarize yourself with your interviewer before meeting them on the computer screen. Many job-seekers liken the online interview to an audition tape. Here’s how to steal the show and land the role! Check your Props Do not wait until 2 minutes before your interview to turn on your computer! Find out what service the interviewer will be using, load the software, and familiarize yourself with the platform. A free trial or tutorial videos may be helpful. Double-check that your camera and microphone are working correctly. Instead of relying on wifi, plug in an ethernet cable for a hard connection. Rehearse Record a mock video interview (or several) with a friend or career coach who will give you honest feedback. Wild gestures, repetitive phrases (um, like, you know), or nervous laughter will be amplified in a video interview. Things that may seem reasonable in a face-to-face interview don’t always translate well to video. Review your expression, voice, and eye-contact and make adjustments accordingly. Set the stage Nobody expects you to hide the fact that you are in your home. However, finding the best spot will keep the attention focused on you. Try to find an uncluttered, solid-colored wall with plenty of light. If possible, set up in a room where you can close the door. Silence your phone and other electronic devices that might make noise. Pause notifications on your computer. If you think you might be interrupted by something outside of your control (your dog barking, construction noise, etc.), mention it at the start of the interview. Clear the clutter around your computer, but have a notepad and pen ready. Dress for the role Dress just as you would for an in-person meeting – that means completing your outfit from head to toe! You might need to stand up in the middle of the interview, which would reveal pajama bottoms, or worse. Try on your outfit using the same platform for your interview. Showtime! Confirm the time zone of the interview and “arrive” early. It may take you longer than anticipated to log on, and you don’t want the interviewer to think that you are a no-show. Speak Slowly and Clearly – The microphone may lag or have spotty sound quality. Speak clearly and try to keep the same pace as the interviewer. Body Language – Your mother was right. Sitting up straight with good posture makes you appear confident. Keep your hands in your lap to avoid excessive gesturing or fiddling. Don’t cross your arms or prop your head up with your hand. Engage with the interviewer – Nodding, smiling, and leaning in are all visual ways to show your interest and engagement. If you rehearsed adequately, you will know how much to nod without looking like a bobble-head. Eye Contact – Look into the camera instead of at the interviewer’s face on your computer screen. Although this may feel unnatural, it gives the impression of eye contact. End credits After your online interview, send a thank-you note to the interviewer. This can be a physical card or an email, depending on the situation. Follow up with a phone call or email, just as you would with a face-to-face meeting. Collier Legal Search 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 that clients can depend on. 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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GAINING MOMENTUM INTO Q3

Blogs / collierlegal

Summer has arrived and the end of Q2 approaches. People are slowly returning to newly reopened workplaces. Law firms are no exception. While safety protocols have changed to embrace social/work distancing, strategic business planning has some of our clients gaining real momentum into Q3. These last few weeks, we have had meaningful conversations with known law firm leaders. We have sought their opinions and predictions on emerging, stronghold practice areas in the coming months. Certainly, bankruptcy and employment law practices are continuing to strengthen. Accordingly, we have been effectively recruiting legal personnel in these areas of practice. At the same time, we have listened to what practice leaders believe will be significant focus areas in Q3, Q4, and 2021: litigation (both commercial and insurance-driven), wealth preservation & tax management, and finance (secured transactions) are practices gaining serious momentum. Preparation being essential for production, this strange era has given our Collier Legal Search team an unprecedented opportunity to become more consultative, more informed than ever before. Throughout this crisis and as always, our goal remains the same: to be a valuable resource for our clients. As to our existing needs, CLS consistently aspires to react swiftly in an effort to meet our client expectations regardless of the practice area. At the same time, we strive to be extremely proactive, aligning our recruiting and placement services to predicted growth areas. HOW TO STRIKE THE BALANCE OF TIME VS. CONSERVATISM Balancing time against conservatism is perhaps more important today than ever before. By posting open positions online, some of our clients have sought to save on recruiter fees hoping to take advantage of what is perceived to be a surplus of available manpower. This is one of those situations where we might say, “be careful what you wish for.” As a result, these same clients face a time-sucking “Mount Everest” of applicant paperwork to review. Many applicants have little to no skills required in the position. On a rare occasion, the right hire is identified in the stockpile. More often though, the right applicant is still employed and very likely he/she has never seen the online job opening. The question is whether it is the best use of your time to sort through the hoard of the resumes in hopes of finding the right hire? Or, is your time better used elsewhere? At Collier Legal Search, we are sensitive to the community’s call for conservatism. Our clients only owe a fee if they hire one of our applicants. In many circumstances, our fees are deeply discounted. As importantly, we are sensitive to the value of time. Our service ensures that your time is always protected to optimize production. Stay productive entering Q3. Let us take on the project of building your winning team. To learn about how we have continued to build our applicant pool during this crisis, please contact Kay Egger at 832-239-5218.

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How to Increase Visibility for Attorneys

Blogs / collierlegal

As Texas prepares to reopen for business, are you prepared? Here are a few tips to increase visibility for attorneys in an unknown market. As Governor Abbott begins to reopen Texas business, now is a good time for service providers such as attorneys to optimize their social media presence on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. The effects, while many immediately enhance credibility, often demonstrate legal “know-how,” and perhaps most importantly, increase visibility. Despite the C19 crisis and the already-realized effects on business, there are opportunities to grow your law practice and gain market share. It is especially true now when many are working remotely and consistently online. Review your social profiles as you will find many of your competitors are out there and highly visible — not just to their peers but also to potential clients. Keeping your information updated is vital for achieving growth in market share. The good news is that it’s not too late to become stronger in this area; and, much online activity is within your control to manage at little to no cost. The first step calls for you to evaluate how you appear on resources such as those listed. Plainly put: it’s no longer sustainable for you to have a “slight” presence such as a bare-bones profile. In order to increase visibility, ask yourself the following questions: Have you been promoted recently? Is your title accurate? Do you have any unique skill sets, and are they included? Can a prospective client find you through a practice-area search without knowing your name? Are the details of your specific practice highlighted? Are details of your various licenses, accolades, accreditations, associations, and groups listed and linked to your profile? Have you had opinions published, and, if so – can your prospective clients link to those important decisions for review? Have you authored recent “white papers” or articles that may benefit your peers or clients? Do you serve as a volunteer or on the board for any professional associations or organizations? Often important details are unfortunately omitted. The 2nd step calls upon you to be “active” on social media. You may see your peers offering video discussions on the law and legal trends. The results are significant! Consider the numbers of eyes watching, and the volume of ears listening to these videos. Ask yourself how you can achieve similar results; take similar action. Though, it’s not just about others watching you. It’s about you watching, reading, liking, and, most importantly, linking to others—be them individuals, associations, or groups. In this era, when personal interaction is highly limited, it is upon you to deliberately socially interact through social media. Make haste: this can begin today! As attorneys, you went through a highly competitive law school program— harken back to those days and make no mistake: your competition for a social media audience and, in turn, market share is intense and extreme. Evaluate yourself and then get proactive and increase visibility – it starts now; it starts while many are working remotely. Make lemonade out of lemons and capitalize on this crisis through social media strength! Should you need any recommendations on how to pursue immediate results, do not hesitate to call me—I am happy to assist you! Kay Kurtin Egger, Attorney, and Co-Founder: COLLIER LEGAL SEARCH, LLC

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Managing Through COVID-19 for Legal Candidates

Blogs, Candidates / collierlegal

Our Collier Legal Search team is continuing to support for help managing through COVID-19 crisis. The lingering effects have been economically devastating, including within the legal marketplace. While some of our CLS friends have been successfully working remotely, many have not been as fortunate. Some have been laid off; some have been furloughed. Many fear layoffs in the future. Plainly stated, this is an ominous time. We encourage you to overcome fear by preparedness: actions can be taken now to optimize your employability. Communicate consistently with your legal recruiter. Schedule a recurring, weekly phone call from you to your legal recruiter. Not only does your phone call remind him/her that you desire to remain on the top of a placement “list,” but also consistent communications further mutual rapport and trust. Update your resume. Ensure your legal recruiter has the most updated version of your resume. Include salary/pay history and references. Recognize the trends and be open-minded. Often in an economic downturn, “hiring freezes” take hold. Consider that even if companies/law firms are consequently unable to directly-hire a new employee, they often have available budgetary dollars for temporary and temp-to-hire labor. We understand many of you ultimately seek full-time employment; onboarding as a temporary laborer can be the means to get that permanent position. Consider salary conservatism. You likely know that many of our customers/law firms have cut salaries across the board, up to 50%! When sharing your salary/pay history with your legal recruiter, you may discuss the idea of requesting lower pay in your next position. Such a consideration demonstrates your knowledge of economics, your empathy, and, most importantly, it proves your leap of faith in the future. Ask your legal recruiter more about the companies/law firms where he/she is presenting you and whether this may be an appropriate consideration. Ask your legal recruiter how this is handled and communicated to the company/law firm where he/she is presenting you. Push your comfort zone. We have yet to learn how the legal employment landscape will change, given the C-19 crisis. Perhaps many will continue to work remotely. Perhaps some will perform multiple functions for the first time. Be flexible; let your legal recruiter know you are willing and able to wear many hats. Don’t wait another day to begin these steps! Remain steadfast in your efforts to be proactive. Following these steps will ensure you are doing what you need to do to remain at the top of your legal recruiter’s placement list! At Collier Legal Search, we have been working nonstop throughout this crisis and are helping firms with managing through COVID-19 so they can be prepared for the busy times ahead. We always strive to keep your best interests in mind and offer our consultation to you 24/7. Stay connected with us for opportunities as they come available. Additionally, if you have a friend or family member in need of professional employment guidance, contact us and we will do our best to help. In the meantime, please remain healthy and safe at home. Very truly yours, Kay Kurtin Egger, Attorney, and Co-Founder of Collier Legal Search, LLC kay@collierlegal.com

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