Originally published in Student Lawyer magazine, February 2005 (Vol. 33, No. 6). All rights reserved.

Jobs

Small firms seek qualities beyond grades

by Donna Gerson

If bank robbers rob banks because “that’s where the money is,” then pay attention to small law firms because “that’s where the jobs are.” According to the latest American Bar Foundation study, firms with 50 or fewer lawyers employ 83 percent of all private practitioners. But finding a position among small firms is different from doing so among larger firms.

For one thing, small firms typically don’t participate in on-campus interviews. Because of their size, small firms tend to hire only when the need arises, not years in advance the way larger firms operate. Small firms lack the time, personnel, and resources to expend on on-campus recruiting, particularly when they might hire only one new associate every year.

Therefore, the burden lies with you to contact these employers through individual research and targeted mailings. But before you start drafting cover letters and printing résumés, examine your credentials to emphasize the qualities that matter most to small firms. Large firms tend to focus on grades and school ranking, at least in the preliminary stages. In contrast, small firms tend to place greater emphasis on experience, motivation, enthusiasm, and business savvy—and less emphasis on grades—in making a hiring decision. Emphasizing these qualities will help distinguish you from your classmates and give small firm employers confidence in your abilities.

In speaking with employers across the country, here’s what I’ve heard from small firms about the qualities that count in the hiring process:

"Stop apologizing for your grades and tell me about your experience.” Most small firm employers know that grades don’t tell the entire story. So stop apologizing for not being at the top of your class and start focusing on your substantive experiences. Small firms want to know that you’ve researched legal issues, drafted motions and pleadings, attended depositions, and know how to record your time.

Small firms often don’t have time to train extensively; they prefer to hire new lawyers who can hit the ground running. Demonstrating that you’ve acquired real-life practice skills through part-time or summer employment, clinics, internships, moot court, and practicum programs will impress small firm employers and help offset mediocre grades.

When drafting your résumé, emphasize the extent of your experience and offer specific examples of the work you’ve handled. Rather than writing a vague entry such as: “Researched legal issues,” write a more in-depth description such as: “Researched New York law pertaining to alimony and custody considerations for dependent spouses.”

Tailor your résumé to relate to specific practice areas you are targeting. Thus, if you are applying to a small firm specializing in securities law, highlight corporate and transactional courses you have taken, along with prior corporate work experience that may be applicable (even if nonlegal in nature). Similarly, when drafting cover letters, emphasize your relevant experience (without reciting your entire résumé) and direct attention to specific skills you’ve acquired through work. For instance, “Through my work with the Legal Aid Clinic, I interviewed clients, drafted pleadings, and argued in motions court before a judge.”

Substantive legal experience helps convince small firm employers that you have the skills to be a useful, productive member of the legal team from the start. Focus on experience and disclose grades only when questioned directly. Then redirect the employer’s attention to your real-life skills and how those skills will benefit the firm.

“Tell me why you’re excited to work at my firm.” A perceptive interviewer will want to explore your underlying motivation for working at the firm to determine if there is a good “fit” between you and the firm. Nothing ruins an interview faster than the sense that you are desperate, disinterested, uninformed, bored, or otherwise unenthusiastic about the prospect of working at the firm.

Preparation and rehearsal are key factors in the interview process. Before setting foot in the office, thoroughly research the firm to determine its practice areas, representative clients, recent cases, and biographical information about the interviewers (if their identities are revealed prior to the interview) and the partners.

Conducting basic research will translate into better questions and the chance to demonstrate your interest level. (“You must have been pleased with the recent decision of the Superior Court in the Evans case. That was a big win for the firm.”)

Also be prepared during the interview process to speak about how you made your decision to seek work at this particular small firm, address why the specific areas of practice appeal to you, and convey your genuine excitement at the prospect of being hired. Some students feel shy about expressing their interest during the interview for fear that they will appear desperate. If your enthusiasm is real, express it during the interview in person. Say, for example, “I would be excited to work at your firm and research copyright issues. It’s exactly what I’ve been working toward for the past two years.”

"Why are you interested in working in this town?” If you’re seeking a job in a major metropolitan area (New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, etc.), then you don’t need to justify your choice of location to a small firm employer. These cities offer cultural, social, and professional opportunities that require no additional rationalization. Similarly, no one needs to explain why they want to live in San Diego or Honolulu (the weather is great, the beach is nearby). If you are targeting smaller markets, however, be prepared to articulate your reasons for wanting to live and work there.

Employers in small markets want to understand your connection to the area, in part because they want to know that you’ll want to remain there. Retention (how long you’ll stay at the firm) is a hiring factor, particularly for small firms. With the annual attrition rate for entry-level associates hovering at nearly 14 percent, law firms experience high turnover. While large law firms can absorb the inevitable departures of associates, small firms lack the time and staff to run a year-round recruiting operation. Therefore, be sure to articulate your interest in the area, note any ties you may have (friends, family, prior work experience), and assuage any lingering fears that your choice of location is random.

You can articulate your desire to live and work in a specific geographic area through your cover letter and résumé, and during the interview. For example, in your cover letter, you can allude to your connection to an area: “As a native of St. Louis, I am very interested in returning home to live and practice law after graduation.” If your current résumé does not hint at a hometown connection, then drop clues by including a home address listing along with your out-of-town school listing. Also consider adding a local school connection, even if it’s a line about your high school.

"Do you understand the importance of business development?” Make a positive impression during the interview process by asking small firm employers about business development opportunities. While law is a learned profession, it’s also a business. Communicating the fact that you understand the importance of business development will distinguish you from the competition. Ask how associates are trained to cultivate new business and what the firm expects in terms of business development from a new associate. Emphasize again any legitimate local connections you have, including those that also serve as networking opportunities, such as involvement with civic and charitable organizations. By asking these types of questions and highlighting these types of contacts, you’ll make a lasting impression and demonstrate your savvy about small firm practice.

Small firms value candidates who display excitement about practicing law, show the substantive skills to be effective practitioners, and demonstrate a commitment to building a presence in the community. Anyone will tell you that law school grades can seem random. Emphasize your experience, enthusiasm, and business savvy, and small firms will take notice.

Donna Gerson, a former law school career services director, is author of Choosing Small, Choosing Smart: The Secrets of Small and Mid-Size Firm Hiring. E-mail her at donna@donnagerson.com if you have comments on this article or would like her to speak at your school.

For more career and job search guidance, visit the ABA Career Counsel at www.abanet.org/careercounsel/students.html.

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