Overlooking the Davids for the Goliaths of the legal world, many law students focus their job searches on large firms to the exclusion of promising career opportunities in small- to mid-sized firms.

Who can blame them? After all, large firms tend to interview on campus early in the fall semester and host luxurious summer associate programs. And they can afford to provide a variety of generous perks.

Nonetheless, large-firm lawyers—defined as those practicing at firms of 100 lawyers or more—account for only 12 percent of all practitioners in the United States. And of recent graduates working in private practice, nearly half practiced in firms of 25 or fewer lawyers, according to the National Association for Law Placement.

That means there’s a good chance you’ll encounter a smaller firm sometime during your career. But if you think only in terms of the large-firm hiring and practice model, you might not get your foot in the door.

Smaller firms are not simply large firms in microcosm. In fact, smaller firms tend to be "boutique" firms specializing in a particular subset of practice areas such as intellectual property law or tax and employee benefits. But don’t worry about being pigeonholed into a particular practice area by joining such a firm.

"Some law students shy away from boutique firms because they don’t want to specialize too early in their careers," says Michael A. Warner, a partner at Franczek Sullivan, a mid-sized labor and employment firm in Chicago. "But I find, somewhat paradoxically, that smaller boutique firms allow associates a greater breadth of experience."

Why?

"A large firm may practice in all areas, but there is immediate pressure to develop a specialty," Warner notes. "As a result, a junior associate’s work at a big firm may be much narrower in scope than the type of work done by his or her peers at a so-called boutique firm."

Typically, smaller firms hire on a case-by-case basis, because they find it more difficult than larger firms to predict their hiring needs far in advance. "No particular time is better or worse" for bringing new lawyers into the firm, says hiring attorney Mary C. Gordon of Manning Curtis Bradshaw & Bednar, an 11-person firm specializing in complex commercial and employment litigation in Salt Lake City.

In marketing yourself to smaller firms, emphasize your ability to work independently and shoulder responsibility. Because smaller firms are less likely to have the time or personnel to staff cases with several lawyers and paralegals, you should expect to handle some cases independently early in your career.

"We are looking for candidates who can hit the ground running and can demonstrate maturity, an ambition to move ahead more quickly than they might in a larger firm, and an ability to take on responsibility more quickly if the practice dictates," says Thomas M. Williams, recruiting partner for Ogden Newell and Welch, a 40-lawyer full-service firm in Louisville, Ky.

If you have specific litigation skills from your prior employment (such as drafting or answering discovery requests, crafting motions for summary judgment, or researching specific legal questions), include this information prominently in your cover letter or résumé. This information will demonstrate your ability to hit the ground running and assume responsibility early.

When applying to law firms, particularly smaller ones, connect your credentials to the firm’s practice areas. For example, firms specializing in tax matters will be interested in learning about specific tax and finance courses you have taken or plan to take and relevant work experience in tax matters. And be sure to highlight excellent grades in specific courses if they relate to a small firm’s practice niche.

Hiring partners from smaller firms express a heightened interest in work experience and on-the-job performance rather than law school grades alone. "We’ll look at a candidate in the top half of the class if he or she has the right qualifications to practice with an intellectual property boutique firm," says Daniel R. McClure, hiring partner for the 25-lawyer Thomas, Kayden, Horstemeyer & Risley in Atlanta. "We stress a strong work ethic and a desire to take responsibility early."

Gordon focuses on writing skills as well as substantive community and volunteer work either before or during law school and outside interests.

"We generally require candidates to be in the top 10 to 20 percent of their class, although grades in particular classes get extra weight," she says. "I particularly look at writing grades and will cut someone a little slack on the grades if they have an A in legal writing."

If you think you’d enjoy a little rainmaking and learning the business side of a law firm, working at a smaller firm could give you an excellent opportunity early in your career. "A smaller firm allows junior attorneys to exercise any entrepreneurial bent they may have," Warner says. "Junior attorneys often will have an opportunity at an early stage to participate in the business aspects of the firm. A small firm also allows junior attorneys greater flexibility and opportunities to develop their own client base."

Therefore, when pursuing smaller-firm employment, emphasize in your cover letter an interest in developing client-getting skills, and reiterate during your interview your interest in business development.

If you receive an offer from a smaller firm, remember that you have some negotiating power regarding salary, benefits, insurance, and other perks such as bar review courses, bar membership fees, or summer stipends. A good negotiating tool is the annual Employment Report and Salary Survey, published by the National Association for Law Placement, which lists salary statistics by graduating year, region, and employer size. Use the numbers to get the salary you deserve, consistent with the overall market.

Most lawyers in private practice work at small- and medium-sized firms. These environments offer opportunities for considerable professional autonomy, client development, and practical experience early in one’s career. If you load your slingshot with good information, you—like David—can bring down a rewarding job with a smaller firm.