Law Firm Jobs

In addition to your resume, cover letter and writing sample, if you are a senior lawyer looking to move to another law firm, you may be asked to provide a Practice Development Plan and complete a Lateral Partner Questionnaire. 

In-House Jobs

Most in-house jobs require a resume, a cover letter and, possibly, a writing sample. Your LinkedIn profile will also be particularly important for an in-house job search, as LinkedIn is heavily used by corporate recruiters.

Make sure your resume reflects the substantive knowledge, skills and personal qualities required for the specific job. Depending on the job, you may need to emphasize or de-emphasize certain things. If you have extensive experience on deals or cases that involve your target industry, list them all here. If you have published an article or presented (even internally at your firm) on any substantive legal areas important to the position, mention that in your resume, as the ability to teach a subject suggests a strong degree of expertise.

We also recommend that you read Personality Traits of In-House Lawyers (which can be found on the In-House page of this site) and think about whether anything else in your background can be included in your resume to show that you have these traits.

Special Tips for Litigators Who Want to Move In-House

Except for the relatively rare litigation in-house jobs, a general litigator who wants to move in-house typically faces more of an uphill battle than a transactional or specialty practice area lawyer to convince an employer that he or she has the skills for the job. If you find yourself in this category, consider the following suggestions concerning your application materials:

  • Include any and all transaction-related work that you have done to demonstrate your understanding of the structure of deals (e.g., you have been consulted for due diligence, you helped litigate failed transactions after-the-fact, you advised your firm’s corporate lawyers on a specific area of law during negotiations).

  • Include any and all regulatory- and compliance-related work that you have done.

  • List any client counseling experience that you have, as well as any drafting of corporate policies, etc. If you can point to any concrete evidence of strong client relationships that you have developed, list that. (Your goal is to show that you have become a “trusted advisor” to clients.)

  • Especially if you are applying for a position in a small legal department that would likely value a generalist, don’t be shy about listing all of the varied areas of law on which you have worked (e.g., securities, privacy, labor and employment law, bankruptcy, environmental, intellectual property, insurance, tax).

  • List any CLEs you have taken, certifications you have earned (e.g., data privacy, e-discovery) or other formal or informal education that you have in substantive areas that the employer might value.

  • List any experience or education that shows that you possess business acumen and/or are financially literate (e.g., you took a CLE regarding financial statements, you are on the board or are the treasurer of a respected non-profit organization).

  • If you have any experience managing budgets or bills for your law firm’s clients or any other experience indicating a strong appreciation for/understanding of the management of legal costs, make sure to include that.

Government Jobs

The Government page of this site contains extensive information about how to find and apply for jobs with federal, state and local governments, as well as on Capitol Hill. You should work closely with your counselor to prepare your materials once you have identified the jobs for which you plan to apply.

For a sample (with identifying information removed) of a Volta counselee resume who has successfully transitioned to the government, click here.

Public Interest/Non-Profit Jobs

The Public Interest/Non-Profit page of this site contains extensive information about how to find and apply for jobs with public interest/non-profit organizations. You should work closely with your counselor to prepare your materials once you have identified the jobs for which you plan to apply.

For a sample (with identifying information removed) of a Volta counselee resume who has successfully transitioned to a public interest organization, click here.

Jobs in Academia

If you are applying for a teaching job, you should conduct Informational Interviews with several professors, so you know what to expect during the hiring process. Decide on and practice a sample lecture, which will likely include questions and answers. Make sure you have thoroughly read, and can discuss at length, your scholarly writings. And read the following:

TENURE TRACK

Most entry-level tenure track positions are filled through the AALS Faculty Recruitment Process (referred to as the “meat market”). This hiring cycle takes more than a year; you should assemble your materials early in the spring (for fall interviews at the annual AALS Faculty Recruitment Conference), so your materials can be distributed with the first round of applications. 

It is also perfectly acceptable to apply directly to the Faculty Appointments Committee of any school in which you have an interest. Tenure track positions are extremely competitive, so the more flexible you are about law school and location (at least for the first position), the better your chances of getting a tenure track teaching job.

Application materials for tenure track positions include the following:

  • Curriculum Vitae (sample available at AALS)

  • “Research agenda” (your area of scholarship)

  • Professional publications

  • Faculty Appointments Register (FAR) (Complete AALS one-page questionnaire. This form is available online in early summer; you should complete this ASAP!)

  • References from law faculty

NON-TENURE TRACK

Often non-tenure track positions are posted throughout the year, and schools accept applications on a rolling basis.

1.  Clinical and Legal Research/Writing Instructors

Some clinical faculty positions are filled at the annual fall AALS Faculty Recruitment Conference (see above). Many others are advertised on various law schools’ websites as well as in the Clinical Legal Education Association (CLEA) newsletter. Make sure you understand the school’s format for interviews. Some schools require applicants to teach a sample class, while others may have different requirements.

With respect to research/writing instructors, check the law school’s website for job postings, or get in touch with the law school directly. You should also check out the following websites for job postings:

2.  Adjunct Instructors

Generally, law schools post and fill adjunct instructor positions in the spring. You should check the law schools’ websites for job postings and/or contact a law school directly to discuss your proposed class and the school’s hiring needs.

NON-TEACHING

Read the job postings, and follow the instructions on the following websites for non-teaching jobs in academia:

For a sample (with identifying information removed) of a Volta counselee resume who successfully transitioned to academia, click here.  

Judicial Clerkships

Many law schools have a person or a committee dedicated to assist students and alumni through the judicial clerkship application process. Start the process by contacting your law school career center, and find out what type of support the law school provides. Judges (or their current clerks) will often contact their former law school, former clerks and professional contacts to notify them when they are seeking a clerk.

APPLICATION MATERIALS

The following are especially important when applying for judicial clerkships:

  • Recommendations. References are crucial in any job search, but judges rely heavily on written recommendations as an important part of the selection process. Letters from your employer are important, and, if at all possible, obtain letters from your law school professors as well.

  • Resumes and cover letters. Resumes should highlight demonstrated research and writing experience. A cover letter should address why you are seeking a clerkship at this point in your career and how the clerkship fits into your career plan. Emphasize any professional experience that supports a clerkship. When addressing cover letters and reference letters, each letter needs to be addressed to the judge by name (“The Honorable ____”). Do not write a “To Whom It May Concern” letter to a judge.

  • Writing samples and transcripts. Writing samples and transcripts are almost always required. Check the posting or with the chambers to see what a specific judge wants included in the application packet. Each judge will have different requirements. (Remember, judges are famous for their idiosyncrasies.)

PROTOCOL

If you are invited to interview with an out-of-town judge, you will be expected to pay your own travel and lodging expenses. Do not ask to be reimbursed, even if you accept the clerkship. If you do not want to move to the particular city or do not want to work for a particular judge or court, do not apply. Do your research before accepting an interview, as it is poor protocol to turn down a clerkship offer with a judge.

Non-Legal Jobs

As a lawyer seeking to move into any non-legal position, your application materials should highlight the following:

  • You possess valuable transferable skills that are relevant to your target chosen career/field/job. The following are a few examples of transferable skills that you probably have:

    • Writing

    • Researching

    • Negotiating

    • Investigating

    • Advocating

    • Presenting

    • Analyzing

    • Strong attention-to-detail

    • Client service/having a client-centric focus

    • Building relationships

  • You are a fast learner and a hard worker, and you can learn new skills quickly and on the job with minimal hand-holding; and

  • You have done your homework and fully understand the new career/field/job and are serious about pursuing it.

If you are pursuing a non-legal field, make sure that your transferable skills shine through in your profile, both via your own list of skills and also via your LinkedIn recommendations. Ideally, try to get recommendations from people who will be considered credible by your new target audience. (This is a great time to focus on your network of non-lawyer contacts.)

 

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