blog | Lord Gurman & Lewis LLC

Wednesday, October 19, 2022

Hiring For Resilience

by Jon Lewis

The ability to handle and bounce back quickly from adversity is an often under-appreciated, but significant, characteristic to seek in potential new hires. How can a candidate’s resilience be assessed?

Tuesday, September 08, 2020

Offer Response Time - Candidate FAQ

by Jon Lewis

This article addresses some frequently asked questions from candidates relating to how much time they can/should take before responding to an offer.

Friday, August 31, 2018

Legal Hiring—The Need for Speed

by Jon Lewis

As a veteran legal recruiter I have on occasion been asked by law firms and in-house legal departments how they can more frequently and efficiently succeed in getting the kind of strong candidates they want. In response, one important piece of advice I often give is simply “move faster”. Once they have identified a candidate they like, many employers would be well served by completing the interview process and extending an offer more promptly than they sometimes manage to do.

Monday, January 15, 2018

What Determines “Market Rate” Salary For Candidates?

by Jon Lewis

One question that candidates often ask legal recruiters is “What is the going market rate in terms of salary for someone with my experience?” The question is certainly a reasonable one, but the answer, and the forces driving that answer, aren’t necessarily what all candidates expect to hear.

Tuesday, May 02, 2017

Resumes - Not so Fast, Please

by Jon Lewis

A while ago I worked on an in-house search for a technology company. The client was seeking candidates with experience in several specific areas, including M&A, software as a service agreements, and cybersecurity. Not surprisingly, given that this was an in-house search, the response from potential candidates was enthusiastic—I sourced a good number of highly qualified candidates who, in many cases, e-mailed me their resumes within minutes of my telling them about the position and sending them a detailed description.

That’s great, right? After all, what more could a recruiter ask for than a near instantaneous resume submission from a candidate? Well, yes and no ...

Friday, November 06, 2015

Job Searches and Bonus Season

by Jon Lewis

Now that we have hit November, a number of significant occasions loom larger on the horizon: Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and, last but not least, law firm bonus announcements are all just around the corner. This time of year, legal recruiters hear the following from candidates with great frequency: “I’m putting my search on hold until after I collect my bonus; call me back next year.”

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Attorney Career Planning and Realistic Expectations

by Jon Lewis

Most of you readers don’t know this, but I am a very lucky person. In fact, I’m so darned lucky that I’m fairly certain that someday soon I’m going to win a multi-million-dollar lottery jackpot. Which means that I don’t need to worry at all about planning for my eventual retirement. No, not really. I’m actually no luckier than normal, and need to save for retirement just like most people ... What, you might ask, does the above have to do with an article about legal careers?

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

References & Conflicts from the Candidate’s Perspective

by Jon Lewis

When pursuing a new position as an attorney, you will typically need to work hardest before receiving your ultimate offer, on tasks such as drafting a resume, preparing for/attending multiple rounds of interviews, and negotiating terms after an initial offer is extended. But even if you survive all that heavy lifting, it’s usually still premature to celebrate. The vast majority of offers to attorneys are expressly contingent upon reference and conflicts checks, and (as many candidates have learned to their dismay) those checks can at times prove to be much more than mere rubber stamp formalities.

Sunday, December 07, 2014

Interview Prep Pointers

by Jon Lewis

Suppose you’ve finally landed an interview for your dream job. And say you’ve got great credentials and directly on point experience. In fact, on paper you’re a perfect candidate for that in-house or entertainment boutique position you’ve always wanted. You’re on your way, right? Well, maybe ...

Friday, December 05, 2014

In-House Insights

by Jon Lewis

Ask a legal recruiter to name the one thing he or she hears most often from candidates and there’s a good chance the answer will be “I want to go in-house.” For many candidates, an in-house position seems like the holy grail of legal jobs, the solution to all the shortcomings of life at a law firm. But there are potential pitfalls ...

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Legal Career Path Mistakes

by Jon Lewis and Michael Lord

For the most part, it is very difficult to provide one-size-fits-all career advice for attorneys. The same guidance which may make perfect sense for a senior associate hoping to make partner at a Vault 100 firm may be of little use to a second year at a small firm who is looking to someday go in-house. However, regardless of class year/credentials/objectives there do exist some universal pitfalls which all attorneys should try to avoid ...