The Legal Recruiter

Law firms, like most organizations, develop distinct cultures. Evaluating cultural fit is an important part of figuring out whether an opportunity is the right long-term move. This article touches on several factors to consider when assessing culture. My general advice: trust your gut. Candidates often pick up on subtle cues during interviews, and those impressions are usually pointing in the right direction. fastcompany.com/91520106/job-s…

Happy Friday! It was certainly a happy one for Indiana University Maurer School of Law’s Class of 2026, whose members each received $10K as part of an anonymous gift aimed at reducing their student debt burdens. "According to Education Data Initiative, the average law student graduates with ~$140K in student loan debt." abovethelaw.com/2026/04/law-sc…

A recent op-ed by Mark Lee Greenblatt, former Inspector General of the U.S. Department of the Interior and former chair of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, offers some useful perspective for junior lawyers. In particular, he suggests keeping the following in mind: ✅ Help solve your boss’s problems, rather than focusing solely on your own needs. ✅ Differentiate yourself. He notes that writing an article on an obscure legal issue helped senior attorneys view him as a resource when questions later arose in that area. ✅ Be social, but stay professional. (Take it from me: don’t dress like a pirate on Talk Like a Pirate Day.) news.bloomberglaw.com/business-and-p…

I came across an article discussing AI in the job search process, and there are a couple of key points I want to highlight. AI can absolutely be helpful when it comes to improving resumes or cover letters, but the risk is that if everyone uses it the same way, everything starts to sound the same. The candidates who tend to stand out are still the ones who take the extra step to tailor their materials in a thoughtful way. I also strongly agree with the point that AI alone is not enough. Relationships, communication skills, and judgment still matter in the hiring process. AI can be a useful tool. Just not a replacement for the fundamentals. fastcompany.com/91516948/job-s…

Here’s your monthly Chicago associate hiring update! Good news: it's a strong one. In March 2026, there were 80 new associate openings at Am Law 200 firms in Chicago, compared to 48 in March 2025 and 55 in March 2024. Year-to-date through March, total associate openings are up ~31% vs 2025 and ~30% vs 2024, suggesting hiring activity has strengthened meaningfully compared to the prior two years. A few themes stood out this month: 🔹 Real Estate remains notably active, continuing a trend of steady demand. 🔹 Litigation saw a meaningful rebound, posting one of its strongest months after a quieter streak. 🔹 Corporate activity picked up meaningfully, showing some continued strength since December. 🔹 Regulatory roles were unusually active, reflecting continued demand across specialized regulatory niches. 🔹 Many other practice areas were modestly up, flat, or quiet, although small changes can still reflect large % moves in either direction for smaller niches. March 2026 openings (Am Law 200, Chicago): Bankruptcy: 2 Cap Markets: 3 Corporate: 8 Data Privacy: 2 Employee Benefits: 1 Energy: 4 Finance: 4 Healthcare: 4 Invest Mgmt: 4 IP: 8 L&E: 5 Litigation: 16 Other Regulatory: 7 Real Estate: 8 T&E: 1 Tax: 3 Tech: 0 Here's the year-to-date % change in openings by practice area (2026 vs prior years): Real Estate: +50% vs 2025 | +267% vs 2024 Litigation: -11% vs 2025 | -17% vs 2024 Corporate: +78% vs 2025 | +39% vs 2024 Other Regulatory: +350% vs 2025 | +500% vs 2024 IP: +22% vs 2025 | +13% vs 2024 Invest Mgmt: +40% vs 2025 | flat vs 2024 Healthcare: +57% vs 2025 | +67% vs 2024 Finance: +52% vs 2025 | +52% vs 2024 Energy: -10% vs 2025 | -17% vs 2024 L&E: -32% vs 2025 | -22% vs 2024 Employee Benefits: -29% vs 2025 | -29% vs 2024 Data Privacy: -67% vs 2025 | -25% vs 2024 Tax: +33% vs 2025 | +300% vs 2024 T&E: -33% vs 2025 | -67% vs 2024 Cap Markets: +200% vs 2025 | +100% vs 2024 Bankruptcy: +75% vs 2025 | +167% vs 2024 Tech: -67% vs 2025 | -50% vs 2024 There are now 318 active associate roles open in Chicago at these firms and additional opportunities when you include top boutiques and midsize platforms. This number has been steadily climbing since December and is now 30% higher than just three months ago, showing strength in the lateral market. If you’re thinking about a move or just curious about the market, feel free to reach out here or email me at chris@navigatelegalsearch.com.

The Trump Administration’s increased scrutiny of law firm DEI initiatives appears to have contributed to reduced participation in demographic reporting compared to prior years: “The National Association for Law Placement’s 2025 report on law firm diversity includes data from 180 law firms — 47 fewer than the previous year. As a result, its dataset includes demographic information on 31,000 fewer lawyers than the previous report, which represents a 29% decline.” reuters.com/legal/legalind…

Bloomberg Law released its annual Attorney Workload & Hours Survey for 2025. Some interesting findings: 🔷 Attorney job satisfaction grew after 2023 🔷 Associates on average feel more burnout than partners 🔷 Average weekly hours billed increased in 2025 after decreases in 2023 and 2024 🔷 Average hours worked in 2025 are the highest since 2021 Good to see associates indicating higher job satisfaction compared to 2021, surprisingly alongside higher hours worked. news.bloomberglaw.com/business-and-p…

I often harp on how important networking can be in a job search, but it also plays a meaningful role in broader career development. "Many job seekers who put effort into building connections see real results. Workers say networking has led to: 39% receiving a referral 36% securing an interview 32% receiving a job offer 17% earning a promotion Altogether, 71% report at least one positive outcome tied to the relationships they built." finance.yahoo.com/news/84-us-job…

New in law school recruiting: some large firms are offering up to $50K for 1Ls to pursue public interest work their 1L summer, contingent on committing to a 2L summer with the firm. abovethelaw.com/2026/03/top-bi…

Due to attrition, the DOJ is waiving its requirement of at least a year of legal experience in some offices. "There are now public postings for assistant US attorney openings in Minnesota, South Florida, Montana, Alaska, and Louisiana that list a law degree and active state bar membership as required qualifications. They don’t mention a minimum period of service, while other US attorney’s offices still mandate at least one or three years out of law school." news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/do…

Happy Friday! A small win for the legal industry: it ranked lowest in a recent survey measuring “AI brain fry.” "Prevalence of AI brain fry seemed to vary widely with people’s roles. At the low end, just 6% of those in legal roles reported experiencing it, compared to the high end of 26% of those in marketing roles." hbr.org/2026/03/when-u…

I was recently blown away by an incredible performance review from a candidate, and it was a great reminder that strong performance reviews can be beneficial for associates navigating a lateral job search. At the end of the day, firms evaluating a potential hire are usually trying to get comfortable with two major areas: - Hard skills: Is the quality of the candidate’s work high, and, for more senior associates, is the work product client-ready? Do they demonstrate strong analytical and drafting ability, attention to detail, and judgment? - Soft skills: Is this someone colleagues and clients enjoy working with? Do they demonstrate reliability, responsiveness, professionalism, good work ethic, and sound interpersonal judgment. Thoughtful performance reviews often speak directly to both. As part of a submission, I typically prepare a third-party cover note highlighting key strengths, and reviews can be particularly useful in identifying specific examples of positive feedback from partners and others. In rare circumstances, with candidate approval, including a strong review can help a submission stand out and provide additional comfort to a hiring firm. In one instance, a really impressive review even helped a junior associate address a conflicts-related hurdle when they were not yet in a position to provide references outside of their current firm. Reviews are not a substitute for quality experience reflected in a resume, but when used appropriately, they can be compelling supporting evidence.

"It's not what you know, it's WHO you know." While not the whole story, networking is often an important component of a job search, and this article includes some interesting data to support that point. One study suggests that 85% of roles in 2025 were filled through networking rather than job boards, and another estimates that 70% of positions are never publicly posted. While many law firms still advertise open roles, particularly at the associate level, hiring at the partner level often occurs through professional relationships, including recruiters. From time to time, firms will also meet with associate candidates on an opportunistic basis when a strong profile is introduced, even if no formal opening exists. For example, I recently worked with a candidate who was able to interview with a firm despite no role being publicly posted. Referred candidates are significantly more likely to be hired and often move through the process more quickly. Interestingly, research also suggests that moderately distant professional connections can sometimes provide better job leads than closest contacts, as they connect you to different networks. Relationships are not the only path to a new role, but they can create additional opportunities that may not otherwise be visible through traditional job searches. resumehog.com/blog/posts/net…

You may have already seen the headline: Kirkland & Ellis has become the first law firm to surpass $10 billion in annual revenue. Even more wild to me, the firm has doubled its revenue since 2020. A few other notable data points: • 4,000+ lawyers • 495 equity partners • ~$11M profit per partner (up ~80% since 2020) For all the hang-wringing about AI and other economic factors, many law firms are doing quite well. news.bloomberglaw.com/business-and-p…

AI blowback: New York is considering legislation to limit the use of AI in providing legal advice, along with other professional services. "AI platforms under the bill would not be able to avoid liability by notifying ​users that they are interacting with a “non-human chatbot,” and users could seek damages in court against companies that violate the law." reuters.com/legal/governme…

Happy Friday! Results are in for passage rates for first-time bar takers in 2025. "The ​new figures show that 84% of juris doctor graduates from ABA-accredited law schools who took the bar for the first time passed—up one percentage point over the 83% first-time pass rate in 2024." Here are the top 10 law schools: 1. Stanford Law School 2. Yale Law School 3. Duke Law School 4. Harvard Law School 5. Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law 6. New York University School of Law 7. Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School 8. University of Chicago Law School 9. UCLA School of Law 10. Belmont University College of Law reuters.com/legal/legalind…

Here's an interesting consequence of AI that I honestly didn't factor in: "Tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT are driving a surge in laypeople litigators known as pro se plaintiffs. Employer-side labor law firm Fisher Phillips found that pro se employment lawsuits surged by 49% last year. Lawsuits filed without a lawyer in federal courts under the Fair Housing Act jumped by 69% through the first nine months of 2025 compared to the prior year, Seyfarth Shaw said." news.bloomberglaw.com/business-and-p…

Connecticut and New Mexico are the latest states exploring alternatives to the bar exam. Most proposals tie licensure to public service, with the goal of expanding access to legal services in underserved communities. reuters.com/legal/governme…

Beginning July 2026, federal loans for professional degrees will be capped at $50,000 per year and $200,000 total. For law schools where annual costs approach or exceed six figures (which I also think is too expensive in its own right), that leaves a gap that may need to be filled with private loans carrying higher interest rates and fewer protections. Critics worry this could disproportionately impact lower-income students and those pursuing government or public interest careers. In response, some schools are experimenting with guaranteed scholarships and lower-cost internal lending programs. reuters.com/legal/legalind…

Happy Friday! Job searching can be tough enough that some candidates are getting… creative. Tinder as a networking platform was not on my 2026 bingo card, but I respect the hustle. Sometimes the unconventional path at least gets you in the room... yahoo.com/lifestyle/arti…