NEXT STEP
RECRUITING

For Recruits

Let’s face it.  Most legal recruiters see you as a number.  It’s not that they aren’t well meaning; most are.  It’s that they grew up in an environment where both jobs and applicants were fairly fungible.  Most recruiting firms focused almost exclusively on big law because, at the time, those were considered the top jobs.  And they knew a big secret: to most law firms, they weren’t looking for individuals.  Instead, they were all looking for the same person: top school, decent to good grades, no red flags.  Sure some firms wanted people with experience within a certain practice group or who had interest in one of their office locations, but, beyond that, finding decent candidates wasn’t rocket science.

And there was nothing improper about viewing candidates as fungibile, because they knew a second secret:  the firms were pretty much fungible themselves in the eyes of candidates as well.  Some might pay a bit more or, at the margins, invest a bit more in training younger professionals.  But, from a 30,000 foot view, they looked fairly similar. 

Legal professionals are looking for fulfilling careers and realize that they have a wealth of options.  Not all large defense firms are the same; some are embracing diversity and inclusion (while others, unfortunately, are only pretending to).  Many are realizing that lawyers and legal professionals can successfully work remotely.  Some are sticking their necks out and refusing to work for business or governmental interests that are inconsistent with the values of their workforce.  

High stakes plaintiff’s firms are proving an increasingly attractive alternative to the right candidates.  From governmental to public interest to in-house non-traditional legal jobs, candidates have a wealth of options to choose from.

At Next Step, we are not a recruiting factory.  We work with a limited number of candidates and treat them like they are members of our family asking for our advice and expertise to help them with their careers. 

How does this look in practice? We will take time to understand you and your goals.  (We might even push you to think outside the box.) We will help you with your resume, give you real insights into the different employers, and prep you for interviews. If we think that you would fit best with an employer we will tell you that, even if that means our commission is slashed or there is no commission at all.

The reason for this is that we have longer term goals. We know the legal industry is starting to embrace long overdue change. We have been lucky enough to be at the forefront of that change and feel both humbled and energized that we can do our part to make our industry more modern, more diverse, and more fulfilling.  And, in order to do that, you can’t be just a number anymore.