- HOME
- LAW FIRM NEWS
- LEGAL JOB BOARD
- POST A JOB
- MESSAGE BOARD
- JUDGED BLOG
- HOT LINKS
- JUDGED ELITE
- ADD FIRM
- LARGEST US LAW FIRMS
- LAW FIRM RANKINGS
- CRAZY VIDEOS
- GAMES-ARCADES
- LAWYER JOKES
- DAILY TOP 10 LIST
- ASK THE JUDGE
- RATE JUDGED
Sign Up for THE DAILY JUDGED VERDICT. Our daily newsletter covers law firm salaries and everything you want to know about changes affecting law firms from people in the know. Sign Up Now!
9.00
9.00
8.69
8.40
8.33
8.25
8.13
8.03
8.00
8.00
2.70
2.86
3.09
3.12
3.12
3.30
3.35
3.46
3.47
3.65
Job Search News from BCG Attorney Search
Updated: Legal recruiter Harrison Barnes has a message for lawyers who want to avoid living in a van down by the river.
If you want to be a legal professional with the responsibility of handling people’s problems, “You sure as hell better be committed to what you are doing,” writes Barnes, managing director of the Los Angeles office for BCG Attorney Search. And that means being willing to work late and on weekends.
“Most attorneys that tell you they are concerned with their ‘lifestyle’ and ‘balance’ never really amount to much in the law, and that is OK, because not everyone is cut out for practicing law in a high-pressure environment,” Barnes says. Above the Law notes his essay, calling it “an odd marketing choice for a guy who runs a business based on lawyers who want out of their BigLaw jobs.”
Barnes says competitive law firms will discard lawyers “like a virus” if they show a lack of commitment and will be unwilling to rehire those who take time off to write a book or start a business.
“I often hear this line from attorneys that leave a big law firm: ‘I looked at the lives the partners were leading and did not want to be like them. That is why I left,’ ” Barnes writes.
“GREAT DECISION! Now you are living in a small apartment, do not make enough money to support a family and do not have a job. Meanwhile … that partner you did not want to be like is doing important work, has a job and is providing for her family and at least working and contributing to society. You stuck by that decision and how brilliant and smart it was!”
“Most of the world—and the legal profession—is full of people who gave up,” Barnes says. “You can drive through any city and find where the people live who gave up and where the people live who did not give up. The homes of the people who did not give up are generally much nicer.”
Above the Law says Barnes is making a good point when he says that lawyers who agitate for more balance are usually marked for expulsion from BigLaw. But the blog says he is obscuring the economics of BigLaw, which maximizes profit by “forcing bleary-eyed Johnny to review the agreement after 25 hours on the clock when distributing the work to a team would actually serve the client better.”
In an interview, Barnes told the ABA Journal his article is about the way large law firms operate. “I’m just an observer,” he said. “I’ve been doing this for 17 years, and I’ve watched people fall on their face in their legal career. … I don’t think that makes me an evil person for saying that’s what law firms want.”
Asked if his warning about living in a small apartment failed to take into account possible middle-ground legal careers, Barnes replied: “It’s obvious you are biased against my article, which is fine. I see people that have gone to top law schools all the time, that have gotten jobs at top law firms, and then for whatever reason rebel against the whole idea that you have to put in hours and get ahead, and then wind up with not much happening with their lives. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, but they kind of drop out of society.”
Barnes said he formerly worked at a large law firm, but he didn’t leave because it was too demanding. He currently works seven days a week, putting in 80 hours each week. He left BigLaw because he was interested in a more entrepreneurial career. “I do well,” he said. Better than in BigLaw? “Absolutely,” he answered.
Job Search News from BCG Attorney Search
Top Performing Jobs
Associate Attorney
USA-PA-Exton
ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY McKenna Snyder LLC, a law firm in Exton, PA has an immedia...
Apply Now
Attorney
USA-MI-Sturgis
Qualifications: HaasCaywood is seeking associate attorneys for our Coldwater ...
Apply Now
Education Law Attorney
USA-CA-El Segundo
El Segundo office of a BCG Attorney Search Top Ranked Law Firm seeks an educatio...
Apply Now
Education Law Attorney
USA-CA-Carlsbad
Carlsbad office of a BCG Attorney Search Top Ranked Law Firm seeks an education ...
Apply Now
Education Law and Public Entity Attorney
USA-CA-El Segundo
El Segundo office of a BCG Attorney Search Top Ranked Law Firm seeks an educatio...
Apply Now
Make Judged My HomepageMost Recent Topics
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Most Recent Messages
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Dear Judged
Dear Your Honor,
Dear Judge,
Do you ever experience any physical danger in the courtroom? You do deal with all those criminals, right?
Sincerly,
Concerned Bailiff's Mommy
+ more Judged Dear
+ write to Your Honor
Do you ever experience any physical danger in the courtroom? You do deal with all those criminals, right?
Sincerly,
Concerned Bailiff's Mommy
+ more Judged Dear
+ write to Your Honor
The Attorney Profile column is sponsored by LawCrossing, America`s leading legal job site.
Summary: This is a great question. There are many factors that impact a candidate’s ability to lateral from an overseas law firm to a top U.S. law firm.
 |
|
Enter your email address and start getting breaking law firm and legal news right now! |
Articles By Harrison Barnes
Sherman & Howard Grows Litigation Team with Fo...
How to Answer the “Tell Me About Yourself” Int...
New York Real Estate Litigator Michael T. Carr Joi...
Why Most Attorneys Screw Up Interviews and Their L...
Attorney Recruiter Placements and Legal Recruiter ...
Finance Lawyer John Ryan Joins King & Spalding...
Mastering the Interview Process: Insights from the...
The Story of BCG Attorney Search and What We Do fo...
Commercial Litigation Partner Mitch Reid Joins Fox...
The Crucial Role of Business Plans in Law Firm Par...
