May is now the beginning of law student recruiting season for most law firms across the country. Traditional on-campus recruiting has all but disappeared, and most firms will have to sift through thousands of direct applications, screening hundreds of candidates to hire the right few.
It’s like the “Wild West” search for talent. All the rules and guidelines for hiring summer classes we knew have disappeared.
In addition to this new law school recruiting environment, many firms are facing challenges to their identity from the White House.
More than ever, your attorneys must be well-prepared to conduct impactful interviews. They must also be ready to answer some difficult questions. Candidates (especially ones with offers) are going to want to know how the economy and political climate are affecting both the stability of your business and internal firm policies regarding things like pro bono work and DEI.
I have presented Interviewer Training for 90+ law firms over the past 29 years. It’s one of my favorite programs to teach because hiring the right talent for your firm is critical to its future. This week I presented to two firms in DC and attendees specifically asked what the firm’s stance was on DEI and how to answer questions about why the firm did not sign the Amicus brief.
Have you armed your attorneys with the skills to interview and engage with this next crop of law students, or do they need additional training to ensure they are asking the right questions and prepared to answer difficult ones?