It is also better to evaluate a potential move if the alternative-staying at one’s firm-is not itself unpleasant. It is always better in an interview to be able to truthfully say that you are doing well at your firm and aren’t looking to run for the door. Sometimes an associate finds that they would be better suited at another firm and sometimes those meetings affirm that the associate is in the best place for their career goals.Īssociates should go to market before their firm situation is unbearable. There are also fewer opportunities for senior associate to move because law firms generally have fewer senior associates and because firms need a few years to evaluate a new associate for promotion.Įven associates who are happy with their firm should take a few meetings in their midlevel years to better understand the market and what another firm may have to offer. There is generally light demand for junior associates because a firm can rely on its summer hiring to fill in the junior ranks. At this point an associate has gained significant experience and skills and midlevel associates play a significant role in running a deal or case, managing both up and down. Here, an associate might make the move to a firm with higher prestige in order to facilitate a second move to another firm that has better partnership prospects.Īs a general rule, associates are most in demand on the lateral market when they are in their fourth through sixth years. Another approach is to move up in order to move down. An associate might look to move down to a firm with lesser prestige to have better partnership prospects as the “big fish in a little pond” or to have a better work/life balance. While BigLaw associate salaries are generally the same, counsel and partner compensation vary greatly. An associate might move upmarket to make more money as counsel or partner. Do not just move for the sake of something new-the newness will wear off and you may be just as unhappy at your new firm.Ī common move is to lateral to a firm with more prestige or better exit opportunities to set up a move in-house. If you are unhappy with your current firm, think about why you are unhappy and what you want out of a lateral move. These are sometimes made as an interim move to set up the associate for their ultimate goal. There are many reasons to make a lateral move, including better partnership prospects, more prestige, different client base, better lifestyle, relocating to another market, and retooling to another practice area. Here are some key things to consider before making a switch. Even an associate who is happy at their firm should take the opportunity to interview with other firms to make sure they are in the best spot for them. If their firm is not working out for them, associates should not stay with their firm out of a misplaced sense of loyalty. Many lawyers choose their first legal employer after only one year of law school and with limited information. They want their managers to be able to know about all of the products the store carries and make sure they are able to help not only their stock personnel with questions but also assist customers with new product inquires.It used to be the norm that a lawyer would spend their entire career with one firm, but that is increasingly unlikely in this day and age. Many organizations require their management staff to be well-rounded within the organization and often have to take various assignments before they are ready for a management position.įor example, Publix supermarkets require all of its stocking personnel to have had experience ordering and merchandising every department within the store in the grocery area. I just want to add that making a lateral move within a corporation helps to develop your career within the organization and possibly prepare you for a higher level position. In this situation, it might be better to decline the lateral position and seek a higher paying job with another company. While learning a new job is exciting, the lack of a salary increase might not make it worthwhile for you. For example, if you have worked for a company for a while and have not had much of a salary increase, this may not be a job that you may want to take. I think that a lateral move also has a downside.
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