New York Lawyer
January 22, 2002

Q:
I left the practice of law a couple of years ago to work in politics, but I miss the law. With a state clerkship and some time in private practice (not a big firm) on my resume, do I stand a chance of getting a solid legal job in this market? If so, for what kinds of jobs can I expect to be competitive?

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A:
In down times -- meaning it's a buyer's market -- the "job market" prefers to see nice, linear career paths. Employers perceive less risk with people who have had a clear employment niche and career development path and who have progressed steadily through the "expected" career progression. Any career shift -- whether out of the law or back in -- raises some questions and possibly even alarms. Why did you leave? Competency issues? Motivational issues? Temperamentally unsuited for the practice of law? So let's be honest: You can expect tougher sledding in the job market than a candidate who never left.

But look, a lot of people do not have linear career paths. The real issue is not whether you've made a bounce into another realm, but how credible your explanation is of why you made that bounce -- and, in your case, why you now want to bounce back. Professions generally do not think highly of people who choose to leave the profession, so don't be surprised if you get beaten up a little bit for taking a sabbatical from the Mother Church.

But the presumption that you're incompetent, a loose cannon, insufficiently deferential to the profession or an immature, pleasure-oriented dilettante eminently rebuttable. It's just that you have the burden to explain: A) what value you can add to a certain employer; and B) why you really want to work for that employer. So, whether networking or interviewing, put yourself into the shoes of a somewhat cynical risk-reducer (like a recruiter or hiring partner) and ask yourself the questions they'd ask about whether you're a truly qualified candidate and a safe bet. Don't be defensive; they're entitled to ask.

Since you don't clarify what "in politics" means, it's hard to know what skills or experience you obtained during your two years in public service. What exactly did you do or learn? Where did you work? Was your time away from the law with a branch of government or was it with a political campaign? Were you on the policy end of things? (Ah, conceptual thinking). Legislative affairs? (Drafting, organizing and researching) Constituent relations? (Interpersonal skills and relationship building) Fundraising or political organizing? (Persuasion and project management). And I also need to know why you are "ready for a change." Did your candidate lose? Are you going crazy at some repetitive administrative job? In short, at this point are you moving away from something or toward something. Believe me, the distinction is relevant to the job market.

The kinds of jobs where you can expect to be most competitive are those: A) that draw upon a particular area of subject-matter expertise where you have exemplary credentials; and/or B) where you have directly relevant and strongly-analogous experience -- the kind that suggests you can get up to speed quickly in a specific legal role and can add immediate value. The older you are, the more an employer will expect a flat learning curve and a mature set of professional and personal skills. In short, you must be ready to answer the question, "So, exactly what do you want to do next?" Your networking will not succeed if you go around saying, "If you hear of anything that might be a good fit for someone like me, would you give me a call?" You have to flesh out the details of "someone like me" for your target audience, whether it be a networking contact or an interviewer.

And when you say you "miss the law," what are you telling me (or anyone else you network with)? "The law" is a big place. It has fighters and negotiators and risk-reducers and numbers-crunchers and detail-mongers and altruists and scriveners and speechifiers and a lot of other diverse roles, activities and satisfactions. Do you miss the stability (that assumes you can find some in these tough economic times)? The collegiality? The thrill of a high-risk deal?

Even in the worst job market, anyone has a chance of finding "a solid legal job." It's a big profession, and there is always a need for lawyers in our society, so the job market can never totally tank. It's also a big country. Are you wedded to the Big Apple, or do you have any geographical flexibility? Could you find true happiness in a smaller city or in a suburban or rural environment? Can you afford to take the financial hit almost any legal job outside New York City would imply?

Finally, what about setting? Now that you've experienced both law firm life (where you are expected to be a profit center) and politics or government (where you undoubtedly are a cost center), which did you prefer? Are there other areas in government that might be appealing?

To sum up, objective-setting is crucial at all career stages, but particularly essential for career shifters or prodigal sons (and daughters). As the old saying goes, "If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there." The corollary is that you may be all alone on the highway. You can't sell a "product" � in this case, yourself -- until you identify the features and benefits of that product.

Sincerely,
Douglas B. Richardson
President, The Richardson Group