New York Lawyer
January 29, 2002

Q:
I'm currently practicing at a small litigation firm in Honolulu, and I want to move to New York City. What's the best way to search for and land a job long distance?

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A:
You face some significant hurdles, although to some extent your East Coast marketability will depend on just what kind of litigation that small Honolulu firm of yours does, your level of experience and any particularly sexy and esoteric areas of expertise you may be able to dangle in front of New York employers.

In general, where there is an adequate supply of qualified local talent, employers -- and their agents, the recruiters -- are not thrilled with long-distance applicants. They wonder if the move is well thought-out and justified, or whether it reflects of change-of-scene whim or fantasy. Snobs that they are, they wonder if the capabilities you learned in Hawaii are of the same caliber as in their firms or legal departments. They wonder if they would have to pay relocation expenses that they would save with a local hire. And bar admission is a major issue: They are likely to use New York bar admission as a screening criterion, even for positions that would not absolutely demand that you be admitted (Frankly, I do not know if Hawaii enjoys reciprocity with New York, but I doubt it. If it does, thank your lucky stars.). If the position does require admission, they're faced with the expense and down time of your preparation to take the bar exam -- and why do they need that aggravation?

For long distance applicants, the screening and interviewing process becomes more complex, even if you're willing to foot the bill for plane fare. In many cases, the interviewing process involves a sequence of screening, hiring and ratification interviews and moves along in small, incremental steps. It's not as easy for you to nip in for "a quick supplemental discussion" if you are thousands of miles away, and negotiating by phone is not advisable for either side.

You must add to this the fact that there is a glut of applicants at all experience levels in most Eastern cities these days. Many big firms were caught up in layoffs last year. Many middle-sized firms are being squeezed by the big, specialized shops on one side and hyper-specialized boutiques on the others; the generalists are getting murdered. The corporate legal market looks fairly stable, though, and the temp firms are booming.

I'm also assuming that you are not toting along a few hundred thousand dollars of assured portable business. For lateral moves into law firms, "portables" are the coin of the realm, and without them your only hope is an ability to make 'em a lot of money quickly because of a strong client demand for your expertise.

Even in the "conventional" job markets represented by ads and recruiters, you may have some hiring appeal if you have considerable experience with a particular type of litigation -- say, class-action defense -- or if you have worked with a client company that has a high marquee value ("They trusted you; I guess we can too."). But if you are a younger attorney or a litigation generalist, you probably lack the qualities and experiences to make you stand out from the crowd (unless your law school was top drawer and/or your performance there was stellar). I would not even think about abandoning litigation in connection with this move; the job market wants people to keep doing what they've been doing, and shifts both in geography and function raise some strong alarms.

What will work? Contacts and networking, networking and contacts. Personal visibility and personal market exposure. If a potential employer is not going to be blown away by your paper credentials, your only hope is to blow them away with your personal presentation. To undertake successful networking, first forever discard phrases such as, "I'm thinking of moving to New York." Contingent events allow people too much wiggle room. So you say, "I've absolutely decided that the only place I want to continue my career is in your city. You folks have it right out here. I want to be one of you." I cannot overstate the importance of projecting strong and focused motivation to make this move. If it sounds like a lark or default choice, you're toast.

If you can, plan a two- or three-week trip to New York. Hole yourself up with a laptop and printer. Network your brains out, trying both to cultivate first-level "exposure" contacts and second-tier "let me see what I can do for you" contacts. Hit up anyone you have anything in common with -- other graduates from your law school, other members of bar associations, New York associates you litigated against in your prior life. Get seen. And not just with lawyers -- talk with anyone who knows lawyers.

Read the bulletin boards of the placement offices at all the law schools in New York to find out about existing openings. Rather than dropping your resume in the mail, check Martindale-Hubbell and the legal newspapers to learn the name of the head of the practice group in that firm. Call him or her on the phone (before 9:00 am and after 5:30 pm; maybe they'll pick up their own phone) to express your interest. Be ready with a quick "elevator speech" (less than 20 seconds), that highlights your sharpest hooks.

If you're prepared to make the move without a job in hand, once you're settled, hit the legal temp firms to see if a project placement will give you a little interim butter-and-egg money (but be warned: temp shops prefer mommy-trackers to job-seekers, fearing the latter will jump ship if they land full-time work).

In short, the only thing that will work is personal contact -- as much as you can get, any way you can get it. Be persistent, and be prepared for frustration. Even if you find an opening, you may have to pay some dues -- less dollars or being pushed back a class -- to get the offer. Essentially the same rationale applies for in-house placements -- with the additional burden of explaining why you want to move from a firm to an in-house post.

The playing field is likely to be most level in the realm of government -- particularly federal -- employment. Their postings, hiring protocols and standards are supposed to be fairly uniform, and there is a consistent level of turnover in various agencies (however, federal prosecution and defense openings are incredibly demanding markets.). Yes, networking still works, and a friendly insider can advance your candidacy for a government job. But at least it's a market that purports to be egalitarian and to give full faith and credit to experience from other geographical areas.

Still want to do it? Be prepared to explain why you want it so badly . . . and then go for it.

Sincerely,
Douglas B. Richardson
President, The Richardson Group