Recruitment Management

Leading the Legal Recruitment Team: A Recruitment Administrator's Handbook, Gayle Englert

NALP, 2001. The seven sections of this comprehensive guide for recruitment administrators offer step-by-step advice on strategic planning; law school and student recruitment; the summer associate program; lateral hiring; training, evaluation, and retention issues; technology; and such additional aspects of recruitment as counseling and human resources issues.
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Recruiting Lawyers: How to Hire the Best Talent, Marcia Pennington Shannon and Susan G. Manch

ABA Law Practice Management Section, 2000. Marcia Shannon and Sue Manch share their extensive experience in this excellent reference for both new and experienced legal recruitment professionals.
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Lateral Hiring Best Practices Guide

Second Edition, NALP, 2010. This 41-page compilation of recommendations from the NALP Recruiting Section addresses needs assessment to determine whether your firm should hire a lateral lawyer; issues to consider before hiring; methods for hiring laterals; strategies and procedures for lateral hiring; marketing to attract laterals and encourage search firms to promote your firm; due diligence; and lateral integration. The appendix includes a due diligence comparison chart for associates and partners and a list of additional resources on lateral hiring. Available as a free PDF download.

Partner & Practice Group Acquisition: A Primer on Management & Administrative Practices, Susan G. Manch

NALP, 2004. This primer provides succinct, step-by-step advice on every stage of the partner acquisition process, from strategic and cultural planning to the selection process and orientation issues.
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Maximizing Law Firm Profitability: Hiring, Training, and Developing Productive Lawyers, Susan G. Manch and Marcia Pennington Shannon

Law Journal Press/ALM, 2007. The authors of this comprehensive desk reference are familiar to many NALP members because of their frequent NALP conference presentations, which consistently win rave reviews. In this thick volume's 23 chapters, they address virtually every aspect of developing a firm's most valuable resource - its lawyers - covering such subjects as development of practical in-house lawyer training programs; when and how to give trainees both positive and negative feedback; effective recruitment techniques; teaching lawyers how to manage practice groups; considerations in deciding on partnership offers; teaching the essentials of negotiating, client relations, and people skills; successful integration of lateral hires; supporting diversity in recruitment and development efforts; the facts of associate attrition; reorganizing practice specialties; developing a performance evaluation system; peer and upward reviews; instilling loyalty; keeping morale high in all economic climates; developing state-of-the-art training curricula; helping lawyers cope with stress; outsourcing legal services; effective mentoring that appeals to the changing demographics of professional services firms; addressing the human factors in a law firm merger; and retaining top-notch lawyers.
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Survey of Legal Career Professionals in Law Firms and Employer Organizations

NALP. This biennial survey provides information on salaries, education levels, and job responsibilities of NALP members working for a law firm or other legal employer. Available to NALP members as a free PDF download.
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Employment Termination Source Book, Wendy Bliss and Gene Thornton

SHRM, 2006. This comprehensive guide is not specifically law firm related, but it will help you understand the legal issues involved in terminations, including how to reduce exposure to legal claims. The authors, who are a human resources consultant and an employment lawyer, discuss thoroughly the actions and documentation that should take place before, during, and after separation. Their materials are adaptable for many involuntary and voluntary types of terminations, from firing for cause to layoffs to resignations. Suggestions for turning exit interviews into a learning process are also provided. A CD-ROM included with the book offers 97 samples of termination materials to provide the reader with a head-start on creating forms, procedures, and agreements.
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The Complete Guide to Contract Lawyering: What Every Lawyer and Law Firm Needs to Know about Temporary Legal Services, 3rd Edition, Deborah Arron and Deborah Guyol

DecisionBooks, 2003. Issues addressed by this excellent book include evaluating the types of assignments contract lawyers might handle; finding the right temporary attorneys; ethical considerations; the contract; malpractice insurance; and overseeing and ending the relationship.
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Managing the Legal Search Consultant Relationship, Rebecca Simpson

NALP, 2003. This 32-page booklet offers an overview of the process of working with a legal search consultant — from knowing when it's time to call for help to selecting and cultivating a core group of quality search consultants; a sample contract is included.
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For additional information helpful to recruitment professionals, see Professional Resources > Recruitment.

Retention/Attorney Attrition

Loyalty by Design: A Practical Guide for Developing an Effective Associate Integration Program, Caren Ulrich Stacy and Dusti Plunkett

The NALP Foundation and NALP, 2005. This book provides an overview of all aspects of associate integration programs.
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Solving the Part-Time Puzzle: The Law Firm's Guide to Balanced Hours, Cynthia Thomas Calvert and Joan C. Williams

NALP, 2004. Dissatisfaction with work/life balance has been documented as a major cause of associate attrition, and many associates cite the lack of viable, non-stigmatized balanced hours options as a significant factor. This handbook presents the business case for balanced hours programs; describes methods of analyzing the effectiveness of current part-time programs; and provides clear advice on implementation of a balanced hours program.
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The Extraordinary Law Firm: Making Your Firm a Great Place to Work, Charles E. Stinnett

Association of Legal Administrators, 2007. What makes a firm a great place to work? This book examines some of the factors, including real world examples of Fortune "100 Best Companies to Work For" firms. Numerous best practices are also suggested. The Extraordinary Law Firm can be purchased from the online bookstore at www.alanet.org.
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Update on Associate Attrition

The NALP Foundation has issued multiple Updates on Associate Attrition. Each report covers law firm associate hiring and attrition during the previous calendar year, featuring comparisons of hiring and attrition by law firm size, by gender, and by minority status. These Updates also categorize attrition as "wanted" or "unwanted" by the participating law firms — a critical factor in assessing whether or not attrition is problematic or just a normal part of the law firm business model. Brief analyses and numerous tables and charts are featured. For information on the latest Update on Associate Attrition, as well as on earlier Updates that are still available, go to www.nalpfoundation.org.

Managing Law Firm Recruitment and Retention in a Downturn

The NALP Foundation, 2008. Volatile economic cycles periodically punctuate the legal marketplace. This report is about management of lawyer capacity during a downturn. Generated from the contributions of practitioners, administrators, and consultants, the report addresses pragmatic business, policy, and philosophical issues management faces when dealing with an economic slow-down. For more information or to order, go to www.nalpfoundation.org.

Navigating the Bridges to Partnership

The NALP Foundation, 2007. What does it take to become a partner? Is it all about billable hours and profitability or does advancement also depend on mentoring, pro bono activities, leadership, or other qualities and characteristics? This study documents what respondents perceived to be important to their advancement within their firms. For more information or to order, go to www.nalpfoundation.org.

Toward Effective Management of Associate Mobility — A Status Report on Attrition

The NALP Foundation, 2005. The findings of this report reflect associate departures from January 1, 2002, through December 31, 2004, as reported by a representative sample of law firms nationwide. In addition, the report includes a comprehensive guide for tracking associate departures to gain management and competitive insight as well as an attrition diagnostic tool for assessing the cost of attrition. Best practices in associate management are also reviewed.
For more information or to order, go to www.nalpfoundation.org.

In Pursuit of Attorney Work-Life Balance: Best Practices in Management

The NALP Foundation, 2005. The desire for work-life balance is often cited as a reason for lawyers to depart their firms. This report provides data on the strategies used by employers to support attorney work-life balance and on the nature of the conflicts attorneys experience between their work responsibilities and personal/family priorities. For more information or to order, go to www.nalpfoundation.org.

The Significance of Summer Programs

The NALP Foundation, 2003. This research study looks at the importance of summer programs to both employers and students. Factors studied include: acceptance rates and success criteria; the impact of summer programs on students' post-graduate job choices; factors that influenced students' choices of employers and acceptances of jobs; employer strategies regarding split summers; productivity of summer associates; budget allocations; compensation and benefits; training experiences; mentoring; administration of work assignments; evaluation experiences; and social activities and outings. For more information or to order, go to www.nalpfoundation.org.

Keeping the Keepers II: Mobility & Management of Associates

The NALP Foundation, 2003. This research report provides comparative data on entry-level and lateral associate attrition from 1998-2003. Data on attrition rates of women and attorneys of color is included, as is information on the reasons for departures and the destinations of departing associates. For more information or to order, go to  www.nalpfoundation.org.

Beyond the Bidding Wars: A Survey of Associate Attrition, Departure Destinations & Workplace Incentives

The NALP Foundation, 2000. This earlier report provides an in-depth look at associate departures from law firms — where associates go, and what — if anything — firms can do to influence associates' career decisions. For more information or to order, go to www.nalpfoundation.org.

Keeping the Keepers: Strategies for Associate Retention in Times of Attrition

The NALP Foundation, 1998. This comprehensive benchmark report on associate attrition patterns from 1998-1996 was the first national study of attrition and is still frequently cited and consulted. Survey and focus group findings are complemented by the presentation of 120 action agenda items to enhance associate retention. For more information or to order, go to www.nalpfoundation.org.

The Lateral Lawyer: Why They Leave & What May Make Them Stay

The NALP Foundation, 2001. This research report offers insights on the length of time laterals expect to stay in their current jobs, the differentiated criteria law firms employ for hiring entry-level and lateral associates, and detailed data by firm size, gender, graduation year, minority status, and practice area. The Lateral Lawyer also offers more than four dozen potential responses for firms to consider as they plan for lateral recruitment, retention, and development initiatives. For more information or to order, go to www.nalpfoundation.org.

Perceptions of Partnership: The Allure & Accessibility of the Brass Ring

The NALP Foundation, 1999. While less directly focused on attrition than some of The NALP Foundation's other studies, the focus of this study — whether or not partnership is an incentive for today's associates — has a clear relationship to retention. The report particularly addresses the perceptions of women and associates of color regarding equitable access to mentoring relationships, professional development, and other opportunities perceived as affecting access to partnership. For more information or to order, go to www.nalpfoundation.org.

Small and Medium Employers

Choosing Small, Choosing Smart: Job Search Strategies for Lawyers in the Small Firm Market, Donna Gerson

Revised 2nd edition, NALP, 2005. An experienced career counselor offers comprehensive information on career paths for lawyers who choose practice in a small firm; job search advice and tips for succeeding at a small firm are also featured in this book.
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Negotiating with Small Firms

NALP, 2004. This 12-page brochure offers tips on negotiating salaries with small firms.
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