Interview, LinkedIn

3 more ways in-house recruiting has changed over 20 years

  • On October 4, 2025
Last week I talked about the 4 changes I’ve seen with in-house recruiting over the last 20 years (in summary: no more suits, the rise of Zoom interviews, writing/presentation exercises, and LinkedIn profiles). Here are 3 more: Expect employers to back-channel you. Why? Because everyone is on LinkedIn now so it’s easy to see who […]
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Inhouse, Interview, LinkedIn

4 Changes in Recruiting Lawyers over the last 20 Years

  • On September 27, 2025
I’ve been recruiting lawyers in the Bay Area for 20 years now! Four ways in-house recruiting has changed: No more suits in interviews (except maybe for public biopharmas)! Business casual is almost always acceptable. You can ask your recruiter or contact at the company what is the norm. A component of the interview process can […]
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Interview, Networking, Presentation

What is the #1 communication mistake people make?  

  • On September 20, 2025
In today’s job market, landing a job takes a lot of networking. The Bay Area in-house job market in particular requires lawyers to come with good reputations, so folks looking need to keep up with their connections and have non-awkward conversations! I agree with attorney and social media star Jefferson Fisher that the top mistake […]
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Market, Networking

Best tactics in this job market

  • On September 13, 2025
It’s a weird market now. We are waiting on geopolitical stability, lower interest rates, and predictable tariffs and supply chains for a turnaround, which is a tall order! As a result “job seekers can’t rely on the usual tactics” per HR expert Morgan Williams. What should they be doing instead? Her article can be found […]
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Market

Job Market Deteriorating Now

  • On September 6, 2025
The job market is “deteriorating markedly” says WSJ. The “hot jobs market of the postpandemic years is over.” Some details: Because the economic outlook is “incredibly uncertain,” companies “are being very cautious about adding personnel” and “pulling back on hiring to keep profits healthy at a time of tepid demand.” The economy lost net 13,000 […]
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Interview

“Sudden death” answers: Do they apply to an in-house interview?

  • On August 29, 2025
NYU Professor of Management Suzy Welch identifies three “sudden death” answers that will “instantly disqualify yourself” in a job interview. But do they apply in a legal in-house interview? While two are spot on, the third requires more nuance, especially for Bay Area lawyers. “I want to start my own business someday.” This is a definite […]
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Interview

What is the Hiring Manager Thinking?

  • On August 22, 2025
I know the hiring process seems like a black box, but hiring managers are actually predictable. Here’s a breakdown of what’s going through their mind at each stage: Are you a good fit on paper? Often managers want to see certain schools and training at specific places. Almost all want to see relevant experience, e.g., […]
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Market

Feel stuck in the Bay Area legal market? Here’s what you need to know.

  • On August 20, 2025
Feel stuck in the Bay Area legal market? Here’s what you need to know. You are not alone in feeling like the market is paralyzed. WSJ reports “Americans are stuck in place.” (https://www.wsj.com/economy/american-job-housing-economic-dynamism-d56ef8fc?mod=hp_lead_pos7) Entry level jobs are hard to come by. Those gainfully employed aren’t changing jobs. And housing is getting even more difficult. (In […]
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Uncategorized

Law school rankings for big law job prospects

  • On August 10, 2025
Because law school is such an expensive investment, it makes sense to consider job prospects at graduation. US News recently ranked the top law schools by percentage going to big law (the easiest way to kill debt). It’s worth reviewing with a grain of salt. https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/most-grads-at-big-law-firms-rankings The top California schools according to US News in […]
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Market

Which industries pay lawyers best? Tech of course!

  • On August 2, 2025
Which industries pay the best? Tech. The top 5 best paid legal heads are all at tech companies. At #1, Alphabet paid Kent Walker $30.2M (compared to $27.3M in 2023). Broadcom is second, paying Mark Brazeal $29M (compared to $15.5M in 2023). (See https://www.law.com/corpcounsel/2025/07/28/2025-gc-pay-report-at-top-of-rankings-techs-rising-fortunes-crowd-out-other-industries/) Of 544 legal heads tracked by Corporate Counsel, the majority (56%) […]
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