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Summary: Attorneys that want to continue in a position with a prestigious law firm cannot leave their position with a prestigious law firm, no matter how long the absence from the industry.
Harrison Barnes gives the hard truth to attorneys that may be considering leaving their law firm in his article “Beware! Once You Start Working in a Law Firm, If You Leave You Will Almost Certainly Not Be Able to Return.” The reasons for leaving your job with a prestigious law firm may range from taking a break to maternity leave to going to another position in-house or something similar but the reasons don’t change the fact that getting back in with a prestigious law firm is next to impossible.
An attorney that is not currently working is a red flag to law firms. Even if they don’t assume that the attorney is out of work because they were fired, the law firm will contemplate the fact that the attorney is out of practice.
Barnes estimates the return rate of working in a prestigious law firm to be about 50 percent. Those are not good odds to hope for. Law firms have a lot to consider when looking at an attorney that is out of practice working in a prestigious law firms. Their commitment level will be questioned and their ability to make the firm money will be jeopardized.
Law firms want attorneys that will not stop working for them or at the very least not stop working for law firms like theirs. They are not receptive to talking back attorneys that have left even if the attorney left for a legitimate reason.
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The rules that law firms run by are harsh and unique from other industries but there is always light at the end of the tunnel. If an attorney wants to ensure that they can make a lateral move, they need to keep working with their current law firm. If an attorney has to take time off for illness, maternity, or other then with some hard work and a good recruiter, then they can eventually find something worthwhile.
Do you think law firms are too strict? Tell us in the comments below.
To learn more about being a successful attorney, read these articles:
- Four Mistakes Attorneys Make about Law Firms That Affect Their Long-Term Success
- Two Things Attorneys Must Do to Be Successful
- Harrison Barnes Takes on the Tough Question of “What’s the Point?”
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