A recent article in The Economist discussed ‘How to join the 1%’. The article starts by saying, “Management consultants, investment banks and big law firms are the Holy Trinity of white-collar careers.” To many of our candidates and most of our clients, this statement is a truism. The article concludes by counseling that the key to joining the 1% is not so much brainpower but self-confidence and people skills.  This is something that we at Kinney Recruiting have known for a long time. While, for better or worse,  we work primarily with elite candidates, many just don’t cut it to progress through the biglaw ranks because of intangibles.  Some of our most successful placements have been people who were less brainy and more people-skilled.  The article got me thinking: What does our experience tell us about the best tips for getting and staying with the biglaw elite?

[Caveat: In our opinion, one remains a part of the biglaw elite so long as he/she is employed in a “desirable” position from the point of view of an attorney at the same level.  Though always rare, the closer a biglaw partner gets to retirement age, the fewer such jobs exist outside of biglaw.]

Step 1: Focus your College Career
Starting in undergrad and through law school, have an idea of what your goals are. If it’s getting into a top ten law school or joining a top ten firm, keep in mind that your grades and GPA are going to matter. Sure, everyone wants the typical college experience, but sometimes you have to think of the big picture. If you want to graduate at the top of your class, you’re going to need to spend some time a lot of time in the library. And when you’re not studying, you should be thinking about what area of law you want to work in. While in law school, explore the type of law that interests you through your internships. Having a job offer before you graduate with your JD is key, so take the time a figure out exactly what direction to steer your career.

Step 2: Learn a Language
With so many firms going international, being fluent in a second language is a huge advantage.  It’s naive to think that big firms these days are only working with English-speakers. You will have the opportunity to use most languages in the course of your work, and if you are working in Asia for example, you will absolutely need to speak the local language to converse with clients.  That’s why we recommend you learn a language.  The truth is that native English speakers who have actually learned to speak a foreign language well enough to easily and fluently converse in the language are just more interesting and self-confident than those who haven’t bothered.  As such, they perform better in interviews. Better performance in interviews means more offers.  Done.

Step 3: Network
Ah, yes. The age-old idea that ‘it’s all about who you know.’ Well, try arguing that it’s not about who you know to a recruiter or any lawyer out there who has actually achieved partnership at a top firm or who has achieved high-ranking partnership at even a small firm. In the legal industry, all deals are based on relationships. And as recruiters, we have to form valuable relationships with firms so we know whether or not a candidate will be a good fit. My advice? Make every meeting worthwhile and stay in touch with the people you meet. If you are a candidate of ours or seeking to be one, and if you know people who might matter when it comes to the distribution of legal work, tell us about those connections.  We can decide together how much information to trot out for potential employers and when in the process to do that….or when you’re looking to make a move.  Many factors will come into play during this process.

Step 4: Perfect your Interview Skills & Be a Good Fit
How well you fit is everything.  As noted in The Economist article, this comes down to one fundamental question: Does the interviewer see himself/herself in you?  I don’t mean literally, but does he/she meet you and think, “This person appears to me like I would want to appear in his/her shoes.”  A weak handshake, not recognizing social cues, a never-ending story are all things that interviewers will remember in a negative way because they betray lack of confidence. We do what we can to prepare candidates so that bad things will not happen at the pivotal time. Our advice in a nutshell: Every time you walk into an interview, remain professional while also being conversational.  Think about how you are being seen, and try to do just enough of the talking to keep the conversation moving, no more. Sound daunting? Here’s the solution: practice. Be mindful of your tone of voice, how long you’re speaking, your body language, how you’re dressed. But not only do you need to practice, you also need to study.  You should know the firm, but you should also know some background about the person you’re interviewing.  When you know about someone’s history, you’ll be able to establish a connection, thus making you a more memorable candidate. And when you’re more memorable (in a good way), your chances of landing a job increase.

We believe in interview preparation. Some of us, to be honest, would not interview all that well ourselves without preparation.  We like to hear ourselves talk.  But many of us have worked in elite firms and we regularly interact with senior partners in law firms now. So we have figured it out.   And we at Kinney are always willing to walk through questions with our candidates and provide constructive feedback on the basis of this experience. It’s better to make a mistake in a conversation with a recruiter or friend than one with a hiring manager.

Step 5: Don’t be Hasty
Yes, everyone would like to land their dream job right out of college and live happily ever after, but that’s rarely how it works. Just like every other industry, you have to work your way up to get where you want to be. The point I’m trying to make is: Don’t jump the gun too soon. Obviously, if you’re unhappy in the area of law you chose and there’s no room to change directions in your current firm, by all means, find a new firm. What I want to iterate is that when you’ve been in law school for three or four years, your first job in a firm can seem exhausting. And to be honest, the legal industry can be exhausting. But there’s also a transition period to get used to the work you’re doing. Try to stay where you are for the first few years because jumping around from firm to firm can be a resume-killer, and it will make you hard to place in the future. It’s best to stick it out and wait for the prize — the job at the firm where you’ve always wanted to work.

Overall, when it comes to BigLaw, fit and patience are key. To get invited to join a top law firm is a huge deal, and not easy by any means. It takes years of academic preparation, but it also takes a level of achievement in the social arena that is often overlooked by young candidates.  But if you take the time, you are not so smug that you can’t be trained, and you are focused on what you want to do from a young age, (with the right help) you just might make it happen!