Why You Should Never Use a Legal Recruiter: Do Not Use a Legal Recruiter Until You Read This
 
A. Harrison Barnes
Harrison Barnes

I worked very hard at a top college and did the same at a top law school. When I got out of law school, I did a federal clerkship and received offers from several very competitive law firms. When I was interested in switching law firms, I reached out to legal recruiters with the expectation that I would encounter people like me—people who worked in a different capacity but who had similar professionalism, work ethic, and sense of commitment. I was wrong.

Whether or not they were attorneys, the legal recruiters I spoke with did not seem to understand what I did for a living or the legal market. They had access to a few jobs, but they certainly did not know of all of the jobs out there. They were very quick to attempt to sell me on any offer or interview I received. They were aggressive. I was disappointed and disillusioned. Is this who would be responsible for my career? Is this all a high-achieving, motivated attorney looking for career guidance could hope for?