How Attorneys Can Get Jobs Rapidly In Interviews and Even After Being Rejected by Law Firms

Harrison Barnes

A few weeks ago a seven-foot tall, 300+ pound man showed up at my office trying to tell me he wanted to hire and train a sales force to sell some services I sell. He was one of the largest men I have ever seen and hunkered like a giant in our conference room.

He wanted me to hire him to train a sales force to do something called “The One Call Close.”
 
He sat there breathing heavily with a BATH towel in front of him that he was using to wipe sweat off his giant bald head as he spoke.
 
It was a strange experience. He’d apparently spent an entire week preparing his presentation for me and it contained all sorts of animations and so forth – it was pretty good.
 
He gave the presentation on an iPad. It looked like an iPhone as it was dwarfed by his giant hand.
 
I actually felt quite sorry for the guy because he was trying so hard. You have to admire people who are doing their best to succeed and make stuff happen.


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For whatever reason, he was also extremely nervous and fumbled around from slide to slide on his iPad. I could not wait for the presentation to end–I felt so sorry for this guy and knew I could not help him at all.
 
The reason I could not help him was really pretty simple: I do not believe in the “One Call Close.”
 
In a “One Call Close” you get people to commit to buy something, hire you and so forth in “one call”. If the person does not purchase right then and there, then you move on and “hunt” for a new prospect.
 
Many people feel that if someone does not buy something, or get hired immediately–all hope is lost. I see this with salespeople all the time. They call me once about something, I say “No”–and they move on.
 
Sometimes they call me back once or twice. With rare exceptions, they call me back three or four times. How rare it is, however, that someone ever calls me back more than that.
 
Most salespeople, job seekers and others only care about the “One Call Close.”
 
Many job seekers, salespeople and others proceed under the belief that they are approaching a standing army with their marketing efforts. Either the person responds to their email, telephone call, job posting and so forth now – or they move on.
 
How’s that for persistence?
 
I run a company called BCG Attorney Search – a legal recruiting firm. I would estimate that more than 50% of all attorneys in the United States have applied to work with this company in the past several years. We work with a lot of attorneys who contact us looking for jobs; however, we also reject a substantial number of attorneys who come to us looking for jobs as well.
 
When the company cannot work with someone who applies with us, we generally send them a nice email telling them we do not have any openings at the moment, and they are urged to check back with us for any potential openings in the future. These emails come from me. In the nearly 15 years I have sent out these emails (more than 500,000 of them), I would estimate that fewer than 10 people ever called me [on the phone] in response to this email a month or two later.
 
If these people had called me back in response to the email at a later date the odds are very good that I would have had an opening for several of them. But most people are preaching to standing armies –and do not realize that opportunities are fluid and move at different speeds. Employers have needs for different types of people at different points in time. Everything is fluid.
 
When I first started recruiting in the late 1990s, corporate attorneys were in incredible demand. The demand was such that someone from a three person law firm making $60,000 a year could get a job paying $150,000 on the opposite side of the country with a 500+ person law firm. They would have all of their moving expenses paid, get signing bonuses and so forth. A lot of these attorneys I placed during that time thought I walked on water – but it was something far different that created this demand.
 
When the same person got out of law school a few years previously, they were lucky to have gotten a job at all. What changed?
 
The market changed.
 
The market is always changing and people have different needs and demands at all points in time. If you apply to a job or try to make a sale at one point in time and do not succeed – the last thing you should do is give up.
 
Last night I was watching “live” television and was amazed at the number of advertisements there are on live TV. For the past several years I have generally recorded the shows I want to watch and then fast forwarded through the ads.
 
– I watched an entertaining advertisement for some sort of New Orleans rice with a man in a top hat who plays a trumpet.
 
– I watched another advertisement for a toenail fungus killer involving a male nude model being embarrassed about his toenail fungus while having his picture painted.
 
I have no interest in either toenail fungus killer or New Orleans rice; however, I doubt these marketers care. They would not be spending tens of thousands of dollars to run an advertisement on network television unless they got some sort of benefit out of it. Here, they are likely benefiting from (1) making their brand known and (2) appealing to the small set of people in the immediate market for New Orleans rice and toenail fungus killer right then and there.
 
An important component of getting a job, selling something and so forth is realizing the importance of always communicating with your audience.
 
Your potential clients are not a standing army either responding to your offer then or not. Instead, your clients are more akin to a “moving parade” – they are all in different places in terms of what they are seeking at all points in time. You want to be there at the point in the parade when they are interested in taking action.
 
For example, a recruiter may call someone on the phone while they are in the middle of a huge project with a deadline and cannot think about moving firms. They may sound hurried and rude on the phone.  None of this means the person is not interested in a new job – but that’s what an average recruiter would think.
 
The next day, after working three straight days and nights with no help, the person may have missed the deadline and gotten a stern warning about their performance from their boss. They may be really upset about how they were treated. If you were to call them then (or email them then) they might be more likely to respond.
 
Most people feel they need to do one thing once and if it does not work at first they need to move on. You need to constantly be in touch with people and constantly establish trust.
 
In order to be as successful as possible in your career, you should be communicating with your target clients and employers at all times. When you are communicating personally you are establishing a relationship with people and doing something most people will not:
 

• People want to feel important
• People want to be chased
• People want to be cared about
• People want others to be interested in them

 
It often takes as many as eight or twelve contacts with a person before they even notice you. You can never expect people to open up to you and commit to you 100% after your first contact with them. This sort of thing does happen, of course, but it is rare and not common.
 
You always want to move people along a slow continuum. Let them see you in the market. Then email them and make contact with them. Then call them and so forth. You need to move people along and constantly be there. Just because they are not interested in using your service right now does not mean they will never be.
 
You need to constantly be in front of people and make them aware that you are there. Email is a great way of doing this. It is something people always appreciate because it shows you are interested in them and puts you in front of them. Personal meetings are another way of doing this.  Phone calls are yet another way of doing this.
 
Constantly communicate with people. Whether you want them to hire you, buy things from you or simply develop a stronger business relationship with you, communicating is the key to success.

About Harrison Barnes

Harrison Barnes is a prominent figure in the legal placement industry, known for his expertise in attorney placements and his extensive knowledge of the legal profession.

With over 25 years of experience, he has established himself as a leading voice in the field and has helped thousands of lawyers and law students find their ideal career paths.

Barnes is a former federal law clerk and associate at Quinn Emanuel and a graduate of the University of Chicago College and the University of Virginia Law School. He was a Rhodes Scholar Finalist at the University of Chicago and a member of the University of Virginia Law Review. Early in his legal career, he enrolled in Stanford Business School but dropped out because he missed legal recruiting too much.

Barnes' approach to the legal industry is rooted in his commitment to helping lawyers achieve their full potential. He believes that the key to success in the legal profession is to be proactive, persistent, and disciplined in one's approach to work and life. He encourages lawyers to take ownership of their careers and to focus on developing their skills and expertise in a way that aligns with their passions and interests.

One of how Barnes provides support to lawyers is through his writing. On his blog, HarrisonBarnes.com, and BCGSearch.com, he regularly shares his insights and advice on a range of topics related to the legal profession. Through his writing, he aims to empower lawyers to control their careers and make informed decisions about their professional development.

One of Barnes's fundamental philosophies in his writing is the importance of networking. He believes that networking is a critical component of career success and that it is essential for lawyers to establish relationships with others in their field. He encourages lawyers to attend events, join organizations, and connect with others in the legal community to build their professional networks.

Another central theme in Barnes' writing is the importance of personal and professional development. He believes that lawyers should continuously strive to improve themselves and develop their skills to succeed in their careers. He encourages lawyers to pursue ongoing education and training actively, read widely, and seek new opportunities for growth and development.

In addition to his work in the legal industry, Barnes is also a fitness and lifestyle enthusiast. He sees fitness and wellness as integral to his personal and professional development and encourages others to adopt a similar mindset. He starts his day at 4:00 am and dedicates several daily hours to running, weightlifting, and pursuing spiritual disciplines.

Finally, Barnes is a strong advocate for community service and giving back. He volunteers for the University of Chicago, where he is the former area chair of Los Angeles for the University of Chicago Admissions Office. He also serves as the President of the Young Presidents Organization's Century City Los Angeles Chapter, where he works to support and connect young business leaders.

In conclusion, Harrison Barnes is a visionary legal industry leader committed to helping lawyers achieve their full potential. Through his work at BCG Attorney Search, writing, and community involvement, he empowers lawyers to take control of their careers, develop their skills continuously, and lead fulfilling and successful lives. His philosophy of being proactive, persistent, and disciplined, combined with his focus on personal and professional development, makes him a valuable resource for anyone looking to succeed in the legal profession.

About BCG Attorney Search

BCG Attorney Search matches attorneys and law firms with unparalleled expertise and drive, while achieving results. Known globally for its success in locating and placing attorneys in law firms of all sizes, BCG Attorney Search has placed thousands of attorneys in law firms in thousands of different law firms around the country. Unlike other legal placement firms, BCG Attorney Search brings massive resources of over 150 employees to its placement efforts locating positions and opportunities its competitors simply cannot. Every legal recruiter at BCG Attorney Search is a former successful attorney who attended a top law school, worked in top law firms and brought massive drive and commitment to their work. BCG Attorney Search legal recruiters take your legal career seriously and understand attorneys. For more information, please visit www.BCGSearch.com.