Why Almost No Law Firms Care About Legal Recruiter Fees

Many attorneys are under the mistaken belief that law firms care if a legal recruiter is involved in their placement. When you consider the totality of what is going on, this is not the truth at all. What should concern you is if a law firm does not use a legal recruiter for its placement needs.

 

If a law firm has enough work to keep you busy, they will not care about paying a placement fee.

Law firms that have a lot of work could not care less about paying a placement fee. Let’s do the math.
 

• If you are an associate making $200,000 a year, the odds are that your billing rate will be somewhere north of $500 an hour – potentially as much as $800.
• Assuming, conservatively, that you bill an average of 2,000 hours a year, you will bring in between $1,000,000 and $1,600,000 in fees for your firm over a year.
• That means that there will be an extra $800,000 to $1,400,000 in revenue above what you take home.
• For an associate who makes $200,000 a year, the fee that a recruiter would charge will typically be between $30,000 and $50,000 (two weeks of work).

 

From a business standpoint, using a legal recruiter is a no-brainer business proposition for almost all law firms.

The law firm will likely attach conditions that state if you stay for less than a year, a portion (or all) of the fee will be refunded. Therefore, unless the firm earns a great deal of money from you, the recruiter will not even receive the fee.
 
Some law firms may also wait a full year before paying the fee, so they take on minimal risk.
Most law firms will pay the fee over time – some a portion every month, or six months.
 
In return, the recruiter needs to find you, get jobs from the firm, prepare you for interviews, screen you for the firm, and pay all of its overhead required to run a business. The recruiting firm is the firm’s advocate in the market and provides them with access to the sort of talent they need to continue operating a business.
 
While a $30,000 to $50,000 fee may look like a lot of money, the costs of running a recruiting firm mean that most recruiters earn far less than the attorneys they end up working with and placing.
 
Quite honestly, a fee is the least of a firm’s concerns when they are hiring you. They are more concerned with whether you are a good fit, how hard you will work, your advancement potential, and more.
 
The three characteristics most law firms are concerned with are:
 

• Can you do the job? Do you have the credentials and experience to do the work?
• Can you be managed? Do you look like you will do what you are asked to and not make trouble?
• Will you do the job long term? Does your experience indicate you are likely to stay in the job and commit to it?

 
It is challenging for law firms to find people with these three characteristics. Most attorneys do not have the qualifications to do the work, but if they do, they may have something in their background that shows they are unlikely to be manageable or commit to the job. Examples include losing a previous job, having interests on their resume incompatible with the work, or otherwise looking like they are interested in doing something else based on their past employment, degree, and more.
 
The firm is also concerned with making money and having people to do the work. For this reason, it is common for law firms to use recruiters when hiring.
 
Any firm bothered by a placement fee does not believe it can make money from you – and this is a concern. They may not care about your background and are willing to hire the cheapest person that walks in the door with the idea that you are expendable. They have so little confidence in their future that they are often unwilling to hire you, even when the recruiter offers a guarantee that all but assures your profitability. 
 

If you are a partner with business, a law firm will care less about paying a placement fee.

Paying a placement fee is even less of a concern with a partner. Partners tend to be nothing but profit for law firms, and not paying a fee on a partner is hard to imagine. Any firm that has a fundamental understanding of business is likely not to have an issue paying for you.
 
A partner who makes $1,000,000 a year typically generates $3,000,000 to $4,000,000 of business for their firm each year. The extra revenue beyond what this partner receives will be somewhere in the neighborhood of $2,000,000 to $3,000,000 per year. The fee on the typical partner making $1,000,000 per year is likely to be around $150,000 to $250,000. In most cases, the law firm will only pay if the partner’s actual collections end up hitting the target the recruiter and partner represented.
 
A fee is meaningless to most law firms because you represent tremendous profit potential compared to any cost associated with hiring you. The idea that a law firm would care about a fee that is a small percentage of their future and current costs associated with hiring you is ludicrous. Law firms want recruiters out there that are promoting them and steering profitable partners to them. The idea that the law firm would not pay a small fee to acquire a multi-million dollar annual revenue stream is nonsensical.
 

If a law firm is a competitive place to get a position, they will not care about paying a placement fee.

Any law firm interested in hiring the best person for the job will hardly ever care about paying placement fees. They are likely to be concerned with your work experience, educational qualification, work stability, motivation, partnership potential (if applicable), how your personality meshes with their culture, and other associated aspects of your background. If the law firm has the least bit of concern with these sorts of things, a fee associated with hiring you is not going to tip the balance against you in the least.
 
From a law firm’s perspective, it is not easy to find the best people. It is not easy in any business. When hiring legal placement professionals for BCG Attorney Search, I often need to review 2,000+ applications and speak with 20 or more of these people before I find one person I can make an offer to. For two recent hires I made, I reviewed 2,500 applications, interviewed 20 people, and made two offers. That is a ton of work.
 
Moreover, I need to spend countless hours reviewing resumes and speaking with unqualified people for each position. That is far too much work and not something most legal employers are interested in doing – they would rather a great person show up and eliminate this costly and time-consuming work. That is why they use legal recruiters.
 
Also, law firms are running businesses and constantly losing people and trying to maintain a good brand with their clients – by attracting and keeping the best attorneys to do the work. All a law firm is ultimately selling are its people, and the best people are a priority for the firm.
 
While there is a traditional belief that consumer-facing law firms that do things like personal injury, lemon law, bankruptcy, immigration, and other similar practices may not use legal recruiters because they may not be as competitive to get into, we have found that far from the truth. Over time, some of our best and most selective clients have been firms that do consumer-facing work. These firms are no different from many of the largest and credential-focused firms when it comes to their selectivity and attorney needs. Consumer-facing law firms also need people who are committed to the job, focused on a given practice area, and look like they are capable of advancing. In all honesty, apart from the practice area and perhaps more of a focus on hiring attorneys from schools that look pleasing to clients, most consumer-facing law firms face the same hiring demands as the largest law firms.
 

Almost every law firm uses legal recruiters to fill openings.

There are very few law firms that do not use legal recruiters to fill openings. If any law firm says they do not use legal recruiters to fill openings, this sentiment is generally short-lived – in almost all cases where a law firm has told us they do not use legal recruiters, they almost always come back later and use us. Good people are crucial to the success of their business, and the economics of running a law firm make using a legal recruiter a no brainer for law firms. Consequently, there are hardly any law firms that are desirable places to work that do not use legal recruiters. If a law firm does not use legal recruiters to fill openings, they are often fragile financially and uncertain about their future work.

About Harrison Barnes

No legal recruiter in the United States has placed more attorneys at top law firms across every practice area than Harrison Barnes. His unmatched expertise, industry connections, and proven placement strategies have made him the most influential legal career advisor for attorneys seeking success in Big Law, elite boutiques, mid-sized firms, small firms, firms in the largest and smallest markets, and in over 350 separate practice areas.

A Reach Unlike Any Other Legal Recruiter

Most legal recruiters focus only on placing attorneys in large markets or specific practice areas, but Harrison places attorneys at all levels, in all practice areas, and in all locations-from the most prestigious firms in New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., to small and mid-sized firms in rural markets. Every week, he successfully places attorneys not only in high-demand practice areas like corporate and litigation but also in niche and less commonly recruited areas such as:

• Immigration Law
• Workers Compensation
• Insurance
• Family Law
• Trust and Estate
• Municipal law
• And many more...

This breadth of placements is unheard of in the legal recruiting industry and is a testament to his extraordinary ability to connect attorneys with the right firms, regardless of market size or practice area.

Proven Success at All Levels

With over 25 years of experience, Harrison has successfully placed attorneys at over 1,000 law firms, including:

• Top Am Law 100 firms such including Sullivan and Cromwell, and almost every AmLaw 100 and AmLaw 200 law firm.
• Elite boutique firms with specialized practices
• Mid-sized firms looking to expand their practice areas
• Growing firms in small and rural markets

He has also placed hundreds of law firm partners and has worked on firm and practice area mergers, helping law firms strategically grow their teams.

Unmatched Commitment to Attorney Success - The Story of BCG Attorney Search

Harrison Barnes is not just the most effective legal recruiter in the country, he is also the founder of BCG Attorney Search, a recruiting powerhouse that has helped thousands of attorneys transform their careers. His vision for BCG goes beyond just job placement; it is built on a mission to provide attorneys with opportunities they would never have access to otherwise. Unlike traditional recruiting firms, BCG Attorney Search operates as a career partner, not just a placement service. The firm's unparalleled resources, including a team of over 150 employees, enable it to offer customized job searches, direct outreach to firms, and market intelligence that no other legal recruiting service provides. Attorneys working with Harrison and BCG gain access to hidden opportunities, real-time insights on firm hiring trends, and guidance from a team that truly understands the legal market. You can read more about how BCG Attorney Search revolutionizes legal recruiting here: The Story of BCG Attorney Search and What We Do for You.

The Most Trusted Career Advisor for Attorneys

Harrison's legal career insights are the most widely followed in the profession.

• His articles on BCG Search alone are read by over 150,000 attorneys per month, making his guidance the most sought-after in the legal field. Read his latest insights here.
• He has conducted hundreds of hours of career development webinars, available here: Harrison Barnes Webinar Replays.
• His placement success is unmatched-see examples here: Harrison Barnes' Attorney Placements.
• He has created numerous comprehensive career development courses, including BigLaw Breakthrough, designed to help attorneys land positions at elite law firms.

Submit Your Resume to Work with Harrison Barnes

If you are serious about advancing your legal career and want access to the most sought-after law firm opportunities, Harrison Barnes is the most powerful recruiter to have on your side.

Submit your resume today to start working with him: Submit Resume Here

With an unmatched track record of success, a vast team of over 150 dedicated employees, and a reach into every market and practice area, Harrison Barnes is the recruiter who makes career transformations happen and has the talent and resources behind him to make this happen.

A Relentless Commitment to Attorney Success

Unlike most recruiters who work with only a narrow subset of attorneys, Harrison Barnes works with lawyers at all stages of their careers, from junior associates to senior partners, in every practice area imaginable. His placements are not limited to only those with "elite" credentials-he has helped thousands of attorneys, including those who thought it was impossible to move firms, find their next great opportunity.

Harrison's work is backed by a team of over 150 professionals who work around the clock to uncover hidden job opportunities at law firms across the country. His team:

• Finds and creates job openings that aren't publicly listed, giving attorneys access to exclusive opportunities.
• Works closely with candidates to ensure their resumes and applications stand out.
• Provides ongoing guidance and career coaching to help attorneys navigate interviews, negotiations, and transitions successfully.

This level of dedicated support is unmatched in the legal recruiting industry.

A Legal Recruiter Who Changes Lives

Harrison believes that every attorney-no matter their background, law school, or previous experience-has the potential to find success in the right law firm environment. Many attorneys come to him feeling stuck in their careers, underpaid, or unsure of their next steps. Through his unique ability to identify the right opportunities, he helps attorneys transform their careers in ways they never thought possible.

He has worked with:

• Attorneys making below-market salaries who went on to double or triple their earnings at new firms.
• Senior attorneys who believed they were "too experienced" to make a move and found better roles with firms eager for their expertise.
• Attorneys in small or remote markets who assumed they had no options-only to be placed at strong firms they never knew existed.
• Partners looking for a better platform or more autonomy who successfully transitioned to firms where they could grow their practice.

For attorneys who think their options are limited, Harrison Barnes has proven time and time again that opportunities exist-often in places they never expected.

Submit Your Resume Today - Start Your Career Transformation

If you want to explore new career opportunities, Harrison Barnes and BCG Attorney Search are your best resources. Whether you are looking for a BigLaw position, a boutique firm, or a move to a better work environment, Harrison's expertise will help you take control of your future.

Submit Your Resume Here to get started with Harrison Barnes today.

Harrison's reach, experience, and proven results make him the best legal recruiter in the industry. Don't settle for an average recruiter-work with the one who has changed the careers of thousands of attorneys and can do the same for you.

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.