Overview of the Fall Recruiting Season

Fall Recruiting Program aims to call to your attention representatives of some, but not all, employers who recruit in the fall for the upcoming fall, spring following that, summer following, and for at-graduate opportunities. In addition to paid positions, employers advertise for externships (course credit) positions as well.

The majority of employers participating in Fall Recruitment are larger law firms and government agencies, given their ability to determine their hiring needs one to two years in advance. However, many other government, judicial, and public interest organizations also hire through this process. These employers are particularly focused on hiring 2L-Day and 3L-Evening students for next summer, although they may also consider 3L-Day and 4L-Evening students for post-graduate positions.
 

Why Participate in the Fall Recruiting Season?

Graduates who have practical legal experience on their resumes in addition to law clinic experience are valued by employers. Such opportunities are available during the fall recruiting season.


Students participating in summer programs of large law firms and government agencies are generally offered employment opportunities after graduation.  It is extremely important that you interview this fall for a summer internship with these companies after graduation if you are serious about working for them following graduation. As a part of the Law Fall Recruiting Program, employers expect that you will apply via the program.
 

What Types of Positions are Available?

Several law firms and government agencies, as well as local employers, participate to fill their needs for school-year and summer law clerks. Consequently, law clerk positions will be available for fall, spring, and summer.  Most of these positions will be filled well before their actual start dates.  Recruiting opportunities for fall include:
 

• Federal Government Summer Honors and Internship Programs (e.g., SEC, DOJ).
• Fall and spring Externship positions with government and public interest organizations.
• Fall and spring Judicial Externship positions.
• Fall and spring small and medium law clerk positions.

Large private sector employers usually hire participants in their summer programs for entry-level positions, so 3L students have limited opportunities.  In the event you are interested in joining a large law firm, but did not participate in their summer program, talk to your career advisor about how you might gain experience that would make you an attractive lateral candidate (an attorney with previous experience in another field).
 

Is the Fall Recruiting Season Only for the Top of the Class?

Not at all! The Fall Recruiting Season offers many opportunities for students.  Also, regardless of your class rank, the Fall Recruiting Program should be a part of all law students' job search.  Despite the strict grade cutoffs at many large law firms, some are interested in interviewing candidates with diverse backgrounds or with other compelling credentials (e.g., bachelor's degree in technology, master's degree in life sciences, prior professional experience, etc.).

When hiring during the fall recruiting season, most government and nonprofit organizations evaluate candidates as a "whole person."
 

Preparing for On-Campus Recruiting This Fall

Recruiting success at your key schools over the years means you are prepared to head back to those schools this fall with your same on-brand tablecloth and turnkey swag. Recruiting early talent once evoked images of busy on-campus career fairs.

Do you remember the piles of branded pens strewn upon your tablecloth, the suitcases full of binders, and the parade of students filing in and out of different booths? The events were generally time-consuming, limiting, and ineffective, from distracting conversations to apparently missed connections.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, everything we knew about campus recruiting was forever changed, just like other industries that once relied heavily on in-person events. An employer's school network is no longer limited to the schools they once visited in person. Instead, it is infinite and exists outside of a physical setting.

People are anxious to get back to normal life now that vaccines are more widely available. If we have learned anything from the past year, it is that we should not stick to the old ways and that some groups were excluded.

That began to change with virtual recruiting.

Students with traditional biases, particularly women and students of color, can level the playing field through virtual career events. As an employer, equity became paramount in how they source and engage students, as well as how they evaluate them intentionally. 

Networks became open and equity prevailed when recruiting transferred from person to online. New connections could be forged anywhere and anytime from the convenience and comfort of the students' homes.

Over the past year, we have learned many lessons that will carry over into the future. This will result in increased adoption of hybrid digital and in-person recruiting for the fall 2021 recruiting season - a model that prioritizes accessibility, convenience, and comfort as the primary characteristics of virtual recruiting.
 

4 Tips to Prepare for Fall On-Campus Recruiting

1. Identify your goals and talent pipeline requirements

This fall, maybe you want to hire a few entry-level salespeople? Could it be that your team is having a hard time filling 12 open roles with engineers from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs)?

Could there be more requests throughout the year for early career candidates? What is the best way to create a qualified talent pool?

As you develop your on-campus recruitment mission statement, take the time to assess your talent needs. Your talent personas should define the technical skills, behaviors, and competencies required to navigate and succeed in your open roles by now.

Use those attributes to fuel your idea of your ideal talent persona profile once you have identified those unique characteristics. It is possible to define different personas for each entry-level position if you are hiring for multiple roles at the same time.

Create concrete goals and talent personas for your career, then access Handshake to find schools that match your skills and interests. You can register for on-campus events on Handshake.

You can find the right candidates with the help of talented personas. By ensuring the tone and language in your job roles and talent personas are neutral, you can look out for and combat unconscious biases in them.
 

2. Ramp up your qualified candidate pipeline

Your career fair and on-campus events are now at the most critical stage (as a marketer, this is certainly the most exciting part). Remember when college recruiters were occasionally able to secure resumes in hand? What do you do to make sure your presentation stands out?

The solution is pretty straightforward - leverage technology to help you market and scale your efforts before you set foot on campus.

The fact that students can see who will be visiting their campus is very important, but a more proactive approach will be key to your on-campus success. Let them know you will be there!

We know that most college students are engaged with employers that send personalized, proactive outreach. What is the process for doing that?

Segmentation allows you to define and save your hiring criteria, then drive interest in your funnel and engagement while on campus by identifying the most engaged student audience. As a result, you can schedule automated reminders and campaigns emails to send ahead of time without adding extra work.
 

3. Opportunities to boost participating employers' brand

What does your organization currently look like to prospects? Does your organization offer a variety of positions? Are your impact and values known to them?

Technology companies, such as The New York Times, are becoming more popular. Journalism majors and creative writing majors have been attracted to apply to them in the past, but engineers are not always on the radar.

Your organization can showcase its unique propositions through on-campus career fairs. Bring to light the employee resource groups (ERGs), corporate volunteering activities, and nonprofit partnerships you work with at your table to demonstrate the culture of diversity and inclusion that sets your company apart from your competitors.

Using career fairs as a way to demonstrate how your business practices are in action can also be beneficial. Take copies of your research reports to the table if you are involved in groundbreaking industry research or working towards sustainability goals. For your diverse populations, you might also consider providing tablets for your students to read or watch.

Be proactive by providing insight before you get there. Getting your current employees and interns to review their experiences at the company and during interviews is a perfect time. Be sure to tell real stories and showcase anything that makes your organization stand out from your competitors.
 

4. Bringing it all together and measuring on-campus ROI

Suppose you exhaust your budget on travel, lodging, swag, and entertainment, and now you are trying to quantify results to your VP and explain which methods worked.

In the past, assessing campus ROI was ineffective and incomplete. The strategies in this post will help you connect with a new student population this fall, nurture them proactively, and tell your employees' stories.

Put it all together and demonstrate how you saved time and hired more qualified candidates and employees as a result of these renewed efforts.

To begin, calculate the conversion rate on campus. Count how many people you contacted before you went on campus and compare that to how many students attended your event. Now, you can directly measure ROI based on the student applications and hirings generated by your efforts.

Consolidate multiple tools into one and ditch the paper trail. 

Find out how you can improve your career fairs in the future. Following up with students that attend your event with a thank you and a short survey will help you to keep in touch. If you want to ensure that they apply, consider asking how their perception changed after stopping by. If they have any feedback, ask them as well.

By signing up for your newsletter, follow-up surveys can also allow you to invite students to remain in touch after graduation. By letting students know about your work and announcing potential jobs after campus events have ended, you can keep them engaged.

We hope you derived more insight from this post regarding how to proactively build your ideal talent pipeline, build relationships with candidates, and evaluate ROI before going on campus this fall. It is time for you to set yourself apart from the talent competition!

During the fall recruiting season, participating employers recruit students through regional job fairs and on-campus interviews.


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.