Customer Reviews

How to Get the Job You Want in a Law Firm

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I agree with the previous reviewer from New York. According to the author of this book, you ought to simply throw in the towel if you're not in the top 10% of a top tier law school. The top 10% students at my top tier law school didn't need any job search advice; the jobs came to them.

So who is this book written for, hmmm?

The days of the huge law firm are numbered. New associates are abandoning megafirms like rats from sinking ships. Perhaps Ms. Turnicky and Mr. Theroux ought to consider putting their talents to work writing a relevant, forward-looking job search guide.

A better title might be "Why You Won't Get a Job in a Big Firm Unless You're Perfect." The book does a good job of describing what law firms are looking for, but spends very little time telling you how to get one of the jobs available. Written by a former recruiting coordinator at Baker & McKenzie, its purpose seems to be to make recruiters' jobs easier by discouraging anyone other than the best of the best from applying at all. Read the library's copy if you must, then turn to "Guerrilla Tactics for Finding the Legal Job of Your Dreams" by Kimm Alayne Walton for some serious advice

Apparently, if the firm has less than 200 lawyers, it's not a "law firm" according to this author. This despite the fact that 90% of all legal jobs out there are in smaller firms. Go figure.

While I thought this book was decent, there are other guides to law firms that provide a better inside view of each firm's hiring process. One good example: The Vault Reports Guide to America's Top 50 Law Firms.

Turnicky's book is one of the few that I have found on this subject that addresses the practical aspects of getting a job in a law firm. Unlike most of the authors writing on this subject, she offers inside tips, practical advice and "no gimmicks." It is great to find a "How To" book on this subject written not by a law professor or an attorney, but someone who has spent years on the "inside." If working in a law firm is your goal, you should read this book