5 Things to Do Before You Think of Leaving Your BigLaw Firm
When I knew that I was unhappy as a capital markets associate at a BigLaw firm, I tried a few things before I even started thinking of leaving for good. This was 2009, in the middle of the global financial crisis, so it were not a lot of other easy options anyway. So I wrote down what I needed to change and I took action. When I left the firm, I left as a flex time associate.
With the context of my own experience, here are some suggestions of things to do as an unhappy BigLaw associate before you think of leaving:
Have an honest, direct conversation about your unhappiness with your mentor/supervisor partner. Law firms prioritize client service over everything else. This can mean that it's difficult to make time to discuss your progress at a law firm, let alone your frustrations and concerns. But at the end of the day, if you're doing good work, a law firm (specifically, an individual partner that likes you) will find a way to keep you. Write down an outline of the concerns you need to address and ask the partner if you can set aside at least 30 minutes to talk. This wasn't easy to do. And it likely won't be for you. But I'm not understating when I say that it changed my life.
Get your work from the people you like. If you are working at a BigLaw firm, chances are you are working in a particular working group with a particular practice area. Within that working group, there must be partners and more senior associates who you like working with better than others. Have candid conversations with those attorneys about getting staffed on their projects and getting more work. Of course it's easier said than done, but generally speaking, if you're making your hours working for and with the people you like, it is much easier to say "no" to the people that you don't wish to work with.
Ask for a part-time or flex schedule. Just like that. Just ask. Think of the partner that you work with the most that has the most influence within the firm. Someone who interacts frequently with the firm's management would be great. Say that you enjoy your work, and you want to stay, but this is the piece that you need to change. I negotiated a flex time schedule at my large law firm by ultimately doing just this. I asked for half time and I got it. It was not perfect: I often worked long hours on my "on-days," answered emails on my "off-days" and generally had to switch my schedule around a lot. So this was not the kind of schedule that would work for someone who needed to be on a predicatable schedule. But for someone who wants to get themselves more runway while they think more strategically about their next step, it can be a great option.
Take advantage of the professional development department. The amount of professional development support at large law firms increases every year. New positions like internal career advisors are being added. This is a new type of PD professional who often provides job-related advice on a confidential basis. Even if your firm does not have a position like this, chances are they do have a professional development advisor of some kind. They can help you develop a strategy to make your existing job work better for you.
Talk to a recruiter like me! A good recruiter will ask you whether you have done the previous steps and walk you through how to do them. Recruiters would rather have you critically evaluate your current job than have you look at opportunities hurriedly and back out of the job seeking process later down the line. And if it ultimately sounds like a move makes sense at this point (see my article on why associates lateral), then you have someone that can help.