What works in an attorney job search
Successful law firm job searches look surprisingly similar. These are the habits that come up again and again.
Updated October 30, 2026.
They narrowed the search
Candidates who pick a practice area and two or three markets get more interviews than those who apply everywhere. Hiring partners can tell when a letter was written for them.
They wrote to people, not inboxes
A letter addressed to a named hiring partner or recruiting coordinator gets read. “Dear Sir or Madam” to a general address usually doesn’t.
They used every network they had
Law school career offices, alumni, bar association sections and former professors all know who is hiring before it is public.
They looked beyond big firms
Small and mid-size firms hire most new lawyers. They also hire year-round, not just through on-campus recruiting.
They followed up once, politely
One follow-up after about two weeks shows interest without becoming a nuisance.
They kept a clean, short writing sample ready
Five to ten pages, their own work, redacted where needed. Many firms ask for one after the first interview.
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