Big law layoffs: how long until you landed?

[Anonymous]

DH still looking after six months. Networks constantly, and partners he was close to at his former firm have been trying to help him out too. He hardly even gets in the door for an interview, despite having a stellar resume. How long does it usually take to land a reasonable offer? Feeling pretty desperate here

[Anonymous]

What department and seniority? FWIW -- I'm hearing that the DC law market is worse than other places right now; there are stealth layoffs going on, no one is really quitting their jobs as people are just trying to hold on, and the gov't is not really bringing in to many people due to sequester -- so no firm jobs are really opening up. Any chance you could move -- or he could go to another city and do a commuter marriage for a bit?

[Anonymous]

He's focusing on NY as well as DC (we both have siblings there) but its just so quiet. He's a 7th year corporate attorney. He worked in private equity specifically but also general finance related deals when things started slowing down. Both of us feeling like he will never work again but everyone he speaks with keeps encouraging him to keep looking...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He's focusing on NY as well as DC (we both have siblings there) but its just so quiet. He's a 7th year corporate attorney. He worked in private equity specifically but also general finance related deals when things started slowing down. Both of us feeling like he will never work again but everyone he speaks with keeps encouraging him to keep looking...

Way too much capacity in the legal industry now. The financial crisis was like hitting a reset button. Unless your DS has his own clients, which is now expected of senior associate lateral candidates, he should either try to get an in-house job in the NYC area or change careers. It is easier for a law firm to lay off a 7th year and call it "up or out" than lay off a 4th year and call it a layoff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He's focusing on NY as well as DC (we both have siblings there) but its just so quiet. He's a 7th year corporate attorney. He worked in private equity specifically but also general finance related deals when things started slowing down. Both of us feeling like he will never work again but everyone he speaks with keeps encouraging him to keep looking...

Way too much capacity in the legal industry now. The financial crisis was like hitting a reset button. Unless your DS has his own clients, which is now expected of senior associate lateral candidates, he should either try to get an in-house job in the NYC area or change careers. It is easier for a law firm to lay off a 7th year and call it "up or out" than lay off a 4th year and call it a layoff.

Yeah, agreed with this. My 3rd-year DH is already busting his ass to bring his own clients in so that he's not vulnerable to layoffs.

[Anonymous]

OP - make sure he's also looking at smaller firms; there are good firms out there picking up biglaw former seniors bc those firms are busy -- however, they don't always use recruiters to hire so they're harder to find.

As for bringing in clients, easier said than done at some places. The rate structure is such that most potential clients don't use biglaw firms except for bet the house cases, however when a bet the house case comes along -- chances are that potential client wants a 50 yr old partner, not a 3rd or 7th yr associate; at least that's what's happening on the litigation side. I know certain firms are flexible in fee arrangements but some of the top ones aren't willing to let their seniors take on cases at discounted fees just to land a few clients -- prob. bc they don't want seniors establishing books of business bc then they have to figure out what to do with those seniors whose books may not be huge but large enough for them to "deserve" partnership.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks for the helpful advice--we would actually prefer that he get an in house or small firm position but even those appear hard to nab. As to my original question, what's the norm in terms of timing? Is anyone still out there after 12 months?

[Anonymous]

It took my DH 13 months to find a job after being laid off in 2010, but I think the job market was worse then.

Are they letting him pretend he is still a paid employee there for the purposes of job hunting or is he out the door totally?

[Anonymous]

He should try to contract to bring in money. He could sign up with a temp agency and make 45 an hour, plus time and a half for overtime.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He should try to contract to bring in money. He could sign up with a temp agency and make 45 an hour, plus time and a half for overtime.

Doc review? No. The going rate is $29, not $45. And it's hardly full time because it's two weeks on one week off. But it's something, even if it's stigmatized in this town.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He's focusing on NY as well as DC (we both have siblings there) but its just so quiet. He's a 7th year corporate attorney. He worked in private equity specifically but also general finance related deals when things started slowing down. Both of us feeling like he will never work again but everyone he speaks with keeps encouraging him to keep looking...

Way too much capacity in the legal industry now. The financial crisis was like hitting a reset button. Unless your DS has his own clients, which is now expected of senior associate lateral candidates, he should either try to get an in-house job in the NYC area or change careers. It is easier for a law firm to lay off a 7th year and call it "up or out" than lay off a 4th year and call it a layoff.

Yeah, agreed with this. My 3rd-year DH is already busting his ass to bring his own clients in so that he's not vulnerable to layoffs.

Your DH does not work in Big Law. Big Law-caliber clients have zero interest in a third-year associate. Stop being smug to the clearly-worried OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He should try to contract to bring in money. He could sign up with a temp agency and make 45 an hour, plus time and a half for overtime.

Doc review? No. The going rate is $29, not $45. And it's hardly full time because it's two weeks on one week off. But it's something, even if it's stigmatized in this town.

Really? Was forty five back in 04,05.
Still better than nothing. And two weeks on off is perfect. He needs to spend lots of ton looking for a job, so he should split btwn contracting and job searching.
Yes it's stigmatized but in this market there is no shame in doing it to stop savings from hemorrhaging. My senior associate dh has tod me he would contract if needed if he gets laid off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He should try to contract to bring in money. He could sign up with a temp agency and make 45 an hour, plus time and a half for overtime.

Doc review? No. The going rate is $29, not $45. And it's hardly full time because it's two weeks on one week off. But it's something, even if it's stigmatized in this town.

Really? Was forty five back in 04,05.
Still better than nothing. And two weeks on off is perfect. He needs to spend lots of ton looking for a job, so he should split btwn contracting and job searching.
Yes it's stigmatized but in this market there is no shame in doing it to stop savings from hemorrhaging. My senior associate dh has tod me he would contract if needed if he gets laid off.

It was much higher years ago, yes. I think if you returned today you'd find it depressing. Plus, it's glutted with attorneys who have never been able to find permanent jobs given the terrible market, and they have made this itinerant work their job. No one wants to be doing that. The money isn't sustainable if you have loans and need constant work and benefits; it provides neither. But temporarily, it works. Een better if you leave it off the resume. Can you tell I am bitter?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:, it's glutted with attorneys who have never been able to find permanent jobs given the terrible market, and they have made this itinerant work their job. No one wants to be doing that. The money isn't sustainable if you have loans and need constant work and benefits; it provides neither. But temporarily, it works. Een better if you leave it off the resume. Can you tell I am bitter?

Agree. DH was laid off 6 months ago. Got a fair amount of interviewes early on but conflicted out. He is doing doc review now @ 50 per hour in foreign languages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:, it's glutted with attorneys who have never been able to find permanent jobs given the terrible market, and they have made this itinerant work their job. No one wants to be doing that. The money isn't sustainable if you have loans and need constant work and benefits; it provides neither. But temporarily, it works. Een better if you leave it off the resume. Can you tell I am bitter?

Agree. DH was laid off 6 months ago. Got a fair amount of interviewes early on but conflicted out. He is doing doc review now @ 50 per hour in foreign languages.

Laid off from big law? What year/department?