Audio Conferences

  April 26, 2005 at 02:00PM ET

Now, after years of under-recruiting first-year associates, firms are slowly beginning to re-enter the market for newly minted lawyers.

Still, a recent report on law firm hiring trends suggests that in most firms it’s now “common for paralegals to handle trial preparation, research, client and witness interviews, and other work traditionally performed by first-year associates.”

And despite the rebounding marketplace, there’s a prevailing sense among firm leaders that there’s no need to break the bank with junior lawyers.

So, are first-year associates becoming obsolete?

Join IOMA and our panel of law firm recruitment and salary experts for a strategic look at utilization and compensation strategies relative to your firm’s decisions on new hires. In just 90 minutes, you’ll learn how to:

• Assess whether now is the time to up the ante with first-year hires
• Evaluate your firm’s hiring options and improve ROI with new associates
• Craft effective compensation strategies that will allow your firm to hire new lawyers without breaking the bank
• Set clear and realistic performance expectations that allow you to quickly get junior lawyers up to speed and earn their keep

The long-term implications of holding off on first-year recruiting while increasing your reliance on lateral hires, legal assistants, and contract lawyers cannot be overlooked!

Featured Faculty

Peter Sloan, Recruiting and Career Development Partner,
Blackwell Sanders Peper Martin LLP

Ida Abbott, Principal, Ida Abbott Consulting
Ms. Abbott has been consulting with professional firms since 1995. She is a prolific writer and a frequent speaker at local, national, and international conferences. Her books include Lawyers' Professional Development: The Legal Employer's Comprehensive Guide. Ida is an expert and leader in the field of lawyers’ professional development and has been elected a Fellow of the College of Law Practice Management.

Suzanne Kane, Manager of Recruiting and Development, Latham & Watkins