Law Firm 101. Starting and Sustaining a Career As a Legal IT Professional. by Jared Coseglia of TRU Staffing Partners

Transcription

1 to Law Firm 101 December 2012 the quarterly magazine of ilta Starting and Sustaining a Career As a Legal IT Professional by Jared Coseglia of TRU Staffing Partners A career as a legal IT support staff professional is an incredibly demanding, increasingly competitive and continually evolving occupation. The landscape of today s law firm job market is vastly different from a decade ago. Marked by law firm consolidations, momentous advances in technology, a sudden abundance of nonpracticing lawyers available to hire and good oldfashioned professional politics, today s legal staffing outlook is rife with opportunity. As you endeavor to begin and sustain a career as a legal IT support professional, there are strategic, practical and tactical keys to success that you should consider. Know Technology, Talk Technology The integration of technology into the daily practice of law has changed the landscape of the Am Law 200. Technologies from online billing and matter management to e-discovery now play an elevated role in the way law firms generate revenue, spend and save money, manage operations and win cases. Technology drives efficiency (and vice versa) and in a law firm more than anywhere time is money. All legal support staff, from secretaries to partners to litigation support, must utilize technology to provide better service. However, mastering the technology is only half the battle. The real opportunity for a legal IT support professional lies not just in having expertise in the technology, but in being able to talk about the technology. More and more jobs require extensive face-to-face and telephone interaction with partners, associates and clients in order to provide leadership and quality assurance regarding legal technology. Some legal technology professionals may look to develop these soft skills, while others who already have these skills must sharpen their hands-on technical expertise. This intersection of strong communication skills and technological experience is where the greatest demand exists professionally in today s legal support market. It is also where the market lacks sufficient supply; therefore, these kinds of roles command increasingly high salaries. Acquire Some Experience For years there was a Catch-22 when it came to breaking in to legal technology. Law firms wanted candidates who already had the skills often including experience with brand-specific technologies or previous law firm experience who could hit the ground running, making it very difficult to get started in the field. That is still true in

2 Starting and Sustaining a Career As a Legal IT Professional some cases, but the availability of education and training, coupled THE RISE OF THE NONPRACTICING ATTORNEY J.D.s moving more aggressively into nonpracticing support staff roles at major law firms was an undeniable trend in 2012, and this trend will continue in This applies not only to law firm hiring practices, but legal technology vendor staffing practices as well. WHY? There is an abundance of available and affordable attorney talent entering the job market each year. They are young and hungry for work (with loans to pay off). They speak legalese. They are trainable. This generation is more technologically savvy. There are a growing number of aspiring J.D.s whose ambitions are not to ultimately practice law, but rather to work in support of the practice of law. They are ripe for legal technology project management roles within law firms. Over the next five years, these nonpracticing attorneys will compete for the same roles that existing legal IT, paralegal and litigation support professionals occupy and aspire to grow into. Legal technology service providers are also hiring J.D.s for project management roles, particularly in e-discovery. This often gives J.D.s the exposure to technology they lack, enabling them to transition back to law firms later in their careers. Migration between roles with vendors and law firms will continue to be a trend in 2013 and beyond. It is also worth noting that nonpracticing attorneys constitute a huge percentage of the legal sales professional population. with the demand on hiring managers to find less expensive talent as salaries escalate, has created a rare, but very viable, window of opportunity for aspiring legal technology professionals. Educational opportunities are becoming more and more abundant, both locally and online. From coast to coast, academic institutions are investing in and developing legal technology curricula for today s legal support staff professional. For example, Georgetown University, UCLA, Cal State, LIU Post and Bryan University all offer various courses and certifications in e-discovery education with a strong emphasis on legal project management. In addition, there is great value and job mobility for individuals who pursue technology-specific certifications and get immediate exposure and hands-on experience with various tools. The list of possible certifications is long, and it can be difficult to decide which tools to become certified in. Will this add to my value? Will my potential employer use this tool? If not, will they train me on TOP SEVEN TAKEAWAYS Here are the things to remember in order to begin and sustain a successful career as a legal IT support professional: Technology evolves rapidly, and so must you. Specialization increases value. Always reinvest in yourself. Relationships are what make pathways to success available. Credibility, accuracy and diplomacy are key qualities for team players. 6. Relocation is an option. 7. Career visibility can increase career mobility. their tool? Will this tool still be a market leader in a few years? These are all valid questions, and the answers will be different from employer to employer. One certainty is that getting a certification is a testament to your commitment to investing in yourself. Invest in Yourself Self-investment is very important in the law firm hiring culture. When candidates apply for positions seeking career advancement, hiring managers will immediately ask the reasonable question, What has the candidate done to propel his or her own advancement? Self-investment can come in many forms: additional degrees and certifications, management and leadership programs or passionate pro bono work. Are you the go-to guy or gal for a particular area? Specialization often increases value and can be quite marketable. When a law firm looks to hire from the outside, they are often looking for highly specialized, niche players. Another thing to keep in mind is that the Am Law 200 s educational requirements are becoming more rigorous. A bachelor s degree is often necessary just to apply. Many legal technology professionals lacking a strong educational background may be grandfathered in to their current roles but could find it challenging to move to another firm without a bachelor s degree, especially at the management level. Having a J.D. particularly as a nonpracticing attorney can significantly

3 DOs & DON'Ts OF APPLYING FOR POSITIONS AS A LEGAL SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL DO YOUR HOMEWORK ON THE FIRM. Firm culture and style are critical to the hiring process. Know why you want to work for that particular firm, not just any firm. EXERCISE PATIENCE. Firms are diligent. It is the nature of law firm culture. Some firms move faster than others, but your ability to be cool, calm and collected throughout what could be a lengthy interview process is essential to landing the job. PROOFREAD YOUR RESUME 10 TIMES. Law firms deal with legal documents every day, and they expect your resume to be perfect in clarity of thought, grammar, punctuation, visual presentation and quality of content. Proof your resume again and again. Have someone you trust proof it, and then proofread it again. DON'T APPLY FOR MULTIPLE POSITIONS AT THE SAME LAW FIRM AT THE SAME TIME. This indicates that you are uncertain about your fit or skill set and are looking for any job. DON'T OPT FOR A PHONE INTERVIEW. If given the opportunity, always meet in person. This is your chance to establish a meaningful connection with someone. People hire people, not voices. DON'T EXAGGERATE YOUR SKILL SET. This will get you into trouble either late in the interview process or early on the job. DON'T LEAD WITH WHO YOU KNOW. It s great if you have friends who work inside the firm you are applying to, but you want to be considered on your merits and qualifications first. Your references can validate your skills and fit after a first interview. X increase one s marketability and attractiveness as a candidate in legal technology. This has made the legal technology job market more competitive. Due to the high supply of graduating attorneys and lower supply of partner-tracked associate positions available over the last five years, many J.D.s are moving their careers into this space. Build Relationships If you are a legal technology sales professional, you probably say this to yourself all the time: This is a relationship-driven business. It s true. This applies to everyone, not just sales professionals. Law firms are, by nature, partnerships, and you must think of yourself as a strategic partner to your client, the attorney. Credibility, accuracy and diplomacy are the foundations of any professional relationship. Couple these with likeability, and you can forge relationships that allow you to sustain a place working with case teams again and again. You want to be part of their crew. A solid relationship with a case team or partner can create opportunities for you to be visible and to rise when the firm succeeds. It can also ensure your job security if there is hardship. Maintaining healthy and meaningful professional relationships with your partners and associates (who may one day become partners) is just as important as sharpening your legal and technical skill set. For those just entering the field, personality is a huge component to getting hired. Consider Relocation Legal technology staffing solutions are not just for big firms in big cities anymore. All law firms, large, midsize and boutique, must have some in-house human support for their technology. As data volume increases, both at the storage and discovery levels, firms of all sizes and scopes will require leadership and technical expertise to create and manage their technology infrastructure. This means increased opportunities, particularly at the management level, in second- and third-tier geographic markets. If you love building teams and growing a department from the ground up, you may want to consider relocating to an emerging geographic market for the next evolution of your career. Cities that have experienced a significant increase in legal technology demand in 2012 include Miami, Kansas City, Charlotte, San Diego, Phoenix and Cincinnati. Share Knowledge Career mobility often depends on career visibility. If people in the community don t know about you, how can you be a hot commodity? Look for opportunities to speak at conferences.

4 Seek out the chance to co-author an article. Legal IT support jobs are demanding, and making your expertise visible to others both internally and externally enhances your credibility and overall value to your current and future employers. Again, this is a relationship-driven business, and the sharing and transfer of knowledge and experience garners great respect and admiration from your s. This community wants to learn from each other; it is what makes legal technology an enviable and sought-after profession. Get involved. Share. If you re interested in beginning or sustaining a career as a legal IT support professional, be sure to use these keys to unlock every door along the way to your success! Jared Coseglia is the founder and President of TRU Staffing Partners and has been a go-to individual in the legal technology staffing and recruiting field for the past 10 years. He has successfully placed over 1,100 people in fulltime and temporary positions in a variety of organizations. Jared is a published and active voice in the litigation support community, and his thought-provoking podcasts can be heard monthly through ILTA s website. He can be contacted at jared@ trustaffingpartners.com. This article was first published in ILTA s December 2012 issue of Peer to Peer titled Law Firm 101 and is reprinted here with permission. For more information about ILTA, visit their website at to the quarterly magazine of ilta BASICS OF FIRM OPS A SMOOTH TRANSITION INTO LEGAL TECH INNOVATION IN FIRMS AND LAW SCHOOLS Law Firm 101 DEC 12 ISSUE 4 VOLUME 28 illustration by thomas boucher, all rights reserved

5 This article was first published in ILTA s June 2012 issue of Peer to Peer titled Law Firm 101 and is reprinted here with permission. For more information about ILTA, visit their website at to the quarterly magazine of ilta BASICS OF FIRM OPS A SMOOTH TRANSITION INTO LEGAL TECH INNOVATION IN FIRMS AND LAW SCHOOLS Law Firm 101 DEC 12 ISSUE 4 VOLUME 28 illustration by thomas boucher, all rights reserved