The latest economic data indicates that we are pulling ourselves out from this recession. Home sales rose in March by 27 percent; employment rose by 162,000 people in March, and the stock market has found ground at around the impressive 11,000 mark. Unfortunately, the unemployment rate is still at 9.7 percent.
With this encouraging economic data, more legal hiring is taking place. The hot fields of law are currently, litigation, trusts and estates, tax, healthcare, labor and employment, and as always, intellectual property and patent litigation. In the area of trusts and estates law, many employers are seeking attorneys with an LL.M in tax. In the field of intellectual property and patent law some new niche practice areas are very much in demand right now. They are ANDA litigation and antitrust patent interface litigation. ANDA litigation involves disputes between name brand pharmaceutical companies and generic pharmaceutical companies when the generic pharmaceutical companies attempt to get patents on their generic version of the name brand pharmaceutical companies’ drugs.
Unfortunately, jobs in the financial services, banking law and real estate law are still very scarce. However some hiring is starting to take place in the area of corporate law. As the economy continues to improve, these areas of law should come to life again as well.
With so many top attorneys having been laid off, the job market is very competitive right now. There has never been a better time to use a legal recruiter. Often legal recruiters learn about positions before they have been advertised by firms and corporations. In this job market, time is definitely of the essence. In addition, recruiters who do a lot of work in a specific geographical area tend to forge strong relationships with the hiring partners and recruiting directors at law firms and the general counsel and recruiting individuals at corporations there and can ensure that your resume gets into the right person’s hand and is noticed. Having your resume endorsed by a legal recruiter who regularly works with a law firm or corporation, will give your candidacy more credibility. Finally, a good recruiter will write a detailed cover letter explaining any moves that you have made in your career and any personal issues that were going on in your life during that year in law school when you received some C’s.
There are definitely some great attorney positions becoming available now, and you need to be marketed correctly, quickly and to the correct individuals at these firms and companies.
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