header-logo header-logo

03 January 2008 / Guy Clapperton
Issue: 7302 / Categories: Features , Training & education , Profession
printer mail-detail

Perks of the job

How do law firms attract and retain talent? Guy Clapperton explains

What do the following items have in common? Four-day weeks, alternatives to partnership, talks from Lynne Truss, on-site student groups, relocation, kayaking, a private cinema, cycle loans and community work. The answer is that they are means used by law firms to attract the best employees to their organisations.

These are approaches that contrast dramatically with much of the public perception about what law firms are and what they do. The classic picture of the overworked lawyer struggling to reach partnership, after which the strain really starts to tell; the client who thinks he more or less owns the individual lawyer assigned to his case; the long hours culture; and the clichéd mighty dollar might not be things of the past just yet, but they are starting to recede into the background.

UNDERLYING TREND

It’s instructive to look at the underlying trend that’s causing this step change as it has a marked bearing on the methods used to recruit staff

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Ogier—Martin Livingston

Ogier—Martin Livingston

Martin Livingston joins Ogier in Cayman to strengthen regulatory support

Blake Morgan—47 promotions

Blake Morgan—47 promotions

Blake Morgan announces 47 summer promotions across UK offices

NEWS
Consultant-led law firms should prepare for closer regulatory attention as oversight evolves
Artificial intelligence may draft workplace grievances, but employers cannot treat them any differently from conventional complaints
From dishonest claimants to judicial promotions and procedural skirmishes, the latest legal developments offer plenty for litigators to digest
Fresh guidance is set to influence how courts decide whether hearings take place online or in person
County Court judges remain divided over whether landlords can lawfully force entry to carry out essential safety inspections after tenants ignore access injunctions
back-to-top-scroll