Texas Lawyer spoke recently with Foster and her colleagues about how legal professionals are increasing their salaries and positioning within law firms by taking advantage of the changes that are occurring in the legal market.

Call it the great divide: Even as many legal professionals have grown accustomed to the conveniences of working remotely, more and more law firms are starting to expect them back in the office for at least a few days a week.

But the higher compensation may also lead attorneys to bill more hours, which could “arguably have the opposite effect of ultimately causing attorneys to leave because they feel increased billing pressure,” said Michelle Foster, founder of boutique legal recruiting agency The Foster Group.

“Middle market firms excel at offering a full-service platform and blending a cost-value approach that clients are seeking,” says Drew Foster, Managing Director at Foster Group Legal Search. “Unlike some smaller firms that can have limited bench strength or lack expertise in certain practice areas, and unlike some big law firms that charge premium rates for expertise, middle market firms can provide both a strong value proposition with expertise and a helpful geographic footprint, in a more cost-effective manner.”

The Great Reshuffle is becoming a battleground for companies and firms to compete and fight over who’s giving more employee flexibility, better perks (not just bonuses and salary increases), and a continuation of remote-work opportunities or hybrid-work environments. As a result, stay interviews are becoming increasingly popular in the workplace to retain talent and help organizations improve employee morale.

Michelle Foster, Founder and Managing Partner of the legal recruiting firm The Foster Group, says if you are a managing partner of a mid-market firm, fear not, the cards you have in your hand are better than you think!

Large firms continue to enter smaller cities such as Salt Lake City and Austin, where billing rates are often half as much as those in larger markets. But firms can enjoy plenty of benefits in such areas.

The legal industry has thousands of vacant jobs and firms are throwing out bonuses and pay increases to tempt attorneys to switch firms, but legal recruiters say lawyers should ask several key questions before jumping to a new firm.

When asked if she had any regrets about stepping out of her comfort zone and leaving her position as a top earner in the world’s premier legal executive search firm to start her own recruiting firm, Michelle Foster could think of only one: that she did not do it sooner.

The demand for attorneys—especially senior associates—has never been higher due to the impact of the pandemic, says Michelle Foster, founder and managing partner of the Foster Group, a boutique legal recruiting company. She shares insights on how her company and legal recruiters in general adapted to the changing legal industry and workplace over the last year.

“Clients have made some impressive moves such as hiring candidates without interviews, hiring candidates on the spot, and generally tidying up their recruiting process so they don’t lose out on landing the talent they want and need,” Grossman said.

Ask a group of female attorneys about their experience with the fabled “glass ceiling,” and you will likely hear many stories. The glass ceiling describes the barrier that women in numerous professions bump up against when trying to climb the ladder in their respective careers. Women have made tremendous strides in the working world, yet the glass ceiling remains stubbornly in place in many businesses.

More and more women are joining the ranks of the legal community. Practicing law while raising a family involves a high level of dedication at work and at home. As a veteran of the legal profession and mother of three, I believe it’s possible to find a balance between work and family and to enjoy the benefits of both. By leveraging resources, finding support and adjusting goals during different stages, female attorneys have the power to achieve success and fulfillment in their ambitions for both work and family.

Michelle Foster, founder of the Foster Group, a premier attorney search firm in midtown Manhattan, offers thoughts on how lawyers are handling evolving legislation concerning the new vaccination mandates.

The legal community was greatly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and is still seeing the effects. Many law firms were forced to send their attorneys home to quarantine, and lawyers had to contend with setting up their offices at home while continuing their work in a remote setting. But after a year and a half, the legal community has embraced many of the pandemic-driven changes.

The legal profession has been historically dominated by men going back hundreds of years. The first female lawyer in the United States, Arabella Mansfield, wasn’t allowed into the “boys club” until 1869, nearly 100 years after the United States’ founding.

Despite change in the legal community being slow to unfurl, it happens. I’ve had a front-row seat to major shifts in the community I am a part of, and that experience has colored the way I do my job and approach our legal recruiting firm, The Foster Group.

'We’ve heard from numerous attorneys that they are actually getting more work done and enjoy handling the work in a home office setting. The ability to work from home and to have a better work-life balance is incredibly significant."

While many law firms say they’re remaining vigilant about balancing the needs of attorneys who continue to work remotely and those who plan to be in the office, some leaders and recruiters are concerned about whether the remote arrangement could disproportionately affect women and cause them to be passed up for promotions.

The legal industry faced many challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, including a shift to remote work, adapting to remote litigation, and facing increased competition for talent. While it remains to be seen if the legal industry will adopt remote work and litigation permanently after the pandemic subsides, law firms that adapt to these challenges may better position themselves for success in the post-COVID world.