As the market for legal talent shifts following two years of high demand, recruiters say that Mid-Law firms may be able to gain an advantage in recruiting quality candidates by playing to their strengths and offering candidates more flexibility and career development opportunities.

“For middle-market firms, a shifting market offers a variety of advantages in terms of attracting both clients and talent,” Michelle and Drew Foster write. “Should a further economic slowdown create conditions that cause a down market, those advantages could be even more pronounced.”

An uncertain economic forecast is motivating a number of Biglaw firms to make layoffs as 2023 begins, a development that experts say could result in opportunities for middle market firms to add top talent to their rosters.

Legal recruiters could (and arguably should) be considered the unsung heroes of the legal field. For lawyers looking to make career moves, legal recruiters serve as well-informed confidants with valuable connections. For law firms looking to secure top talent, these recruiters do the hard work of identifying and engaging with prospects to ensure the right candidates are recruited. As 2023 unfold, legal recruiters stand rady to help their clients navigate an evolving new season.

Making the right career move in the legal field can be a challenging endeavor. Attorneys who are motivated to explore the market will find an abundance of opportunities, making it difficult to identify those that are a good fit based on practice type or career goals. Those who understand this often turn to legal recruiters for market intelligence, guidance and support.

“The desire for a hybrid work schedule is a core component of the conversation that recruiting firms are having with attorneys and law firms,” says Michelle Foster, Founder of The Foster Group.

"The job market is strong, and there is a swath of opportunities. Attorneys who have even an inkling that it might be time for a move should take the time to explore the options," said legal recruiters at The Foster Group.

Michelle Foster discussed the importance of mentoring for young lawyers and the law firms that employ them and shares her experience as a young lawyer.

Unable to outbid large firms, middle-market law firms are recruiting and retaining lawyers by pushing their advantages, write The Foster Group’s Michelle Foster and Drew Foster.

It’s helpful to redouble your recruitment efforts and work closely with a trusted recruiter. There are many attorneys and many experienced partners who welcome the challenge of assisting a firm in building a practice area, says Michelle Foster, founder and managing partner of legal recruiting firm The Foster Group.

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.