How to Hire an Attorney

Why hire an attorney?

Hiring an attorney can further establish your business by offering legal guidance and support. By having a certified legal professional review and revise important documents, you can head off potential problems. Additionally, employing someone with a firm understanding of the law can ensure your business is abiding by necessary laws and regulations.

An experienced attorney can provide:

• Adherence to laws and regulations
• Professional contract revision
• Legal guidance and support

Deciding between a full-time vs freelance attorney

When hiring an attorney, consider whether you need a full-time employee or if a freelance attorney is a better match. For a law firm with a consistent caseload, hiring a full-time attorney helps handle those clients, allowing you to serve more people. You also have more control over the attorney’s activities, and your clients have consistency.

If you just need a little extra help or only occasionally have a higher caseload, a freelance attorney can help out when needed. It’s often a more cost-effective model when you have a smaller need, and it gives you more flexibility. You can also bring in an expert in a certain area as a freelance attorney if a special case calls for that expertise. Freelance attorneys might take a little longer to settle into the way you do things at your law firm.

What are the ranks of attorneys?

Attorneys typically climb the ranks, from associate to partner, within a traditional law firm. This hierarchy helps the law firm work smoothly and divide up the cases and duties. Here are common ranks of attorneys, starting from the highest rank:

• Managing partners: This top position in a law firm is often the founding attorney. A managing partner is the senior-level executive who manages the firm’s operations and establishes the strategic vision.
• Partners: Law firm partners have partial ownership of the firm and a say in the operation. Some firms have both equity partners, who share the profits and have a stake in the firm, and non-equity partners, who receive a fixed salary and might have some voting power.
• Associates: A firm’s associates are the attorneys who aren’t partners. They handle the bulk of the client work. They might be called junior or senior associates based on their experience and merit.
• “Of counsel” attorneys: Some firms use lawyers on a contract basis. While they aren’t employees of the firm, they usually have a continuing connection to the firm, whether it’s working with clients or offering consultations and advice.

Where to find attorneys

To find the right attorney for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

• Partner with law schools. If you have a law school in your area, offer internships to students to scout out potential attorneys before they graduate. Speaking in classes can also make students familiar with your firm.
• Attend law conferences and events. Being involved in law events provides you with opportunities to meet attorneys and network in the industry. Serve as a speaker to make your firm more prominent, or simply meet new people at the events.
• Promote internally. Moving your attorneys up through the ranks can help you fulfill your caseload needs. If you have a part-time attorney, offer the employee a full-time position. Encouraging paralegals to pursue law school gives you a potential attorney in the future. 
• Post your job online. Try posting your attorney job on Indeed to find and attract quality attorney candidates.

What are the ranks of attorneys?

Attorneys typically climb the ranks, from associate to partner, within a traditional law firm. This hierarchy helps the law firm work smoothly and divide up the cases and duties. Here are common ranks of attorneys, starting from the highest rank:

• Managing partners: This top position in a law firm is often the founding attorney. A managing partner is the senior-level executive who manages the firm’s operations and establishes the strategic vision.
• Partners: Law firm partners have partial ownership of the firm and a say in the operation. Some firms have both equity partners, who share the profits and have a stake in the firm, and non-equity partners, who receive a fixed salary and might have some voting power.
• Associates: A firm’s associates are the attorneys who aren’t partners. They handle the bulk of the client work. They might be called junior or senior associates based on their experience and merit.
• “Of counsel” attorneys: Some firms use lawyers on a contract basis. While they aren’t employees of the firm, they usually have a continuing connection to the firm, whether it’s working with clients or offering consultations and advice.

Writing an attorney job description

A thoughtful description is important for finding qualified attorney candidates. An attorney job description includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities and the required and preferred skills for the position.

When writing your attorney job description, consider including some or all of the following keywords to improve the visibility of your job posting. These are the most popular search terms leading to clicks on attorney jobs, according to Indeed data:

• Attorney
• Attorney or counsel or lawyer
• Immigration attorney
• Legal
• Lawyer
• Counsel
• Associate attorney
• Attorney or lawyer
• Lawyer or attorney
• Lawyer or attorney or counsel

Interviewing attorney candidates

Strong candidates for attorney positions will be confident answering questions regarding:

• Their experience in advising clients
• How they research cases
• Cases with positive outcomes

Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of attorney interview questions for examples (with sample answers).