If you’re an experienced attorney who’s interested in relocation opportunities, the Texas legal market is on fire. Landing that dream job that you’ve always wanted takes an effective relocation strategy that’s focused on all your career objectives.
Austin, Dallas/ Ft. Worth, Houston and San Antonio all offer something unique to their cities. Austin has technology companies, start-ups and several major law firms opening offices in 2021, including Skadden Arps, Perkins Coie and O’Melveny & Myers.
The Dallas/ Ft. Worth metroplex has finance, banking, construction, and real estate. In 2021, law firms opening a Dallas office included Vedder Price and Quinn Emanuel.
San Antonio has numerous corporate headquarters with robust legal departments, including HEB, Valero Energy and USAA. Many large law firms have offices in San Antonio, including Bracewell, Jackson Walker and Norton Rose Fulbright.
Houston is Energy and Oil & Gas mecca. Home to many 150+ attorney law firms, including Kirkland & Ellis, Vinson & Elkins, Baker Botts and Locke Lord.
The state if Texas offers something for every practice palate, from boutiques and spin-offs from larger firms to Texas based powerhouses like Vinson & Elkins and Baker Botts, to satellite offices of AmLaw 100 & 200 law firms. 50 companies headquartered in Texas made Fortune 500 list, including Exxon Mobil (Houston), AT&T (Dallas), Dell Technologies (Austin) and USAA (San Antonio). All of these companies have robust legal departments.
The Benefits of Partnering with a Texas-Based Legal Recruiter
If you’re an attorney in another state who wants to practice in Texas, you’ll need to find a way to get noticed by some of the state’s top legal employers. As a candidate, choosing the wrong company or law firm could put a damper on your legal career.
One of the most reliable ways to ensure job search success is by working with an experienced legal recruiter. A reputable headhunter will be able to facilitate your job search by offering you valuable insight in the following areas:
Logistical considerations
Are you licensed in Texas? Eligible to waive-in?
In order to be licensed in Texas without taking the Texas Bar Examination, you must demonstrate that you:
- Hold a J.D. from an ABA-approved U.S. law school or satisfy each element of a Rule 13 exemption from the law study requirement
- Are licensed to practice law in another state
- Have been actively and substantially engaged in the lawful practice of law as your principal business or occupation for at least 5 of the 7 years immediately preceding your application
- For applications submitted before December 1, 2019: Have never failed the Texas Bar Examination
In addition, you must
- Be certified by the Board as having present good moral character and fitness
- Score 85 or higher on the MPRE
- Satisfy the requirements of Rule 2(a)(5)
- Be willing to take the required Oath
- For applications submitted on or after December 1, 2019: Complete the Texas Law Component
This application process can take 6 months to a year, so it’s a good idea to begin as early as possible.
Strategic considerations
Before agreeing to a move, an experienced legal headhunter should also discuss with you several strategic considerations. For example, how similar is your current job to the one you are considering? Does the potential employer operate several offices either in the US or other countries? You’ll also need to determine how many attorneys they have practicing in your specialty, along with any short and long-term career growth opportunities.
Company or law firm culture is also an important consideration. If you value workplace diversity and inclusion, does the firm’s beliefs align with yours? Do their employees seem to function as a cohesive unit, or do they prefer to work independently? Notably if you have a family, it might be best to find an employer that values a healthy work/life balance as much as you do.
Other considerations
In addition to their extensive contacts within the legal market, a good Texas-based recruiter will also provide you with services like interview assistance. If it’s been a while since you last interviewed for a job, you’ll probably need to sharpen your interview skills. Your recruiter can help you with interviewing specifics ranging from your personal appearance, to role-playing tough questions that may be posed by a potential employer.
A reputable headhunter should also be open and transparent about their qualifications. Don’t choose a recruiter before you’ve asked them about their placement experiences working within the Texas market, along with any potential employers that may be on your “watch list.”
And finally, good legal recruiters are highly adept at protecting the confidentiality of their clients based on the NALSC Code of Ethics. Getting caught by a current employer while searching for job opportunities elsewhere could tarnish your reputation for good.
Many Texas Law Firms Also Use Outside Recruiters
As more equally qualified candidates place a greater emphasis on non-monetary factors like company culture, workplace diversity, and a healthy work/life balance, many hiring committee members have been forced to adjust their recruitment strategies accordingly.
As a placement facilitator, a good recruiter will provide clients with plenty of viable candidates who have already been thoroughly vetted. In addition to their deep talent pool, reputable recruiters possess the screening and training capabilities necessary to prepare qualified candidates for the entire recruitment-to-placement process.
By outsourcing many of their recruiting responsibilities, law firm partners and other hiring team members can focus their attention on what they do best- bringing in new clients and revenue for the firm!
Momentum Search Partners, Your Experienced Attorney Relocation Specialists in Texas
Momentum Search Partners is a Texas legal recruiting firm for employers who turn to us when their hiring requires the highest level of attention and expertise. As former practicing attorneys or other legal professionals ourselves, we understand the role you need to fill and the talent pool available to fill it.
With five experienced legal headhunters, each with 20+ years’ legal recruiting and over 1,000 placements between us, we are adept at assessing legal professionals’ experience, culture fit, and interest level, working diligently and quickly to take the burden off of you and exceed your expectations.
For candidates, we work closely with you to understand your interests and desires for your next career move. We pay attention and have great success connecting lawyers with a new home to continue growing their career.