Candidate FAQ

It starts with a simple phone call.  Over the course of the call, we introduce ourselves and find out more about you, such as: 

• What type of legal position you are looking for. 
• What size law firm or corporate legal department you prefer.
• What your particular legal skill sets, strengths and credentials are. 

Next, we set up an in-person meeting and review your resume.  Together we will determine a list of target firms or companies.  We draft a cover letter and submit your edited resume, law school transcript, and sometimes a writing sample, if requested, to our employer contacts on your behalf.  We prepare you for each round of interviews, help you negotiate an offer and advise you on how best to accept the offer and resign from your current employer.

Yes.  Protecting your confidentiality throughout the legal recruiting process is of paramount importance to us.  Atticus Recruiting is a member of the National Association of Legal Search Consultants (NALSC), a 175 member national professional organization committed to upholding the highest ethical standards of the legal search profession.  Best practices and the NALSC Code of Ethics dictate that “A search firm shall treat as confidential all information supplied to it in confidence by a candidate” and that “Candidates shall be submitted to employers only with the candidates’ express prior consent.” 

Atticus only works with employers that respect the confidentiality of the recruiting process and of the candidates we submit.  We affirmatively require that employers refrain from contacting candidates current or prior employers without expressed authority from the candidate.  Furthermore, while we may retain your resume in our secure database in order to alert you of future searches, we will not send, submit or transmit your resume and other identifying materials or make any inquiries about you anywhere without your written expressed authority.

Good news, our services to you are free.  All placement fees and any associated costs are paid by the law firm or corporate employer. 

While being a member of the Illinois Bar, in good standing, certainly increases your attractiveness to Chicago employers, especially if you practice litigation, it’s not always a necessary precondition to being hired.  Illinois Supreme Court Rules 704A and 705 provide for admission to the Illinois Bar by transferred Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) score or by motion.  Learn more about legal recruiting services for attorneys relocating to the Chicago area.

Check out our contact page to learn more. We look forward to hearing from you.