Melting Pot: Should Law Firms Start Hiring More Non-Lawyers?

Hiring is rough right now.  And, that turned around in a heartbeat.  Over the course of a single quarter, the employer’s market become an employee’s market – with no signs of slowing down.  It’s got law firms everywhere rethinking how and why they hire. 

 

One trend that is manifesting is that attorneys are beginning to expand their vision of who can and should be hired by a law firm, by looking at non-traditional roles within the law firm. 

For the most part, law firms have hired for three roles: lawyers, paralegals and administrative staff.  But, as law firms begin to reformulate how they operate, that has opened up roles for human resource managers, chief operating officers, chief financial officers, sales directors, intake specialists, customer success associates, and similar roles – that you far more often see in technology companies. 

 

In some cases, these new hires are cheaper and carry less baggage than do attorneys.  In some cases, they have training and a skillset that attorneys just don’t have.  And, in other cases, they buttress a new approach to running a law firm, eg – customer success personnel meeting a renewed focus on intake. 

 

It’s a brave new world for lawyers in so many ways; but, if you’re struggling to find the right people, maybe it’s time to look for new sorts of people. 

 

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If you need to revisit your law firm hiring strategies, we can help. 

Through a unique partnership between the bar association and Jared Correia's Red Cave Law Firm Consulting, Vermont Bar Association members have access to experienced law practice management consultants at a special discounted rate.

To get started, visit Red Cave's Vermont Bar Association landing page, and start running your law practice like a business.