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Are there any good headhunters out there? I've had some dealings with the big name ones, but one has proven to be dishonest, and another is passive-aggressive. Does anyone have recommendations or suggestions? Or should I try to lateral without one?

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I used one and it worked fine for me, but you can't trust what they say about what you should / should not do.

In terms of who is good, totally depends on your region. You need to find a local person who knows the market IMO.

Where in the country are you looking to lateral?

Not OP, but can juniors use headhunters?

I used a headhunter to break into a new market where my T2 law school and V100 law firm pedigree did not carry much clout. The headhunter was much more successful in opening doors for me; particularly, since I was amid a 2500 billable year.

Could I have found the same job myself -- certainly.

Did I have the time to do so? Not if I wanted to stay sane.

It also has been nice to have a built in 'friend' in the new city.

Similar to above, used a headhunter to break into an insular market (formerly an NYC junior). Probably-to-definitely could have done it on my own, but it saved me a considerable amount of time and effort as the headhunter handled basically everything on my behalf.

Similarly, I've been casually looking to move in-house and allow recruiters to do the work for me, except where I have indicated that I am applying on my own behalf or separately.

Is it better to do the work on your own?--Usually. If you're in no immediate rush, is it it easier to have someone else do it for you?--Definitely.

Anonymous User wrote:Not OP, but can juniors use headhunters?

Yes

For those of you working in Biglaw, how do you typically respond to cold call e-mails? Do you ignore, or do you politely respond no interest?

Calvin Murphy wrote:For those of you working in Biglaw, how do you typically respond to cold call e-mails? Do you ignore, or do you politely respond no interest?

As a general matter, these messages are sent to hundreds of people. Recruiters spam us all -- there's no reason to respond directly. They're not thinking you're something special, even if you are, alas. Recruiter wants commission, not any of us particularly. Best not to respond unless (a) you're interested in the position and (b) you know the recruiter to be worth engaging//have the right questions to ask to determine the recruiter's quality.

euskadi wrote:

Calvin Murphy wrote:For those of you working in Biglaw, how do you typically respond to cold call e-mails? Do you ignore, or do you politely respond no interest?

As a general matter, these messages are sent to hundreds of people. Recruiters spam us all -- there's no reason to respond directly. They're not thinking you're something special, even if you are, alas. Recruiter wants commission, not any of us particularly. Best not to respond unless (a) you're interested in the position and (b) you know the recruiter to be worth engaging//have the right questions to ask to determine the recruiter's quality.

To answer some important topics here: Headhunters are amazing and have gotten me fantastic results. They literally do the job at no cost to you. They are not impartial advocates, however, and it is your job to do the research and decide if your new offer is better.

On replying to emails, something very obvious must be said. NEVER USE FIRM PROPERTY (COMPUTER, CELL PHONE, OR FIRM EMAIL ACCOUNT) WHEN SPEAKING WITH RECRUITERS. Only speak to recruiters through A PRIVATE EMAIL ACCOUNT, ON A PERSONAL CELL PHONE. My firm tracks all emails and activities on devices and has fired people for searching before. Don't be stupid and keep it discrete. When they cold call you, keep the call short as the firm has a phone record of it too. Be careful, all this information is tracked.