Reputable DC Legal Recruiters? (or recruiters in DC with whom you've had a good experience) Forum

[Anonymous User]

Title says it all. Any recruiters come to mind? Anecdotal experiences/stories welcome.

[Anonymous User]

I worked with Garrison & Sisson when I lateraled and they got me interviews for a couple non-public associate postings, which is probably the most important function a recruiter can serve. I think the majority of recruiters have little or no connections to firms and just rely on public postings.

[Anonymous User]

To the above, garrison & sisson only works with associates it thinks it can place. I was a fringe candidate for their cutoffs, at best, and they weren’t that helpful. Maybe it’s changed, but that was my experience. I’ve heard if they do work with you (not like a throwaway candidate like me), they are extremely helpful.

[Anonymous User]

To the above, garrison & sisson only works with associates it thinks it can place. I was a fringe candidate for their cutoffs, at best, and they weren’t that helpful. Maybe it’s changed, but that was my experience. I’ve heard if they do work with you (not like a throwaway candidate like me), they are extremely helpful.

What are their cutoffs exactly?

[Anonymous User]

To the above, garrison & sisson only works with associates it thinks it can place. I was a fringe candidate for their cutoffs, at best, and they weren’t that helpful. Maybe it’s changed, but that was my experience. I’ve heard if they do work with you (not like a throwaway candidate like me), they are extremely helpful.

What are their cutoffs exactly?

Previous anon who used them. They work with typical lateral candidates, e.g. midlevels with 2-6 years of experience and certain gov attorneys (like DOJ/FTC for antitrust). I don't believe they have any school or grade cutoffs. They may not be as helpful if you're at a smaller firm and hoping to break into biglaw. But I'm not aware of any recruiter with strong relationships and access to non-public postings that works hard to place less competitive candidates.

[Anonymous User]

I’m the other anon. They don’t have cutoffs, but their website says they usually work with T14 or people graduated with honors at a top 25 school who work in biglaw/top tier boutique/bigfed.

I met those requirements, but I’m not a slam dunk candidate like many of the candidates they’re used to working with. I ended up not lateraling, but I did get an offer using another recruiter who did seem more optimistic about placing me than the recruiter at g&s.

The recruiter at g&s I met with a few times was great to talk to, so I don’t harbor any negative feelings. I just want OP to be aware that it may not be as useful if OP isn’t in that caliber of candidates.

Edit: I’m also in more of an M&A/corporate service sub-practice group (read: not very profitable on its own), so I was told up front that there aren’t as many unposted/opportunistic postings in my practice area.

So my experience may be different than others’.

[Anonymous User]

In addition to Garrison & Sisson then, any other recruiters people would specifically recommend?

[Anonymous User]

I’m one of the anons for above. My colleague worked with Pollack and Badawi and said he had a good experience working with Ethel. Slightly different approach because they both worked in career services before going to recruiting. But they use that as a selling point because they’ve spent much of their careers working with the recruiting people of these firms.

I’ve also spoken to people who used Parker & Lynch who said the recruiter was really good. But I think that’s hit or miss. I can try to find out who the recruiters were, though.

[Anonymous User]

I can’t speak highly enough of Garrison Sisson. I lateraled from a small firm to a big firm with their help. For what it’s worth, I’m not one of the stellar-type applicants mentioned in previous posts.

I have worked with a few different recruiters from Parker and Lynch throughout my career. Disappointing across the board. That’s not to say all their recruiters are bad, but I certainly don’t recommend them.

[Anonymous User]

I can’t speak highly enough of Garrison Sisson. I lateraled from a small firm to a big firm with their help. For what it’s worth, I’m not one of the stellar-type applicants mentioned in previous posts.

I have worked with a few different recruiters from Parker and Lynch throughout my career. Disappointing across the board. That’s not to say all their recruiters are bad, but I certainly don’t recommend them.

OG anon here - so when working with recruiters, it is as simple as sending along your resume and brief bio, and then recruiting agencies get back to you with opportunities if they have them? Or is it more like working more closely with a specific agent? I've never done this before, so any explanation is welcome.

[Anonymous User]

I used Tom Jones and thought he was great. I had 5 or 6 interviews in about 2 months and ended up at a great firm.

I started working with Laterally, but they didn’t do anything for me. Zero interviews and very unresponsive recruiter.

[Anonymous User]

OG anon here - so when working with recruiters, it is as simple as sending along your resume and brief bio, and then recruiting agencies get back to you with opportunities if they have them? Or is it more like working more closely with a specific agent? I've never done this before, so any explanation is welcome.

Second anon. Email or call the person you want to work with and set up a time to discuss your background, objectives, etc. Then--assuming they want to work with you--send your resume and whatever else they ask for. The recruiter should get your approval before they submit your materials anywhere. The firm works through them in setting up interviews, and the recruiter should inform you of any followup decisions (at least that was my experience).

Be careful about providing your resume. Less reputable recruiters may apply to public postings without your OK in the hopes of being first in the door for purposes of getting a fee. Definitely don't work with the "recruiters" that email from gmail accounts and merely copy/paste text from public postings.

[Anonymous User]

I can’t speak highly enough of Garrison Sisson. I lateraled from a small firm to a big firm with their help. For what it’s worth, I’m not one of the stellar-type applicants mentioned in previous posts.

I have worked with a few different recruiters from Parker and Lynch throughout my career. Disappointing across the board. That’s not to say all their recruiters are bad, but I certainly don’t recommend them.

OG anon here - so when working with recruiters, it is as simple as sending along your resume and brief bio, and then recruiting agencies get back to you with opportunities if they have them? Or is it more like working more closely with a specific agent? I've never done this before, so any explanation is welcome.

Depends on the recruiter, I think. G&S brought me in for an interview. I gave them a resume and told them about my background, then they put together a resume-type thing for me. When they got an opening, they asked me if I was interested then submitted for me and coordinated interviews and the like with the hiring folks. They also gave me background on all the interviewers, practice groups, etc. I was super impressed.

[Anonymous User]

I'm starting to reach out to DC recruiters. I had a call with one at a well-known recruiting firm who asked me during the course of our initial conversation if I would agree to work exclusively with her. I didn't commit and said I'd get back to her. Is this typical? I really have no idea how this works, and at first I figured I could reach out to a few folks who might have different openings that they're working with. But I guess it makes sense from the recruiter's perspective and so I don't want to commit a faux pas.

[Anonymous User]

I used Tom Jones and thought he was great. I had 5 or 6 interviews in about 2 months and ended up at a great firm.

I started working with Laterally, but they didn’t do anything for me. Zero interviews and very unresponsive recruiter.

Seconding Tom. He suggested a friend directly apply for a role that wasn't taking recruiter submits and friend got the job; no payout to Tom. I talked to him but was looking for a different market. He struck me as very classy/not sleazy.

[Anonymous User]

I am going from a T14 to a V50 firm in a major non-DC market but want to be in DC for several reasons.

How soon is appropriate to reach out to a recruiter? Do I need to wait until my second or third year as an associate?

[Anonymous User]

Vote for Tom Jones too. He’s amazing. I worked with one of the better recruiters at Parker & Lynch. She got me interviews at places that were terrible fits. She didn’t care - she just wanted the paycheck. Tom actively found great opportunities for me that fit what I wanted. 100% talk to Tom.