Recruitment strategy - looking beyond grades and status

Indiana law professor Bill Henderson has predicted changes to the way that law firms go about their hiring. He says that the traditional approach of hiring graduates with the highest grades at the top 15 law schools may not be the best method of finding the top performers. Henderson says: In 2007 and 2008, 46 percent of all entry-level associates at an AmLaw 100 firm were graduates of a Top 14 law school . . . Yet, during this same period, 39 percent of lawyers promoted to partner were from Top 14 schools. Further, as of 2009, only 35 percent of general counsels for a Fortune 500 company had graduated from a Top 14 school. This suggests that the advantage of higher test scores and academic pedigree diminishes rather than compounds over time — at least for partnership or general counsel positions. Henderson suggests that law firms will increasingly find ways to measure performance beyond grades and school status, using a range of tools already integral to recruitment in other industries, such as behavior interviews, personality tests, and simulated group work.

Recruitment strategy - looking beyond grades and status blogs.wsj.com Mon, Nov 15, 2010