Lawyer Job Search Sites - 2021 Revision and Expansion

Casually browsing lawyer job search sites is a waste of time for most lawyers. At least the way it is typically done. Lawyers should only spend time on job search sites after completing several initial steps in the career transition process. Even then, the time spent on those sites should be for short periods as part of an information-gathering exercise.

Then, why am I writing a long article about lawyer job search sites? Because I know the first thing most lawyers do when thinking about a career transition is to look at job search sites. That’s reality.

I must provide what lawyers want, not what I think they need. If I don’t, you won’t even consider other ways I might serve you.

 LAWYER JOB SEARCH SITES IN THE CAREER TRANSITION PROCESS

Before we get to the lawyer job search site list, let me briefly describe how spending time on search sites should fit into your career transition process.

• First, you need to reconsider your life and career to identify your true purpose and passions. If you don’t bring your purpose and passions into better alignment with your job and career, you will soon find the same frustrations and unhappiness in any position
• Second, recognize your interests and strengths. Your interests and strengths in law and non-legal interests and skills you have developed in your life. Your strengths also include the unique characteristics reflected in your personality. Prepare to build on your interests and strengths in finding a new job.
• Third, spend the time to envision a picture of your perfect career and life. Until you are clear about your vision, you won’t know how your next job will help you move along a career path to achieve your ideal career and life.

You won’t be ready to set goals and revitalize your career until going through the preceding steps.

You might spend a limited amount of time on legal or other job search sites. You probably will not get a job just by applying for positions on job search sites. However, you might get valuable information and leads to use in your career transition process.

 HOW TO USE LAWYER JOB SEARCH SITES

Lawyer job search sites may be useful for:

• discovering potential areas of the law and related positions that may pique your interest and lead to further research for possible jobs and career paths
• learning about job descriptions and specific duties of various positions
• determining the skills and qualifications firms and other employers look for in different practice areas and settings
• uncovering terms that firms, companies, and other organizations use in describing your ideal job (so you can include them in your resume and LinkedIn profile)
• identifying organizations and individuals to contact for an informational interview
• locating firms and other employers in a hiring mode, and discovering which practice areas and positions are in high demand
• discover alternative jobs and careers for lawyers that might warrant further research and investigation

and

• occasionally, identifying a specific position ideal for you and where you will apply

 TIPS FOR USING LAWYERS JOB SEARCH SITES

The search terms you use on lawyer job search sites are the most crucial factor in obtaining relevant job listings. Even at a high level, a keyword can make an enormous difference in the search results. A recent job search on the LinkedIn site for the word “lawyer” returned a list of 13,830 lawyer jobs in the United States, but a job search for the word “attorney” returned 31,079 lawyer jobs in the United States.

Experiment using a variety of keywords in your job search queries. Each search engine and site are different. There may be significant differences in the search results between the terms “lawyer” and “attorney.” While most search engines focused on the legal market favor the keyword “lawyer,” this is not always the case. Search engines and sites focused on the corporate market seem to prefer the keyword “attorney.” You probably want to use both keywords for your initial lawyer job search queries.

After you have completed the broadest search for potentially relevant jobs, narrow your search, or you will waste a considerable amount of your precious time reviewing irrelevant job listings. Use the filters provided to weed out irrelevant job listings. You may also use keywords to focus your search results.

Once you have identified the most effective and efficient way to find job listings on a lawyer job search site, save that search to use again later. Some sites allow you to save search queries. If you can’t save the search query, make a note to yourself for later searches.

Many lawyer job search sites allow you to be notified by email when a new job is listed matching the parameters of one of your relevant searches. Take advantage of this feature. You don’t want to continually review the same search results or try to remember the date you last searched a site.

Besides the lawyer job search sites listed here, also identify industry-focused job search sites. These sites are more useful than general sites for lawyers focused on a practice area or industry.

Explore websites of industry associations and groups to locate these valuable job search resources for lawyers. For example, the eFinancialCareers site allows you to search for lawyer jobs in the financial industry. A recent search on the eFinancialCareers site returned 318 jobs for the term “lawyer.”

GENERAL JOB POSTING SITES

• Google for Jobs is not a job posting site per se, but it is “Google.” Google for Jobs indexes virtually all the major general online job listing services and boards, including LinkedIn, Monster, Glassdoor, CareerBuilder, and Facebook, among others. It also indexes legal and specialized job search sites, including Attorney Jobs in USA, LawJobs, and Idealist.

Also, Google for Jobs includes job listings it finds on company homepages. Jobs posted natively on Indeed are the major exception to the general job board listings indexed by Google for Jobs. You can sort job search results by title (various titles for the position), city, date posted, type (i.e., full-time, part-time, etc.), company type (e.g., law firm or company’s industry), and employer. See this article for tips on how to best use Google for Jobs.

• LinkedIn Jobs is a top job search site for professionals. Before you search, if you have a LinkedIn profile (and if you don’t, stop right now and complete your profile), look at the “Based on your profile” section just below the search box. You will see a list of jobs selected for you by LinkedIn based on your profile. For more information on how to use LinkedIn Job Search, see "How to Use LinkedIn Job Search to Land Your Dream Job.
• Indeed.com is the best general job search aggregator site for most purposes. Indeed's proprietary job listings (it also indexes listing found elsewhere) are not included in Google for Jobs. See the "Guide: Using Indeed.com Job Search" for more detailed information on how to get the most out of Indeed.
• After Indeed, the two best general job search aggregators are SimplyHired.com and Glassdoor. You might also want to check out Careerbuilder.com and Monster.com. The position listings on these aggregators are shown in Google for Jobs. The main reason for looking at these sites is special features such as Glassdoor's salary information.
• LinkUp provides legal and non-legal postings directly from employer websites.

 LEGAL JOB POSTING SITES

• Attorney Jobs in USA provides listings for law firm jobs, in-house counsel jobs, and law student jobs around the US.
• LawJobs is a consolidated site of legal job postings from American Lawyer Media’s stable of legal publications including, the American Law Journal, Corporate Counsel, The National Law Journal, New York Law Journal, and the Daily Business Review (South Florida). LawJobs concentrates on jobs in Fortune 1000 companies and AmLaw 200 firms.
• Job postings sites of state bar associations, local bar associations, or voluntary and affinity bar associations in your city of interest. For a list of many of these organizations, see "Legal Associations & Organizations."
• ABA Legal Career Central has career-related videos, podcasts, posts, and webinars, along with job postings.
• GoBigLaw posts, as the name suggests, Big Law positions.
• Association Career Network – Legal Jobs lists legal jobs posted by employers and legal jobs posted on most state legal and bar associations' career centers.
• LawMatch is a job posting site open to all attorneys, law students, paralegals, and other legal industry professionals who may be seeking or considering full-time, part-time, or contract opportunities. 

GOVERNMENT POSITIONS 

• USA Jobs is the official site for most federal jobs and employment information. You can apply for many jobs directly through the site. Using Occupational Series Codes in the Advanced Search may be beneficial in getting better search results. Use the Occupational Code 0905 for attorney positions. Many positions don’t use “attorney” or “lawyer” in the title. Use Occupational Code 0301 for Miscellaneous Administration, 0343 for Management and Program Analysis, and 0904 for Law Clerk positions. Other popular JD Advantage positions can be found using Occupational Code 0260 for Equal Employment Specialist and 1801 for Immigration or Asylum Officer.
• The Prosecutor’s Association for your state of choice (e.g., District Attorneys Association of the State of New York, Florida Courts for openings in criminal prosecution.)
• State and local government job posting sites in your state/city of interest (e.g., the State Attorney General’s office, Governor’s office, State Solicitor’s office, State legislature, and County and City Attorney’s offices). State & Local Governments on the Net and PSJD’s State & Local Government Career Resources - State-by-State List are great places to start your research for sites in your state/city of interest.

JUDICIAL CLERKSHIPS AND OTHER JUDICIAL POSITIONS

• OSCAR is the online clerkship application system for federal clerkship and staff positions.
• Federal Administrative Law Judges’ Post Graduate Clerkship Hiring Information lists agencies that hire postgraduate law clerks, agencies that hire attorney-advisers via Honors Programs, agencies that hire attorney-advisers via USAJOBS.GOV, and agencies that do not hire postgraduate law clerks.
• United States Courts Judiciary Jobs lists diverse career opportunities within the federal courts, federal public defender organizations, and the Administrative Office of the United States Courts.
• National Center for State Courts posts judicial positions in state and federal court systems.

 PUBLIC INTEREST POSITIONS

• PSJD job listings include non-profit, government, and other public interest jobs. The listings also include internships and postgraduate fellowships. The site also has a Postgraduate Fellowship Application Deadline Calendar.
• Idealist is a general job search site for finding employment in the non-profit world.
• Check the Public Defender Association for your state of choice (e.g., New York State Defenders Association, National Association for Public Defense, and National Legal Aid & Defender Association) for public defense openings.
• Lawyering for Reproductive Justice provides an internship and fellowship guide with positions at allied non-profit organizations across the country.
• ProFellow provides access to, and resources for, hundreds of fellowships in many fields, including law and public interest.
• Work for Good helps purpose-driven organizations and talented professionals connect, so together, you can do the best work possible.
• B Work connects purpose-driven job seekers with positions at social enterprises using business as a force for good.

POLITICS, POLICY, & PUBLIC AFFAIRS POSITIONS

• USAJOBS is the official website for most federal jobs and employment information. You can apply for jobs directly through the site. Use Occupational Codes 0343 and 0301 for policy positions.
• CQ Roll Call is Congressional Quarterly’s listing of jobs on and around Capitol Hill.
• The Hill lists positions on Capitol Hill and job postings for the federal government, policy, political, public affairs, lobbying, and public relations positions in Washington, DC.
• HillZoo list positions on (and around) Capitol Hill.
• B Work connects purpose-driven job seekers with positions at social enterprises who are using business as a force for good.

IN-HOUSE ATTORNEY POSITIONS

• Association of Corporate Counsel posts in-house attorney positions only (there are no postings for law firm corporate positions).
• GoingInHouse lists, as the name suggests, in-house legal positions.
• Minority Corporate Counsel Association posts both in-house corporate counsel jobs and corporate law jobs in law firms. 

LAW FIRM NON-LEGAL POSITIONS 

• Association of Legal Administrators lists administrative and support positions in law firms.
• Legal Marketing Association posts legal marketing jobs in law firms and consulting firms across the country.
• National Association for Law Placement lists jobs in recruiting and professional development in law firms and positions in career services offices in law schools.

HIGHER EDUCATION AND LAW SCHOOL POSITIONS

• National Association of College and University Attorneys lists attorney jobs in higher education and related openings in compliance, human resources, and administration.
• The Chronicle of Higher Education lists some attorney jobs but is primarily for those seeking other positions in higher education.
• HigherEdJobs posts a few attorney jobs but is mainly for those seeking other positions in higher education.
• Legal Writing Institute lists legal writing positions in law schools.
• National Association for Law Placement posts jobs in career services offices in law schools and positions in recruiting and professional development in law firms

ASSOCIATION POSITIONS 

• Association CareerHQ lists executive and administrative positions with professional associations along with a few jobs for attorneys.
• Association Forum posts jobs with professional associations and a few jobs for lawyers.

COMPLIANCE POSITIONS 

• Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics lists internships and jobs related to corporate compliance.
• Corporate Compliance Insights posts positions in corporate compliance, risk assessment, ethics, audit, and corporate governance.
• Health Care Compliance Association is a member-based association for compliance professionals in the healthcare provider field that lists compliance positions and a few attorney positions.
• National Association of College and University Attorneys posts compliance positions in higher education and also posts attorney jobs and related openings in human resources and administration.

HUMAN RESOURCE POSITIONS 

• Society for Human Resource Management posts jobs in all facets of human resource management.
• HumanResourcesJobs lists human resource related positions.

JOURNALISM, WRITING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS POSITIONS 

• JournalismJobs lists journalism and writing jobs, some in legal journalism and writing.
• MediaBistro posts writing and journalism openings.
• Public Relations Society of America lists public relations positions.

SITES FOR SPECIFIC PRACTICE AREAS 

ADMINISTRATIVE LAW 

• Google Administrative Attorney posts jobs for lawyers focused on administrative law and related areas.
•  Indeed Administrative Attorney lists positions for attorneys in administrative law and related areas.

ADMIRALTY AND MARITIME LAW 

• Google Maritime Attorney lists positions for lawyers in admiralty and maritime law.
• Indeed Maritime Attorney posts positions relating to admiralty and maritime law.

ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION LAW 

• Association for Conflict Resolution lists conflict resolution jobs including, arbitration, mediation, educational, and facilitator positions.
• Google Alternative Dispute Resolution Attorney posts conflict resolution jobs including, arbitration, mediation, educational, and facilitator positions.
• Indeed Alternative Dispute Resolution Attorneys lists conflict resolution jobs including, arbitration, mediation, educational, and facilitator positions.

 ANTITRUST LAW

• Federal Trade Commission posts jobs available at the Federal Trade Commission including, internships and full-time employment. 
• Google Antitrust Attorney lists antitrust and related jobs. 
• Indeed Antitrust Attorney posts positions for antitrust lawyers.

APPELLATE LAW 

• Google Appellate Attorney list appellate positions in different practice areas and settings. 
• Indeed Appellate Attorney posts jobs for appellate attorneys in various settings and practice areas.

 BANKING AND FINANCE LAW 

• The American Bankers Association Career Center posts banking and finance positions. 
• Google Banking Attorney lists banking attorney and related positions. 
• Indeed Banking Attorney has a good selection of banking attorney and other banking positions. 
• eFinancialCareers lists some attorney jobs but is primarily for those seeking other positions in the financial services industry. 
• Google Finance Attorney posts finance attorney positions across the country. 
• Indeed Finance Attorney has a good selection of finance attorney and other finance positions.

 BANKRUPTCY AND DEBTOR/CREDITOR LAW 

• Google Bankruptcy Attorney postings are an excellent place to search for bankruptcy and debtor/creditor law positions.
• Indeed Bankruptcy Attorney listings are another good place to find bankruptcy and debtor/creditor law positions.

 CHILD, ELDER AND FAMILY LAW 

• Google Family Attorney listings include family, matrimonial, divorce, and child advocacy and protection lawyer positions.
• Indeed Family Attorney postings include family, matrimonial, divorce, and child advocacy and protection lawyer positions. 
• Google Elder Law Attorney lists attorney jobs related to elder law. 
• Indeed Elder Law Attorney posts positions for elder law attorneys.

CIVIL RIGHTS LAW 

• Google Civil Rights Attorney lists jobs for civil rights attorneys in a broad range of settings. 
• Indeed Civil Rights Lawyer posts positions for several types of civil rights lawyers.

 COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA LAW 

• Media Law and Policy Jobs Center lists media law and policy internships and fellowships along with full-time positions.
• Google Media Attorney posts communications and media law jobs. 
• Indeed Media Attorney lists communications and media law positions.

 CORPORATE AND BUSINESS LAW 

• Google Corporate Attorney lists corporate attorney jobs in firms along with in-house corporate counsel positions.
• Indeed Corporate Attorney posts both in-house corporate counsel jobs and corporate law jobs in law firms.
• Minority Corporate Counsel Association lists corporate lawyer jobs in firms and in-house corporate counsel positions.

CRIMINAL LAW 

• National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers lists criminal defense jobs. 
• The Prosecutor’s Association for your state of choice (g., Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, District Attorneys Association of the State of New York, Florida Courts, and National Association of Attorney Generals) posts openings in criminal prosecution.
• Google Criminal Lawyer lists lawyer positions in criminal law.
• Google Criminal Attorney posts attorney jobs related to criminal law.
• Indeed Criminal Lawyer lists lawyer positions in criminal law.
• Indeed Criminal Attorney posts attorney jobs related to criminal law.

 EDUCATION LAW 

• National Association of College and University Attorneys posts education law positions in higher education. 
• Google Education Attorney lists jobs for attorneys in education law. 
• Indeed Education Law Attorney posts positions in education law.

 ENERGY AND OIL AND GAS LAW 

• Google Energy Attorney lists jobs for attorneys in the energy industry. 
• Indeed Energy Attorney posts positions in the energy industry. 
• Google Oil and Gas Attorney lists positions for attorneys in the oil and gas industry. 
• Indeed Oil and Gas Attorney posts oil and gas jobs for lawyers.

 ENVIRONMENTAL LAW AND CONSERVATION LAW 

• Environmental Protection Agency notes that most offices that hire attorneys use USAJobs.gov; some offices (listed under this link) might prefer to receive application materials on a rolling basis and contact you if/when a position becomes available. 
• Google Environmental Attorney has postings for environmental lawyer positions. 
• Indeed Environmental Attorney has listings for environmental and conservation positions. 
• Indeed Environmental Lawyers posts jobs for environmental lawyers.

 GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS LAW 

• Google Government Contracts Attorney lists jobs for government contracts lawyers. 
• Indeed Government Contracts Attorney posts positions for government contracts lawyers.

 HEALTHCARE LAW 

• American Health Law Association lists positions with law firms and corporations involved in the healthcare industry.
• Health Care Compliance Association is a member-based association for compliance professionals in the healthcare provider field that posts compliance positions and a few attorney positions.
• Google Health Care Attorney posts jobs for healthcare.
• Indeed Health Care Attorney lists positions for healthcare.

 IMMIGRATION LAW 

• American Immigration Lawyers Association is the national association of over 15,000 attorneys and law professors who practice and teach immigration law. The site posts immigration law positions. 
• Google Immigration Attorney lists positions for immigration attorneys. 
• Indeed Immigration Attorney posts positions for immigration attorneys.

 INSURANCE LAW 

• Google Insurance Attorney lists jobs in various areas of the insurance industry. 
• Indeed Insurance Attorney posts positions for attorneys in various areas of the insurance industry.

 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND TECHNOLOGY LAW

• American Intellectual Property Law Association has a list of jobs relating to intellectual property positions. 
• International Legal and Technology Association is an international membership association of law firms and law departments focused on the intersection of law and technology. The job postings are primarily non-legal. 
• Google Intellectual Property Attorney posts jobs for intellectual property attorneys including, patent, trademark, and copyright positions. 
• Indeed Intellectual Property Attorney lists positions for intellectual property attorneys including patent, trademark, and copyright jobs.

 INTERNATIONAL LAW 

• Indeed International Trade Attorney posts jobs relating to international trade, compliance, intellectual property, and banking. 
• LinkedIn International Trade Attorney lists positions in various aspects of international law including, trade, customs, compliance, corporate, and export control.

 LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT LAW 

• Google Labor and Employment Attorney lists labor and employment positions such as litigation, discrimination, wage and hour, and employee benefits. 
• Indeed Labor and Employment Attorney posts jobs relating to wage and hour, employee benefits, compliance, litigation, and discrimination.

 LITIGATION 

• Google Litigation Attorney posts litigation attorney positions ranging from general litigation to specialized areas. 
• Indeed Litigation Attorney lists jobs for litigation attorneys from very specialized to general litigation.

 MASS TORT AND PRODUCT LIABILITY LAW 

• Google Products Liability Attorney lists positions for mass tort and product liability lawyers. 
• Indeed Mass Tort Attorney posts jobs for mass tort and product liability attorneys.

 MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS LAW 

• Google Mergers and Acquisitions Attorney posts positions for merger and acquisitions attorneys. 
• Indeed Mergers Acquisitions Attorney lists jobs for merger and acquisition lawyers.

 MILITARY AND NATIONAL SECURITY LAW 

• Army Judge Advocate General’s Corp describes various legal positions available in the United States Army and describes the application process. 
• Air Force Judge Advocate General describes various legal positions available in the United States Air Force and the application process. 
• Navy Judge Advocate Generals Corp describes various legal positions available in the United States Air Force and the application process. 
• Central Intelligence Agency lists legal and related national security jobs. 
• Federal Bureau of Investigation posts legal and related positions with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

 REAL ESTATE 

• NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association lists real estate positions nationwide. 
• LandmanJobs posts Landman (land manager) and other real estate-related jobs. 
• Google Real Estate Attorney posts positions for attorneys related to all aspects of real estate law. 
• Indeed Real Estate Attorney lists jobs related to all aspects of real estate.

 SECURITIES AND CAPITAL MARKET LAW 

• Google Securities Attorney posts positions for securities law and capital markets attorneys. 
• Indeed Capital Markets Attorney lists jobs for capital market and securities law attorneys.

 SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT LAW 

• Teamwork Online primarily lists JD Preferred and non-legal positions in the sports and live event industries.
• Google Sports Attorney posts positions for sports law attorneys.
• Google Entertainment Attorney lists jobs for entertainment attorneys.
• Indeed Sports and Entertainment Attorney posts positions for all types of sports and entertainment law positions.

TAX AND TRUST & ESTATE LAW 

• Google Tax Attorney lists positions for tax attorneys. 
• Indeed Tax Attorney posts jobs for tax attorneys. 
• Google Trusts & Estates lists jobs for trusts and estates attorneys. 
• Indeed Trusts & Estates Attorney posts positions for trusts and estates attorneys.

 GENERAL SITES FOR JD ADVANTAGE POSITIONS 

• Lawlternate states jobs on their “board are hand-picked from a variety of sources and feature start-ups, non-profits, and established corporations.”
• The Posse List is a listserv that posts document reviews, paralegal positions, forensics positions, litigation support positions, project management positions, compliance positions, general counsel/assistant general counsel positions – everything across the legal employment field. It also posts special projects and surveys.

There are several other legal (and general) job search sites that require a paid subscription. Some of these sites may be worth the subscription fee in exceptional circumstances. Some may not. If in doubt, do your research.

Final Thoughts

There is little reason for lawyers to spend time on job search sites until they have identified their core purpose and passions, assessed their strongest skills, and envisioned what their ideal career and life would look like.

Once a lawyer has done the work in the career transition process, I recommend spending less than 10% of their job search time on job search sites. A much more effective and efficient use of your job search time is networking, making direct contacts, and promoting your personal brand.

Job search sites may be useful for uncovering terms that firms, companies, and recruiters use in describing your ideal job. The sites may also help identify firms and companies in a hiring mode. Beyond that, waste little of your time on these sites.

If you have done the preliminary work, you should focus your job search efforts on making contacts and learning more about the firms, companies, and industries where you will find your ideal job.

Recommendations

If you use lawyer job search sites in your job-hunting process, I suggest you use these sites:

Google Jobs - the most comprehensive job site for both law and non-law jobs.

LinkedIn - the best place to locate professional jobs. The site also has information about employers, recruiters, and members of your professional network that will be useful in your job search.

Indeed - The best of the general job search sites for lawyers at the current time. When I researched this article six years ago, I would have picked SimplyHired instead, but Indeed has moved ahead of SimplyHired at his time. Both are good. You can experiment to see which one is best for your needs.

SimplyHired - Simplyired has slipped behind Indeed for lawyer job searches. Six years ago, I put SimplyHired ahead of Indeed (see above). Not today. Both are good. You can experiment to see which one is best for your needs.

Association of Corporate Counsel Job Line – For in-house lawyer job searches.

PSJD - For non-profit, government, and other public interest job searches.

If you have a narrow job target in a specialized practice area or industry, look at the lawyer job search websites' descriptions above to see if any might be useful to you.

I have listed none of the general lawyer job sites that cater exclusively to attorneys. I believe that they have outlived their usefulness and do not provide the value provided by listings and search functions available in the sites listed above.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I started a career consulting practice to serve lawyers and other professionals after a successful career as a practicing attorney.

Before starting my career consulting business, I was a:

? Equity partner at two of the largest law firms in the country

? Rainmaker who developed an annual book of business of over $3.5 million

? Winner of the Turnaround Management Association Turnaround of the Year – Large Company 2011

? Lawyer in a small boutique firm

? In-house counsel for a publicly-traded investment firm, and

? Manager at a Fortune 500 company and several small businesses

I Now Work With Lawyers and Other Professionals to Help Them Revitalize Their Careers And Achieve Success, Prosperity, and Personal Fulfillment.

The post "Lawyer Job Search Sites - 2021 Revision and Expansion" appeared first on the Greg Yates Consulting website.

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