Tilly Brown, August 2026

If you’ve spent more than five minutes at a law firm, chances are you’re familiar with movement: someone’s handed in their notice; a partner’s been poached; there’s a new team joining the floor. In the legal industry, lateral moves are everywhere. What often goes unseen is the carefully choreographed process behind them, involving recruiters, hiring teams, and candidates all working together to make the process as seamless as possible.

To unpack the work that goes on behind the scenes, we spoke to Swan Legal Search recruiters, Andrea Hartwell, Bram Schumer, and Mindy Baggish, as well as Deverie Hart, director of partner talent acquisition at Davis Wright Tremaine. Together, their perspectives show where recruiters can add genuine value, where firms apply their own scrutiny, and why candidates should treat a lateral move as a strategic career decision rather than a shortcut out of an uncomfortable role.

Why lawyers lateral

The idea of a lawyer joining a firm and spending their entire career there has become increasingly rare. As lateral markets have evolved, so too have expectations around career progression.

 

"What was once viewed as unconventional or even undesirable has increasingly become a normalized part of the legal talent market.”

 

As Deverie Hart observes, “Attorney mobility has become far more common than it once was. Traditionally, many lawyers joined a firm as summer associates – or after a clerkship – and remained there for decades, often for the entirety of their careers, without making a lateral move. In the post-COVID environment, particularly among younger attorneys, we’re seeing careers shaped by experience across multiple firms over shorter periods of time. What was once viewed as unconventional or even undesirable has increasingly become a normalized part of the legal talent market.”

There are a multitude of reasons why someone may want to lateral, including practice specialization, training and mentorship, lifestyle, and compensation, but oftentimes, the best moves boil down to one point: career trajectory.

“Most lawyers like what they do… they’re trying to find the best use for themselves,” says Bram Schumer, challenging the misconception that lawyers only lateral because they’re unhappy in their current position: “Professionally, they want to steer the ship in a certain direction.”

Though moves are less frowned upon nowadays, there is still concern around candidates who move a bit too frequently, or too soon after a placement. As Mindy Baggish notes, “There is the year rule: have they been at a firm for at least one year or are they looking to leave in less than a year, and why is that?” Of course, there are a multitude of reasons lawyers may want to move, so candidates falling into the ‘less than one year’ camp will need to have a convincing story.

As such, the advice from our interviewees is to look upon lateral moves as a strategic and deliberate career investment, rather than a quick fix that may wind up placing you right back at square one. Ultimately, the strongest candidates will have a clear idea of what they’re trying to gain from their move and can articulate why the move lines up with their long-term goals.

When the timing is right

“What I’ve found is that there are time periods where attorneys are at their most marketable, and in my experience that’s typically between their second and sixth year,” says Baggish, as firms often “want folks who can come in and hit the ground running.”

Andrea Hartwell expands on this sweet spot, noting that at this stage, “associates have real skills that they can use on a day-to-day basis, and they have a certain level of value to a law firm, but they are not completely formed in their career.” For juniors, the point is not to rush a move as soon as an option appears, but to understand when the market is most likely to view their experience as portable and still moldable.

 

“There is a critical window at the mid-level/senior associate stage where attorneys need to consider whether they’re interested in staying for the longer term.”

 

From the law firm perspective, Hart also notes that “there is a critical window at the mid-level/senior associate stage where attorneys need to consider whether they’re interested in staying for the longer term.” At this stage, attorneys are encouraged to make considered decisions on how they foresee their careers mapping out: are they on the partner track? Are they looking to become counsel? Or do they want something else altogether?

The caveat is the process will look very different for those who are senior associates, counsel, or partners. Hart notes, “At that level, attorneys often have an established book of business and meaningful client relationships,” she explains: “That’s ultimately what makes someone marketable to other firms. In many cases, the strength of those relationships matters more than career stage, because it creates mobility opportunities at virtually any point in a lawyer’s career.”

When looking at matters of timing for juniors, it’s also worth zooming in to the micro-level too, as there are periods throughout the year when a move may make sense and other times where it’s worth waiting a bit longer. As an overview, Baggish details that “the most active times for laterals tend to be from January to mid-May. After the summer is over, you have another nice little pocket starting at the end of August through beginning of November.”

These seasonal hiring patterns are typically influenced by bonus cycles, staffing needs, and vacation schedules. While activity often increases after the end-of-year bonus season, the summer months are typically quieter as folks head off on summer holidays.

Diving deeper into timing and planning ahead, Hartwell notes, “With bonuses coming out at the end of the year and going into the first quarter, oftentimes candidates will start to prepare themselves and will start to think about things in the fall while they wait to get their year-end bonus.” Baggish further emphasizes the importance of preparing well in advance: “If a candidate has decided that ‘this year is the year,’ they need to know that the search process takes time. You don’t want to wait until the last minute; you need to factor in the amount of time preparing for interviews and going through several stages of interviews.”

What firms are looking for

Finding job opportunities is but one side of the equation; what’s equally pertinent is understanding what firms are looking for with each role they advertise. Ultimately, a resume serves as an opening argument to pique a firm’s interest, as Schumer explains, “What’s on the resume will matter, schools will matter for better or for worse, transcripts still matter…”

The crucial step is the interview. “The interview determines a lot,” Baggish makes clear. This is the stage where firms can really assess whether the paper credentials translate into judgment, self-awareness, client-facing confidence, and a credible reason for moving; Hartwell notes, “If I had to boil it down to two things, it’s going to be skills and the dynamic.”

 

“What matters most is a candidate really being able to demonstrate that they have attained a level of skill and experience appropriate for their class year."

 

First and foremost, “What matters most is a candidate really being able to demonstrate that they have attained a level of skill and experience appropriate for their class year,” Schumer explains: “Beyond that, talk like a lawyer who gets it and who knows how to appropriately characterize what they’ve done.” Ultimately, he notes, firms will be looking for candidates displaying “an appetite to want to push to that next level.”

Alongside that, it’s important not to let the small things catch you out. Baggish adds that firms are looking for cultural fits too: “Are they confident without being arrogant? Can they hold a conversation?”

Further on the ‘why’ behind the move, ultimately, “everyone has a reason that is unique to them and to their practice about what they want out of their career,” Hart tells us from the law firm perspective. “That’s why we spend so much time trying to get to know candidates and what their motivations are, what’s important to them, where they want to build, and what pain points they’ve been experiencing in their career thus far.” At the end of the day, she concludes, “We want to make sure that their vision for their practice aligns with our vision.”

A recruiter’s process

Every successful lateral move has someone quietly pulling the strings behind the scenes. While candidates prepare for interviews and firms assess potential hires, a good recruiter is juggling expectations, managing relationships, and keeping the process moving on their behalf. As a bridge between the two parties, recruiters can often offer candidates a bird’s-eye-view of the negotiation table which they wouldn’t otherwise have, as well as advice from past experience.

“I’ve realized how important it is, when I’m speaking with people, that I’ve been there, even if it’s a different practice and times have changed,” Hartwell reflects on her former career as a practicing attorney: “Having that experience has really helped me shape my lens when I meet people, speak with them, and talk to law firms.”

From the other side of the table, Hart explains, “From the law firm side, there’s tremendous value in working with a trusted recruiter, which is why firms make that investment. The best recruiters do more than advocate for candidates – they also bring valuable market intelligence and insight that helps inform the hiring process.”

Yes, recruiters do find lawyers jobs, and yes, they make cold calls, but reducing their role to those two points overlooks what they bring to the table. For the best recruiters, most of the work happens long before a role is discussed and long after an interview ends. As Hartwell explains, “I like to think of it as wearing three different hats in the process: I’m first an advisor, then I move to coaching, coaching, coaching, and then I act as an advocate for what’s going to be needed in order for the offer to be attractive for the candidate.”

 

“You don’t want to interview with five firms on your own and try to navigate that."

 

Recruiters also serve as a buffer between the candidate and the law firm when managing multiple interviews and negotiating multiple offers. “It’s a bit of a tightrope,” Hartwell describes the balancing process: “You don’t want to interview with five firms on your own and try to navigate that… I don’t want the candidate to have the burden of declining offers either.”

Pitfalls

While a good recruiter can help ease much of the lateral process, our interviewees were keen to flag a few common pitfalls that are out of their hands.

"The biggest mistake that people will make is telling their friends at their current firm that they're looking to get another job," says Hartwell. Communities are much smaller than people think; word spreads fast and can hurt your current position and, in some cases, your prospects. “I always remind candidates to exercise caution, and share only with your most trusted friend at a firm,” she advises.

Hartwell continues, "The second biggest mistake is not being prepared for the interviews." As outlined earlier, the interview delves into far more than just your resume; partners will want to understand your career trajectory, your personality, actions you’d take in hypothetical scenarios. “It’s important to walk through those kinds of questions with a recruiter beforehand, and get your brain thinking about those types of questions,” she notes.

 

"Storytelling is much more memorable than just a set of facts.”

 

On the topic of preparation, Schumer emphasizes the importance of having “total facility of your writing sample and every word on your resume.” Ahead of the interview, study your resume inside out and be prepared to discuss every line and example and connect them to your long-term goals. "Storytelling is much more memorable than just a set of facts,” he notes.

Finally, Baggish offers a word of caution: "Just because everybody else is doing it doesn't mean you should do it." Lateral moves are deeply personal and attorneys move for many different reasons.

Ultimately, there’s no one-size-fits-all, as Baggish concludes, “It’s nothing small… it’s your career.” Candidates should certainly carry out their own diligence too. Recruiters can supply market intelligence and firm-specific context, but the strongest candidates will still research the firm and really be able to answer whether the opportunity matches what they want next.

From first call to final offer

If there’s one point to take away from this article, it’s that lateral moves take time – and lots of it. And as a practicing attorney, time can feel like a bit of a rarity. Materials need to be prepared, there may be several rounds of interviews, firms may need to carry out conflicts and background checks, and candidates may need to manage notice periods without burning bridges.

It’s where working with a good recruiter can make all the difference, particularly when firms are moving at different speeds with offers and the candidate needs help keeping their options open without rushing the decision.

 

“We’re looking at a variety of resources that are tried and true – not to mention the relationships that we’ve established with legal employers..."

 

“We’re looking at a variety of resources that are tried and true – not to mention the relationships that we’ve established with legal employers and really getting a sense, from a personal level, of what they’re looking for in candidates. It can’t be replicated,” underlines Baggish.

It’s also important to vet your recruiter. “It’s a busy market and you’re going to get outreach from a variety of recruiters,” Baggish continues. Working with a recruiter can be a major advantage, but you want to have the right person going to bat for you. As Hart puts it, “It’s more important to have the right person representing you than to follow someone because they caught you on a bad day with a catchy lead.”

Baggish adds, “We get interviewed too, and you should interview us. It’s your career.” In practice, that means seeking referrals from trusted friends who have been through the process and ultimately treating the choice of recruiter as part of the lateral strategy itself.

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