When other attorney moms hear that I work part-time, one of their first questions is, “How did you find a part-time job?!” In a nutshell, the answer is “I asked for it.” In fact, my current job is the third law firm where I’ve worked part-time. That means it’s not luck, and you can do it, too!
This series of posts is aimed at helping you ask for a flexible work arrangement to meet your family’s needs, whether you’re already working full-time or you’re a stay-at-home mom who’s looking to re-enter the paid workforce.
Existing Full-Time Job
My first part-time job arose out of a full-time, partnership track position. I had been a full-time attorney for 5 years before I had a baby. I went back to full-time after my daughter was born and stayed in that capacity for over a year. I entertained the idea of reducing my hours for several months before making a move. I was afraid the firm would say no. Eventually, I reached the conclusion that if the firm said no, I would walk away. As much as I wanted to have a career, full-time wasn’t working for our family anymore. I made a proposal to the firm asking for part-time. They said yes! Their only condition was that I work consecutive days, so I chose Tuesday through Thursday.
If you already work full-time for a law firm, then the firm already knows you, and you know the firm. You know what the attorneys’ work habits are and what they expect from other attorneys in the firm. You know what technology they use and whether they have the capability for remote practice. You probably have a good idea which attorneys will be more responsive to your proposal. You also know what type of the work the firm has, what assignments could be carved out for a flexible schedule, and where your skills fit in.
With all this information, you can design a proposal to submit to the appropriate person, whether it’s your supervising attorney, the firm’s administrator, or several people as a CYA. Note: Other blog posts will help you work through the proposal itself. The focus here is the search.
Most importantly, you need to decide in advance what you will do if the firm is not willing to negotiate. Will you leave? (I was so ready for a change that I was willing to do that.) Will you continue to work until you find a flexible position? Will you give yourself an internal deadline to find a new position while saving money for a financial cushion? What will you do if the deadline passes and you haven’t landed a flexible position yet? Do you have enough savings to walk away? Planning in advance of each step will help you stay in control.
Your Own Network
I worked three days a week for two years until my second child was born, at which time I decided to stay home for a while. Eventually, the career woman in me needed an outlet, so when my second baby became a toddler, I sought out part-time work. I contacted lawyer friends, and before long, they pointed me to a firm that needed help with a huge influx of new cases. They were willing to take any amount of hours I could give, so I committed to 20 to 25 hours a week spread over 4 days. What started out as a temporary position later became permanent with employment benefits as I proved myself.
If you’re trying to make a change or re-enter the workforce after being a stay-at-home mom, you’ll find that friends, former colleagues and law school alumni are invaluable resources. They can help you identify current trends in the law, such as which areas of practice have seen a downturn or uptick in volume. They can also help you identify law firms that may need help. Steer away from firms that need help because they run off attorneys on a regular basis! Instead, look for those that have a high volume of work because of their reputation and quality of service. The information you gather from friends and colleagues will help you identify who to approach about assisting in a flexible capacity.
Ads & Headhunters
For my next job, I again sought out a part-time position. There were a few more part-time positions being advertised compared to when I first had kids, so I was able to apply through ads for some existing opportunities. Those jobs were filled by the time I applied, but one of the headhunters from the ads liked my resume and decided to seek out a job for me. After a few interviews, she connected me with a small firm that was growing in the area where I had expertise. The firm wasn’t sure how much extra help they needed, so they were open to a variety of arrangements. They hired me on a part-time basis five years ago, and I continue to work there now, billing about 25 hours a week and sometimes more as deadlines dictate.
You may find occasional ads for part-time work, such as in bar publications, but I don’t recommend depending on them as your sole job resource. If you do, you’ll be waiting a long time, and you’ll have a lot of competition! Those giant online job resources are not tailored for finding flexible work in the legal profession, either. Law firms don’t necessarily think about flexible work arrangements, much less spend money and effort advertising them. Therefore, I recommend keeping your eye out for ads and applying as you see fit, but using other resources as well.
Legal headhunters have good networks, and they help with the employment negotiation process. They may have insight into which firms in their network might be open to flexible work. However, flexible job placements aren’t likely to be a headhunter’s bread and butter, and some may have no experience in negotiating flexible job arrangements. Like I did, you may find yourself having to do some educating about the terms and options, and you may have to help them navigate their fee with the hiring firm. They’re used to charging the firm a percentage of your annual salary, so they could be confused if there is no set salary. Also, not all firms are willing to pay the hefty fees associated with headhunters (a typical fee is 1/3 of your annual salary!). Therefore, relying solely on a headhunter to find you a flexible position may limit the number of firms you can access. Also, be aware of the terms of any agreement you sign with a headhunter. They will protect their economic interests by preventing you from going around them to secure a position with their firms.
What job resources have you used for finding flex?
Are you in the process of searching for flexible work, or have you found it? What job resources are you using, or which resources worked for you? Thanks for sharing!
FlexWork for Attorney Moms 
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