Page 23 - Los Angeles Vol 5 No 2

and even the government. ey specialize in myriad areas and apply that knowledge to the bene t of each new orga- nization they work with.
“You can’t plan to use a document review attorney to perform a client-facing role or vice versa. Contract law- yers are experienced in a speci c area and come in to do a speci c job. ey are on a di erent path and can o en ll the same role for several years in a way that
with the contract model is a solution to that.” Klungness continued, “Our clients’ business needs have changed, so we have to be responsive to our client, which in turn has changed our approach to hiring. Our goal is to have the right resources for the right engagement.”
For law rms to successful adopt this model, however, it requires an internal mind shi and support from the partnership. “ e support from that rst corporate partner who was willing to try this approach really made all the dif- ference,” Marshall said. “He was an out-of- the-box thinker and shared the success from that rst experience with the others and it was very well received. at’s why others have been more open to trying it.”
Law rms can bene t from hiring interim attorneys for short-term projects or to ll gaps in bandwidth because they will be able to ll a need without a long-term commit- ment. Firms will be able to better evaluate their current state and control costs while keeping the work on track and then make
educated decisions around spend and headcount. An ex- perienced legal sta ng rm can help law rms navigate the process and nd solutions that will ultimately save them money and a headache.
Bodie McNaught is a managing director for the Interim Legal Tal- ent group in the Los Angeles of ce of Major, Lindsey & Africa.
partner track associates cannot,” Klungness said.
Not everyone wants to be an on-track as- sociate that aspires to be partner or general counsel. Interim attorneys choose to work on a project and interim basis for a variety of reasons, many of which allow them the work-life balance they desire. However, it does require a new approach to hiring.
“When we rst started hiring contractors,
we were still asking the questions about what
law schools or rms have they worked at,”
said Marshall. “Now we look at expertise de-
spite number of years’ experience. We’re not
beholden to traditional lockstep structure, so
by having candidates who are nontraditional
in full-time positions, we are able to try new things and explore new pro les.”
Using interim legal talent is not o en thought of as the rst hiring option, but it can be the best answer to sta ng challenges and skill gaps. “Peaks are higher and valleys are lower than ever in law, so being able to ramp up and down
“A few years ago, we were looking for corporate associates and found that the market was very tight in terms of available full-time help.”