Nina Houston and Thom Burke are practice lead and managing director, respectively, with the Interim Talent Group at Major, Lindsey & Africa. Views are the authors’ own.
Many moons ago, contract gigs were largely viewed as a fallback for attorneys—something you did to stay busy after retirement or fill in the gaps until a permanent opportunity came along.
Even today, some candidates still get caught up in old misconceptions about the interim model.
But we’ve seen these myths challenged time and again as more attorneys recognize interim work as a feasible and empowering professional path, including for lawyers with in-house experience.
Here are some of the most common fallacies (and reasons why they should be put to bed once and for all).
MYTH #1: Interim work is mainly for entry-level employees or attorneys with low-level skill sets.
FACTS: Interim jobs very often include senior attorney roles for both in-house legal departments and law firms.
Many companies turn to outside recruiters when they need interim legal professionals with niche, difficult-to-find skill sets.
We’ve seen increased hiring for contract associate, counsel, senior counsel, AGC and even GC-level titles with a high level of autonomy or management responsibilities.
What’s more, the need for interim talent isn’t limited to certain industries or practice areas. Healthcare, finance, life sciences, and high-tech all understand the strategic advantages of using interim talent.
Legal practice areas that...
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