How to Make a Lateral Move as an Attorney

A lateral move is a job change after you are already practicing. It is not campus recruiting. Firms will ask what you own, why you are leaving, and whether you can do their work on day one. If you cannot answer those three questions cleanly, wait.

This guide covers how to plan the move, what hiring partners actually test, and how to use a recruiter without losing control of your search.

Table of Contents

• Decide Whether You Are Ready
• What Firms Evaluate in a Lateral
• Build a Target List
• How to Talk About Why You Are Leaving
• Using a Recruiter on a Lateral Search
• FAQ

Decide Whether You Are Ready

You are ready when the work you want exists somewhere else and you can prove you have already done a version of it. Wanting “better culture” is not a search strategy. Wanting more first-chair time, a hybrid schedule, or a market like Michigan is.

Write down:

• The matters you can discuss without naming clients
• The hours you have actually billed
• The compensation you need
• The earliest date you can start

If those four items are fuzzy, you are browsing, not moving.

What Firms Evaluate in a Lateral

Hiring partners look for ownership. They want to know what you personally drafted, argued, negotiated, or managed. They also look for judgment: when you pushed back, when you asked for help, and how a matter ended.

They will test motivation. “I want more money” is fine if the rest of the story is about the work. “My firm is a mess” is a warning sign, even when it is true. Keep the reason short and professional.

Bar status, conflicts, and notice period still matter. Do not start interviews if you cannot get admitted or cleared in a reasonable window.

Build a Target List

Pick a practice, a seniority band, and two or three markets. A litigation associate search in Troy is different from a senior litigation seat in Grand Rapids. Both can be the right move. They are not the same process.

Use current openings to see live pay bands and on-site policies. Then decide whether you will only look at posted roles or also let a recruiter bring confidential ones.

For geography-specific context, see attorney jobs in Michigan.

How to Talk About Why You Are Leaving

Use one sentence. Examples that work:

• “I want a heavier commercial docket and more deposition responsibility.”
• “I am relocating to Michigan and looking for a hybrid litigation seat.”
• “I want a platform where I can keep doing this work with a clearer path to a book.”

Then stop. The rest of the interview should be about their cases, not your exit.

Using a Recruiter on a Lateral Search

A recruiter is useful when they already have the firm’s criteria. Read how to work with a legal recruiter before you send a résumé to five desks.

Give approval before any submission. Tell them every firm you have already contacted. Ask what the hiring partner did not put in writing: hours, partnership path, who you would sit with.

FAQ

How many years do I need before a lateral move?

There is no fixed number. Junior laterals need to show training and trajectory. Mid-level laterals need ownership. Senior laterals need a clear story about the work they will bring or run.

Will my current firm find out?

Not if you use a recruiter who will not send your name without approval, and if you keep communications off firm systems. Nothing is risk-free. Discretion is the point of a confidential search.

Should I wait for a bonus?

Sometimes. If the bonus is weeks away and the new firm will wait, say so. If the new role will disappear, do the math and decide. Do not let a bonus be the only reason you stay in the wrong seat.

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If you are ready to look, review attorney jobs we are filling or contact Five Star Placements for a confidential lateral search.