[This article was prepared by Gary Cohen, a director in Lateral Link’s Dallas office.]

In the current economic environment, columns and blog posts abound advising laid-off attorneys what to do now that they have been cast into the wilderness. This advice has generally been on the mark and includes items like networking, learning a foreign language, and taking a contract job. The goal of every attorney seeking to return to the legal profession should be to make himself or herself as marketable as possible once the job market recovers. However, there are actions an attorney might consider in moments of fear or panic that could harm his or her chances once firms begin hiring again. Desperate times lead to desperate actions, and I have unfortunately encountered some questionable behavior that should be avoided if a laid-off attorney wants to maintain his or her viability as a candidate in the future. Based on my observations, here are some points to consider.

1. Do not machine-gun your resume to every firm in the country. Sending your resume to hundreds of firms will not increase your odds of quickly finding a job. There is a good chance that you are a transactional attorney of some type if you have been laid off, and at the moment, there are basically no firms nationwide looking for transactional laterals. Occasionally, a position will open up, but the odds of any one attorney getting the job are practically nil due to the magnitude of the competition. Chances are good that your resume will end up being quickly rejected, never read, or worse, immediately sent to the circular file. At the same time, you could potentially be closing doors to future consideration by these firms. A better plan of action is to strategically contact firms where your odds are best (even if still slim) based on connections, type of practice, etc. In the end, your best choice may be to simply wait things out.

2. Do not lie to recruiters. Laid-off attorneys often reflexively contact multiple recruiters, thinking that Recruiter B might have some kind of connection that Recruiter A does not. That isn’t problematic in and of itself, provided the attorney lets the recruiters know which firms he or she has contacted, either directly or through another recruiter. Managing your search is critical, and you can quickly kill your candidacy by submitting your resume more than once to a firm. Furthermore, if a recruiter discovers that you have not been honest about your search, he or she will likely drop you like a hot potato. No recruiter will risk his or her reputation by submitting a candidate to a firm if the recruiter thinks the candidate is not trustworthy, and no law firm will want to hire a candidate that appears devious. Your recruiter wants to help you, and any subterfuge will only hurt you in the end.

3. Do not show up at a firm unannounced. Showing up in the lobby of a firm in which you are interested does not show initiative; it shows bad judgment. Lawyers and recruiting coordinators, even these days, are busy and do not want to be interrupted by strangers. Firms are fully aware that there is no shortage of quality talent available for hire, and they will put the word out when they are ready to begin the hiring process.

4. Beware of Craigslist. Most recruiters are ethical and honest, but there are some bad apples out there. I have heard stories of unscrupulous—and desperate—recruiters trolling Craigslist (and other comparable general job posting boards), pretending to be a law firm. These recruiters post misleading ads in order to get their hands on resumes and then, without permission from the candidates, spray those resumes around town to every firm they think might be interested. Craigslist can be a great resource in certain circumstances, but it is probably not the best place to find a job with Sullivan & Cromwell. Further, if a recruiter promises you the moon and stars in this job market, be smart enough to know that he or she is pulling your leg. A reliable recruiter will be honest with you and can give you realistic information about your current chances.

5. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck. You are not a bankruptcy attorney based on that one case you worked on as a summer associate, nor are you an IP litigator because you took a computer science class in college. If you are a corporate lawyer and worked only on corporate matters before being laid off, then you remain a corporate lawyer. Dressing up your resume in order to claim you are something you are not will not help. Your best chance of finding a new position is to remain true to your identity. The corporate and real estate markets will come around, and when they do, you will have opportunities. In the meantime, anything you can do to enhance your core credentials will help, albeit incrementally.

Finally, be patient and don’t panic. I know that is easier said than done, but the opportunities will eventually come. Remember, law firms are incredibly reactive. They overhire and give large raises when times are good, and they underhire and cut staffing to the bone when times are bad. Then, when times change, they are caught in a staffing predicament. Once the economy begins to recover and legal activity picks up, there should be ample opportunities to find a new job as firms scramble to handle the work.

Gary Cohen is Lateral Link’s Director for Texas. He can be reached at gcohen@LateralLink.com.