Biglaw, Cozen O'Connor, Job Searches

Chicago Is Hiring? Lawyers?

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The National Law Journal reports that some firms are hiring lawyers — including associates — in Chicago. The ABA Journal summarizes the good news:

Three law firms are moving into new offices in Chicago and seeking to fill the space with new lawyers.
The firms getting new digs are Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom; Nixon Peabody; and Cozen O’Connor, the National Law Journal reports.

Happy Friday indeed.
According to the NLJ, despite all the hits the Chicago legal market has taken during this recession, the city is in an expansionary mood:

While law firm expansion has slowed in Chicago during the recession, particularly compared to the accelerated growth in the prior five years, many national firms that set up shop in the city since 2000 are still looking to add lawyers. Efforts to recruit partners with business has been a constant, but firms in the past month have started to look for associates in certain practice areas, including finance, banking, litigation and bankruptcy, said Amy McCormack, who leads the Chicago recruiting firm McCormack Schreiber.

Does that include Kirkland & Ellis? Let’s take a look inside (its new offices), after the jump.


Kirkland & Ellis is not listed as one of the firms looking to expand in the NLJ article. They are moving into new offices. Maybe they can find some work for the hungry and desperate?
Illinois Lawyer Now has this to say about K&E’s palatial workspace:

The firm has nearly 700 lawyers spread over 26 floors of the 60-story high-rise. The building’s environmentally-sustainable design features an exclusive conference center, expanded WiFi and Blackberry service, video conferencing and environmentally-friendly lighting and energy systems.

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The website even has a photo shoot of the new Kirkland surroundings. The full shoot is available here.
Of course, Kirkland cut staff soon after moving into its new digs, so maybe the firm doesn’t want to invite new people into its new home.
But if the Chicago legal market is picking up, I’d blast my resume out to every Biglaw firm that has a presence in Chicago. What’s the worst that could happen? It doesn’t cost anything to be ignored.
Firms look to expand with moves into larger Chicago offices [National Law Journal]
Some Chicago Law Firms Are Hiring Lawyers, Including Associates [ABA Journal]
The law offices of … Kirkland & Ellis LLP [Illinois Lawyer Now]
Earlier: Kirkland & Ellis Staff Cut Follow Up

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