How MLA Partner Sonya Som Rebounded From The Recession, And Her Advice For Landing Your Dream Legal Job

It’s been a long journey for Sonya Som to once again be named a partner in the legal profession.

Som-Sonya“In God we trust / But we’ll never really know what got discussed / Click-boom then it happened.” — Lin-Manuel Miranda, “The Room Where It Happens,” Hamilton.

In September, the Corporate Counsel Women of Color (CCWC) held its 12th Annual Career Strategies Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. As one of the featured speakers on a panel, Sonya Som had the privilege of sharing with her audience of around 1,000 attendees that she had just been promoted to partner at Major, Lindsey & Africa, a leading legal recruiting firm. So not everything that happens in Vegas stays in Vegas — just leave it to Above the Law to share some good legal-industry news!

Last week, I had the opportunity to catch up with Sonya Som. It’s been a long journey for Som to once again be named a partner in the legal profession. Along the way, she’s had quite the renaissance education. She was born in Pittsburgh, raised in Detroit, did her undergraduate studies at Kalamazoo College, studied abroad in Spain, and graduated from Cornell Law School.

Nowadays, Som often thinks about her son, mission, and legacy. Sometimes it’s all she can focus on to keep moving forward. As she often reminded me during our chat, “it’s hard to hit a moving target.” Without further ado, here is a (lightly edited and condensed) write-up of our conversation:

Renwei Chung (RC): We both had the opportunity to watch Hamilton in Chicago recently. Do you think lawyers could take anything away from this musical that could help them in their own lives and careers?

Sonya Som (SS): Especially now, I think Hamilton resonates as a story about resilience. There will be many ups and downs during the course of your long life and long legal career (if you’re lucky). Develop your craft, build your brand, nurture your network (you’ve got to be in the room where it happens!), be strategic and thoughtful and passionate about what you do and believe in, and you can always “write your way out.” Think about the impact you want to make with your life’s work, the legacy you want to leave behind. Do not throw away your shot!

RC: Much is said and written about “cultural fit.” As a legal recruiter, how would you define “cultural fit,” and what can candidates do to learn about a firm’s culture?

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SS: “Cultural fit” has a lot of nuances to it, but if you think about organizations as families, everyone knows what kind of family they have: loud or quiet, talks about issues or doesn’t, hugs or doesn’t hug, opens presents on Christmas morning or on Christmas Eve, etc.  The most obvious way to learn about what kind of “family” an organization has is to ask. Ask the recruiter. Ask the people with whom you are interviewing at the organization. Ask other people you may know who have worked at the organization. Read what the organization says about itself on its website and on social media. Read what others say about the organization in articles and on social media.

But understand that true understanding of the organization won’t really come until you have joined it and determined your place in it and how you feel about it, so it’s always a bit of a leap, even when you have done all your due diligence. And, of course, things happen and cultures change, so you may have to reassess.

RC: In 2009, you were laid off as a partner. How were you able to rebound from this, and how did you decide what to do next?

SS: I was devastated initially. Then, I was surprisingly relieved. I got a chance to really rest after many years of hard work and to truly spend time with my husband and young son. That time and rest allowed me to think about what I really wanted to do with my life — now that the “safe” option of practicing law proved to be not so safe. I thought about what I really enjoyed doing, what I was best at, and sought feedback from family, friends and mentors.

I also talked to people I respected in the “business of law” about what they did, people like Ross Fishman of Fishman Marketing, and Pam DiCarlantonio of Major, Lindsey & Africa, who had placed me at my last law firm. This helped me to identify business development, marketing, coaching, and relationship-building as my real passions and talents. Pam ultimately brought me into MLA to do business development for the Midwest in-house practice group in Chicago. That was six years ago and I made partner at MLA this year, so I’ve come full circle.

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I feel very fulfilled by what I do now, and this surprising but incredibly gratifying new career wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t been laid off in 2009. Sometimes, what seems like the worst thing can actually turn out to be the best. Not always, of course, but sometimes.

RC: What advice do you have for lawyers who are looking to land their dream job or simply hoping to get a foot in a door at their target employer?

SS: Learn your craft. Carefully choose and focus on consistently developing your area(s) of expertise, based on an honest self-assessment (with input from your “Personal Board of Directors” of mentors and sponsors) of your talents, passions, and the likely long-term viability of your chosen path. Think about your brand – how are you known, if you are, within your organization and outside of it? What do you want to be known for? Who do you want to know about you?

Be thoughtful, deliberate and consistent about how you develop your brand and export it, whether it is writing articles, using social media, participating on panels, getting involved in your own or different outside organizations, etc. Cultivate a strong, ever-growing network of valuable relationships. Give to others as much if not more than you receive. If you focus on the “give,” the “get” will follow. Yes, there are job boards you can and should be looking at, but successfully marrying IQ and EQ skills, plus having strong, key relationships, will make you more competitive for both posted and un-posted opportunities.

RC: How can Major, Lindsey & Africa help lawyers with their job search?

SS: I was placed by MLA when I was a law firm partner. More important than the actual mechanics of working with a recruiter was the long-term relationship we developed.

It is so very valuable. Career advice, an honest assessment of your resume, market intel, compensation information, connections and introductions are all huge value-adds when you maintain a relationship with the right recruiter(s) throughout your career. Many of the lawyers I talk to on a day-to-day basis aren’t even actively looking for jobs right now. They just want to keep their finger on the pulse of what’s going on in the industry while they are otherwise busy, head down at their desk.

My MLA recruiter, Pam DiCarlantonio, didn’t just place me at a firm. She kept in touch with me after she placed me, gave me advice, made introductions to potential clients for me, etc. And when the downturn hit and I was laid off, she continued to support me and keep me in mind for opportunities – including at MLA, which is why I am here today. Relationships are always a two-way street, so I hope I am repaying her a bit with well-deserved shout-outs!

RC: It was great chatting with you. Is there anything else you would like to share with our audience?

SS: The practice and business of law have been very good to me, on the whole, these last 20 years. My own life and the life of my immediate and extended family have been greatly improved and elevated thanks to this profession, which I love. There have been many ups and downs, like with any long-term relationship. But if you know that you are on the right path, really believe in what you are doing, and develop strong skills, tools, habits, relationships and brand, there is no limit to what you can do.

RC: On behalf of everyone here at Above the Law, I would like to thank Sonya Som for sharing her experience and wisdom with our audience. We wish her continued success in her career.


Renwei Chung is the Diversity Columnist at Above the Law. You can contact Renwei by email at projectrenwei@gmail.com, follow him on Twitter (@renweichung), or connect with him on LinkedIn.