Partners/anyone on a hiring committee: what are your thoughts on hiring/hiring back associates who left big law to go in-house, but have decided they want to return to law firm life?

After 7 years of working at a firm, I’m itching to try something new. But I worry I’ll hate in-house work (and hate the pay cut, too, let’s be real). And when I’m not totally exhausted, overwhelmed, and stuck in discovery hell, I actually like big law work. Just wondering what my chances of bouncing back might be.

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I’m a hiring partner and have hired a bunch. It does matter your seniority level and how good you were when you were here. You may have thought you left, but we may have wanted you to leave. Assuming we didn’t, and your are junior enough, then we may bring you back because we need you. If we don’t “need” you and don’t care to keep you, then what can you bring to us. You are coming from a client that pays someone’s bills to represent them, will they pay you? Why are you leaving? Is your current employer a client or potential client? If they are a client, will we piss them off by hiring you back? If they are not a client, will you conflict us out of something? This is chess and not checkers, so be prepared to answer all those questions. Good luck (and yes, we have done it before).

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It's hard to come back if you're senior and dont have a book of business, unless you are really specialized. Are you? Are you fine with being a sr or a counsel with no shot at promotion? That's worst-case.

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It would depend on the stated reasoning, how convincing that was, and the market at the time. As someone who has turned down in house roles I can understand deciding it isn’t for you. At your level of seniority, though, I’d be much more concerned about that than the actual fact of the switch.

Bounced back from in-house. I do worry that people don’t take me seriously for partner consideration but I was also popular at the firm before leaving and seem to be popular at the firm now. We are also super busy (and that seems to be an always thing, although extra much in 2021) so I have good job stability even if I don’t get promoted. We shall see!

Why did you bounce back?

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