Jennifer Gillman is the President of Gillman Strategic Group, a legal recruiting company focused solely on law firm partner placement. She aims to help dissatisfied law firm partners and solo practitioners find the perfect fit at another firm.
After practicing law for 12 years, Jennifer realized that legal recruiting combined her two passions of law and matchmaking. She worked at a New Jersey legal recruiting firm for 10 years before following her dream and launching Gillman Strategic Group.
Being unhappy in your law career doesn’t have to be the norm. That’s why Jennifer created an organization that offers support, guidance, and resources to help law firm partners find their ideal firm. With her combined experience in law and legal recruiting, Jennifer takes on all the legwork necessary to make a career shift and achieve personal and professional satisfaction.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
- Jennifer Gillman explains why her services cater toward law firm partners
- What makes seemingly successful rainmakers unhappy?
- Common reasons why rainmakers change firms
- How law firms can integrate the lateral new hire into the fabric of the company
- Jennifer describes how rainmakers can avoid the greater economic uncertainty
- Tips for evaluating if your current firm is the right fit
- The value of developing your book of business — even if you’re not a top rainmaker
- Why unhappiness in the law doesn’t need to be the norm
In this episode…
Law firm partners often feel guilty for their unhappiness. They are respected, get paid well, and seem to have “made it” in the industry, so why are they dissatisfied? There are many legitimate reasons why rainmakers might feel unhappy in their firms, from lack of growth to ill-suited cultures. As a partner, you shouldn’t feel guilty for your unhappiness — but you don’t need to tolerate it, either.
Jennifer Gillman says rainmakers can be successful and happy if they’re in the right firm. But how do you evaluate if your firm is the proper fit? Jennifer breaks it down into three buckets: work-life balance, client fit, and firm fit. If you’re not finding harmony between your personal and professional life, it may be time to change firms. Additionally, if your clients outgrow the firm or the company can’t support your needs, it’s worth taking a leap to find a new firm.
In this episode of The Lawyer’s Edge Podcast, Elise Holtzman is joined by Jennifer Gillman, President of Gillman Strategic Group, to talk about how rainmakers can find happiness in their work. Jennifer shares how her business helps law firm partners search for a new company, common reasons why rainmakers change firms, and tips to find happiness in the law.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Elise Holtzman on LinkedIn
- The Lawyer’s Edge
- Jennifer Gillman on LinkedIn
- Gillman Strategic Group
- Smart Collaboration: How Professionals and Their Firms Succeed by Breaking Down Silos by Heidi K. Gardner
- “Smart Collaboration | How Law Firms Can Increase Revenues, Grow Client Loyalty, and Improve Diversity” with Dr. Heidi Gardner
- “Tim Corcoran | Disrupting Outdated Law Firm Compensation Models”
Sponsor for this episode…
Today’s episode is brought to you by the Ignite Women’s Business Development Accelerator.
Ignite is an 18-month business development program created by women lawyers for women lawyers.
Ignite is not just a one-off seminar or a series of seminars. It’s a carefully designed business development program containing content coaching and a community of like-minded women who are committed to becoming rainmakers and supporting the retention and advancement of other women in the profession.
To learn more about Ignite, visit thelawyersedge.com/ignite.
