General Counsel
Consulting
provided
exceptional
service in helping
my organization
recruit for a hard
to fill position.
They did extensive
work on the front
end to understand
our needs and
our culture and
began referring
highly qualified
candidates almost
immediately.
Melinda Burrows
Deputy General Counsel
- Litigation and
Compliance, Progress
Energy Service Company
LLC
Articles By Harrison Barnes From BCG Attorney Search
BCG Attorney Search has launched a new legal practice area taxonomy. It helps lawyers, recruiters, and law firms group legal work.
The taxonomy covers 42 main practice areas, more than 200 specialties, and over 3,000 keywords. These terms help users describe legal work with more detail.
The system breaks broad legal fields into smaller groups. These include corporate law, litigation, bankruptcy, real estate, tax, and employment.
It also covers healthcare, intellectual property, data privacy, and cybersecurity.
Corporate law includes several key areas. These include mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and venture capital.
The category also covers securities and technology deals.
Litigation has many areas too. These include commercial litigation, antitrust litigation, and securities litigation.
Intellectual property litigation is another key area.
As a result, recruiters can get a clearer view of a lawyer’s skills. Firms can also use the system to find lawyers with the right experience.
BCG Adds a 33% Guideline
The taxonomy includes a 33% guideline for choosing specialties.
BCG Attorney Search suggests listing a specialty when it makes up at least 33% of a lawyer’s work. Lawyers can list up to three specialties.
If no specialty reaches 33%, lawyers can use the general practice area.
This rule helps keep profiles focused. It also reduces the use of unrelated keywords.
Recent Work Gets More Focus
The taxonomy gives more weight to recent legal work.
BCG Attorney Search looks mainly at work from the last one to three years after law school. The most recent year gets the most weight.
Therefore, lawyers should keep their resumes current. Their profiles should match their present work.
This can help lawyers who changed firms recently. It can also help lawyers who changed practice areas.
What the Taxonomy Means for Recruiting
The system may help firms improve legal hiring.
Clear job descriptions can show firms which skills they need. Lawyers can also use clear terms to explain their experience.
The taxonomy covers newer legal fields as well. These include cybersecurity, fintech, blockchain, and renewable energy.
Technology transactions also appear as a distinct practice area.
These fields now sit alongside traditional areas of law.
Helping Lawyers Find Better Opportunities
The taxonomy can help lawyers present their skills more clearly.
Attorneys can use specific practice terms on their resumes. They can also use those terms when searching for jobs.
Law students may benefit too. The categories can help them learn about different areas of law.
Meanwhile, recruiters can use specific terms to find qualified lawyers faster.
As legal hiring becomes more focused, clear practice areas can lead to better job matches.
BCG Attorney Search’s legal practice area taxonomy offers a simple way to organize legal work. It gives lawyers, recruiters, and law firms a clear framework for today’s legal job market.
