Netflix and Firm Lawyers Offer Advice for Recruits at Berkeley Law Event
Lawyers from Kirkland & Ellis, Wilson Sonsini Goorich & Rosati and Netflix Inc. shared their recruitment stories, tips and observations at a Berkeley Center for Law and Business event aimed at promoting women in business law.
June 14, 2019 at 05:09 PM
3 minute read
The original version of this story was published on The Recorder
Inside and outside counsel shared advice for hopeful recruits at a Thursday event in San Francisco, the second session in a Berkeley Center for Law and Business series aiming to address gender inequities in corporate law.
The Women in Business Law Initiative's panel of five lawyers, hosted by Berkeley Law associate director Shannon Kahn, kicked off with the talk of recent recruitment changes. Partners from Kirkland & Ellis, Karen Lee, and Wilson Sonsini Goorich & Rosati, Lisa Stimmell, said their firms have changed interviewing structures to level the playing field for diverse applicants.
“One of the things that has really changed, in my view, is a much bigger focus on making sure our classes are not just great resumes and great CVs and great transcripts, but making sure that we have a diverse class,” Stimmell said.
For Wilson Sonsini, Stimmell said that's meant to ensure a female candidate isn't the only woman in the interview room, and offering inclusive activities for associates such as baking lessons versus open bars. At Kirkland, Lee said interviews are now conducted by a group of lawyers to keep the conversation focused on the candidate's skills rather than veering toward a shared outside interest he or she shares with one partner.
Netflix Inc. legal recruiter Kim Natividad said in-house hiring trends mirror that “emphasis on inclusion.” The Los Gatos, California-based company aims to interview a diverse slate of candidates for open legal roles, accounting for gender, race, law school attended and other factors. She added Netflix's legal team has also aimed to be more inclusive of candidates with children, offering accommodations when families have to fly out for a parent's interview.
“Because for us, being in the content space, our content is only as good as the diverse voices we have making that content,” Natividad said.
Firm lawyers also said the on-campus recruitment process can be a fast-paced blur for candidates and firms, so recruits who want to stand out should get in contact before the madness begins.
Kirkland associate Lesley Hamilton recommended law students reach out the first week of school to grab coffee with lawyers at firms. In those meetings, students should ask meaningful, well-researched questions and make their interest known, she said.
Students who build relationships before recruitment hits have a better shot at being viewed as “a holistic person” later on, said Wilson Sonsini associate Jamie Otto, because interviewers simply know more about them. Reaching out to law school alumni is a good start, she suggested.
Natividad said networks are the “biggest asset” for landing an in-house role. She estimated one-third of Netflix legal hires come from referrals. Despite this, she said many interested applicants don't reach out to Netflix's legal recruiters to network and learn about the team.
“People are often willing to take 20 minutes out of their day for a quick phone call. Reach out to the in-house recruiting teams,” she said. “It's our job to find people … and you would be surprised at how few people actually contact us.”
Read More:
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
You Might Like
View AllSilicon Legal: Tech Companies Stand Up and Speak Out Against Texas Abortion Law
Trending Stories
- 1Judge Denies Sean Combs Third Bail Bid, Citing Community Safety
- 2Republican FTC Commissioner: 'The Time for Rulemaking by the Biden-Harris FTC Is Over'
- 3NY Appellate Panel Cites Student's Disciplinary History While Sending Negligence Claim Against School District to Trial
- 4A Meta DIG and Its Nvidia Implications
- 5Deception or Coercion? California Supreme Court Grants Review in Jailhouse Confession Case
Who Got The Work
Michael G. Bongiorno, Andrew Scott Dulberg and Elizabeth E. Driscoll from Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr have stepped in to represent Symbotic Inc., an A.I.-enabled technology platform that focuses on increasing supply chain efficiency, and other defendants in a pending shareholder derivative lawsuit. The case, filed Oct. 2 in Massachusetts District Court by the Brown Law Firm on behalf of Stephen Austen, accuses certain officers and directors of misleading investors in regard to Symbotic's potential for margin growth by failing to disclose that the company was not equipped to timely deploy its systems or manage expenses through project delays. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton, is 1:24-cv-12522, Austen v. Cohen et al.
Who Got The Work
Edmund Polubinski and Marie Killmond of Davis Polk & Wardwell have entered appearances for data platform software development company MongoDB and other defendants in a pending shareholder derivative lawsuit. The action, filed Oct. 7 in New York Southern District Court by the Brown Law Firm, accuses the company's directors and/or officers of falsely expressing confidence in the company’s restructuring of its sales incentive plan and downplaying the severity of decreases in its upfront commitments. The case is 1:24-cv-07594, Roy v. Ittycheria et al.
Who Got The Work
Amy O. Bruchs and Kurt F. Ellison of Michael Best & Friedrich have entered appearances for Epic Systems Corp. in a pending employment discrimination lawsuit. The suit was filed Sept. 7 in Wisconsin Western District Court by Levine Eisberner LLC and Siri & Glimstad on behalf of a project manager who claims that he was wrongfully terminated after applying for a religious exemption to the defendant's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The case, assigned to U.S. Magistrate Judge Anita Marie Boor, is 3:24-cv-00630, Secker, Nathan v. Epic Systems Corporation.
Who Got The Work
David X. Sullivan, Thomas J. Finn and Gregory A. Hall from McCarter & English have entered appearances for Sunrun Installation Services in a pending civil rights lawsuit. The complaint was filed Sept. 4 in Connecticut District Court by attorney Robert M. Berke on behalf of former employee George Edward Steins, who was arrested and charged with employing an unregistered home improvement salesperson. The complaint alleges that had Sunrun informed the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection that the plaintiff's employment had ended in 2017 and that he no longer held Sunrun's home improvement contractor license, he would not have been hit with charges, which were dismissed in May 2024. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer, is 3:24-cv-01423, Steins v. Sunrun, Inc. et al.
Who Got The Work
Greenberg Traurig shareholder Joshua L. Raskin has entered an appearance for boohoo.com UK Ltd. in a pending patent infringement lawsuit. The suit, filed Sept. 3 in Texas Eastern District Court by Rozier Hardt McDonough on behalf of Alto Dynamics, asserts five patents related to an online shopping platform. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap, is 2:24-cv-00719, Alto Dynamics, LLC v. boohoo.com UK Limited.
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250