Any attorney who has turned to online job placement sites like LinkedIn for help with a career move knows how daunting and discouraging those resources can be. They present a bog of job postings to be combed through, most of which lack the information needed to make a valid assessment of the position. And after taking the time to craft custom-tailored resumes and cover letters, most applications don’t even get a reply.
Rather than shooting in the dark, attorneys need a resource that will guide them to the right opportunity — the one that will take their legal careers to the next level.
Michelle Foster, Managing Partner at The Foster Group, has been helping attorneys find the right opportunities for over two decades. The firm’s success flows from the unique insights Michelle brings to professional legal recruitment. As a former litigator, Michelle can provide a perspective that few other legal recruiters bring to the process.
“My deep experience in the legal industry and the relationships I’ve developed during the past 25+ years give me unparalleled insights into firm structures, compensation benchmarks, lateral movement patterns, and market trends,” Michelle explains. “The insights allow us to help clients and candidates stay ahead of the market, rather than just react to it.”
Michelle launched The Foster Group in 2014 with a vision of providing her clients with much more than just a list of openings. She believed the best approach to legal recruiting involved career counseling. From the beginning, her clients got care that was relational, instead of the transactional approach taken by most other firms.
“Throughout our history as a firm, we’ve attracted clients and candidates seeking a different approach to legal search,” shares Drew Foster, Managing Director at The Foster Group. “Attorneys continue to come to us because they want a real partner in their search, someone who will help them find the positions that are best for their career, rather than just a list of what is out there at the time.”
Speaking the language of the litigator
Michelle’s legal experience is especially helpful to litigators who are considering lateral moves. Her 14 years as a litigator prior to transitioning into legal recruiting allowed her to see exactly what attributes clients want to see at both the associate and the partner levels.
“Over more than a decade as a litigator, I saw the full evolutionary cycle of the position,” Michelle explains. “I know what a litigator’s training should encompass for them to be fully prepared to step into their role. When I’m talking with attorneys about their experience, I can evaluate their experience and counsel them on what would be the most helpful path to continue their training. I know how to help them be at their peak when they present themselves as a candidate.”
Speaking the language of a litigator also gives Michelle an advantage when connecting with firms. She’s been an insider in that world, which allows her to quickly understand and appreciate its unique needs.
“Having practiced litigation at a high level, I know how to speak the same language as my clients and candidates,” Michelle says. “That empowers me to build immediate trust and to engage in meaningful conversations about career goals, firm culture, and market trends in a way that non-lawyers often cannot.”
Placing diverse talent in leadership roles
Michelle launched into her career at a time when there were very few women leaders in the legal space. Advancing through the ranks meant overcoming a number of challenges her male counterparts did not face. Yet she overcame those challenges, becoming only the second woman partner at her firm and gaining insights that are invaluable to the work she now does as a recruiter.
“As one of the few female partners in the industry 30 years ago, I’ve personally navigated the challenges of advancing in a traditionally male-dominated field,” Michelle says. “The journey gave me a perspective that fuels my passion for placing diverse talent in leadership roles. It also gave me insights that help firms build stronger, more inclusive teams that enhance workplace culture, improve retention, and meet client expectations for diversity.”
Investing in meaningful relationships
To stay ahead of the market and provide valuable insights to both clients and candidates, Michelle and her team make it their priority to constantly invest in meaningful relationships. Her experience prior to launching The Foster Group, which included amazing success working as a top recruiter at the world’s largest legal search firm, provided a foundation she has built on to create an extensive network of connections. The access Michelle has to Managing Partners, Hiring Partners, and Practice Group Leaders gives her insights into their firms’ hiring goals, culture, and operations.
“When recruiters cultivate the right kinds of relationships, they can call a firm’s hiring partner directly to obtain the information needed to help an attorney who is pursuing a position,” Michelle explains. “We have always had a commitment to building long-standing relationships with law firms, which allows us to provide guidance based on a deep knowledge of the way firms operate, the cultures they foster, and the opportunities they offer.”
The unique wisdom Michelle brings to legal recruiting gives both clients and candidates an advantage they won’t find elsewhere. Whatever the goal, she and her team have the knowledge, expertise, and connections to reach it.
