Big Tex Is Waiting. But What About Big Law?
September 26, 2025Rural Practice: One Way to Pay for Law School While Launching Your Legal Career
October 25, 2025Yesterday alone, I heard from nearly a dozen law students and recent grads (Class of 2025) asking about job opportunities. The timing was perfect — I had just listened to a great episode of Steve’s Rules featuring Jonathan Greenblatt, Co-Founder of Legal Innovators, so their program was top of mind and one I immediately recommended.
For anyone unfamiliar, Legal Innovators recruits and trains 3Ls, then places them in law firms and corporate legal departments for up to two years. At the end of that period, the firm or company decides whether to hire the attorney permanently or return them to Legal Innovators. Their conversion rate? An impressive 90%.
The program has also expanded to include JAG lawyers transitioning to private practice and attorneys returning to work after time away from practice — both great pathways for lawyers looking to re-enter or reposition in the legal market.
The full podcast is well worth a listen, but here are a few highlights that stood out:
- Legal Innovators recruits from top law schools and reviews three years of grades, not just one semester.
- They use a data-driven evaluation model to identify traits common to successful BigLaw associates.
- Candidates complete a legal research and writing exercise as part of the interview process.
- During the two-year placement, attorneys handle substantive associate-level work, not typical contract projects.
- All participants complete a three-week training program each September before starting:
- Week 1 – Transitioning from law student to junior associate
- Week 2 – Transactional skills
- Week 3 – Litigation/dispute skills
If you’re a 3L, JAG lawyer, or attorney re-entering practice, put Legal Innovators on your radar — this is a program worth exploring.
