Q: Can you provide a quick overview of your recruiting practice? A: I have been a Legal Recruiter for five years, working within the southeastern market. I place attorneys, both at the associate and partner level, in the nation's largest and most prestigious firms. While my major markets include Atlanta, Charlotte and Miami, I have assisted in filling needs in cities throughout the southeast. In addition, I source groups of lawyers as well as handle the opening of new office locations. Q: Can you tell us a bit about your formal education and background prior to (becoming an attorney)? A: Unlike most of the recruiters at BCG, I do not have a JD. Rather, after receiving my undergraduate degree from Presbyterian College, I moved to Washington, DC and worked on Capitol Hill for five years. I was a Staff Assistant on the Senate Committee on Armed Services and then went on to be Press Assistant for Senator Strom Thurmond. My last position was as Executive Assistant and Scheduler for then Congressman, now Governor of South Carolina, Mark Sanford. Q: Where did you practice law after graduating from law school?(or what did you do prior to becoming a legal recruiter) A: As I mentioned above, I have a unique perspective since my experience came from working as a recruiter within a law firm. I spent five years as Recruiting Manager for one of the largest law firms in Atlanta. During that time, I developed a relationship with recruiters at all of the other firms and became an expert on the Atlanta and southeastern legal market. Q: Why did you become a legal recruiter? A: I wanted to make the transition out of a law firm without losing all of the experience I had gained over the past five years. I thoroughly enjoyed working with the lawyers, appreciated the professionalism and intelligent conversations I had with my clients and wanted to stay within the legal field. It seemed to be the next logical step and was actually the best career decision I have ever made. Q: Why did you choose BCG Attorney Search? A: While working as the Recruiting Manager within a law firm, I had the opportunity to work with dozens of recruiters. By far, I found that my experiences with BCG stood out above the rest. They always presented stellar candidates that were exactly on point and did not waste precious time with attorneys that were not a fit. Therefore, there really wasn't a question in my mind when I made the decision to make the transition. Q: What makes your style of recruiting unique? A: My ability to place attorneys in firms where no position originally existed. I encourage strong candidates to heavily market themselves if they offer a skill set that will benefit the firm, regardless of whether or not there is an active need, so to speak. As a result, a large majority of the candidates I have placed have had a job "created" for them. Q: What advice would you give attorneys who are thinking about using a legal recruiter? A: Too often candidates let recruiters take their resume and "run with it". Take the time to select a recruiter that has a genuine interest in your career rather than a placement. A good recruiter will make sure you are involved at every step of the process and have all of the necessary information, not to mention your approval. Working with a recruiter is a very important relationship and not one to be taken lightly. Q: Ok, let's get to know you a bit more on a personal level. What's your favorite T.V. show? A: I have several favorites, but my one must-see is House. Q: Where did you grow up and where do you live now? A:. I grew up in Greenville, SC. I actually just returned to the area, but travel to all of our offices within the southeast regularly. Q: What are your favorite drinks? A: I like a homemade Vanilla Coke with crushed ice and any type of Chardonnay will do. Q: What are your favorite foods? A: Italian, Italian and Italian - oh and anything sweet. Q: What is playing on your iPod right now? A: I don't have one, can you believe it? Q: What is the one thing your clients would not know about you? A: I have an Italian Greyhound named Vinny Van Veen. Q: Anything else interesting going on in your life? A: I just gave birth to my first child, a boy, in February. I had no idea how life altering it would be and as a testament to how much I enjoy my job, I came back. While the time I spend with my son is precious, I have a real appreciation for the fact that I returned to work without an ounce of dread and am excited to get started every day.