Belin McCormick strives to maintain a balance between sophisticated work and a high quality of life. We hire attorneys who have distinguished themselves within their practice areas. We value the opportunity to work with some of the finest attorneys in the Midwest without sacrificing the intimate setting of a medium-sized law firm and the lifestyle the Des Moines metropolitan area provides.
We keep our billable target at the moderate level of 1850 hours per year in an effort to allow our associates to successfully balance their professional and personal lives. While some firms will advertise a low billable hours requirement only to assign more work than can reasonably be accomplished within that number of hours, our target of 1850 hours is our true expectation. We find this target maximizes each attorney's work product without compromising quality.
We hire each law student and attorney with the expectation he or she will develop quickly and become a shareholder of the firm. Our attorneys are considered eligible for election to shareholder after 4.5 years at the Firm. This short "partnership track" is designed to maximize harmony between our newer and more experienced attorneys as well as to reward associates for developing the skills necessary to practice law on their own. We strive to train and mentor our newer attorneys by providing them with as much responsibility as possible. We find the best training is provided when attorneys have their own cases and deal with a reasonable level of supervision and mentorship. Associates are assigned mentors to help assure rapid professional development. In short, we want our associates to succeed and work to make that possible.
Hiring Criteria
Belin McCormick recruits nationally. We strive to attract and hire the best candidates in Iowa and from top national law schools. In addition to graduates of the University of Iowa and Drake University law schools, we count among our attorneys graduates of the University of Michigan, Harvard, Columbia, the University of Chicago, Boston College, the University of California at Berkeley, New York University, Washington University in St. Louis, and other top law schools. We are actively seeking diversity in our workplace and encourage interested minorities and women to apply.
Successful applicants often distinguish themselves within their law school communities through involvement in various activities outside of the classroom, including, but not limited to, law review and moot court. Many of our attorneys hold advanced degrees in addition to a law degree or completed a judicial clerkship.
Lateral Hiring
In addition to attracting students directly out of law school, Belin McCormick has had success with lateral hires. Along with attorneys who started their practice at other Des Moines area law firms, we have added attorneys who practiced with prominent law firms in New York, Washington, D.C., Phoenix, Minneapolis, and Seattle. We also successfully recruited individuals upon completion of judicial clerkships. Our attorneys include former clerks to several United States Courts of Appeals, U.S. district court, and the Iowa Supreme Court.