Stephen Nelson

Steve manages the legal and government affairs groups. As a former attorney and after 17 years in legal journalism and publishing, he offers clients a breadth of experience unparalleled by other search consultants. Steve serves as a business advisor to both employers and candidates and uses his significant knowledge of the legal field to solve employment challenges.

In addition to managing the company’s attorney placement operation, Steve coordinates the activities of the law firm management group, which handles high-level administrative placements at law firms. He conducts partner-level searches, searches for in-house counsel for corporate law departments and other organizations, and searches for administrative professionals for law firms. He represents partners, high-level business development and pricing/project management candidates. In addition, Steve serves as a consultant for law firm merger planning, practice area expansion, and the interplay between marketing, public relations, and recruiting. He has advised firms on whether to maintain particular offices and whether to start or further develop particular practice areas.

Before joining The McCormick Group, Steve served as Managing Editor and News Editor at the Legal Times and as Executive Editor and Director of the Washington office for Prentice Hall Law & Business. Career highlights include revamping the “Almanac of the Federal Judiciary” and development of an annual directory of the largest law firms in the country. Prior to his career in publishing, he practiced antitrust and trade regulation law at Arent Fox.

Steve received a Bachelor of Arts degree from George Washington University and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Toledo. He is a prolific writer, particularly on the subjects of recruiting and professional development, and his work regularly appears in the Legal Times, Of Counsel, and Professional Development Quarterly. He is a Trustee and the current Treasurer of the College of Law Practice Management, an honorary organization which formally recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the fields of law practice management. In his spare time, he performs stand-up comedy at local venues. Steve is originally from Wilkes-Barre, PA.