Selling Partners on the Job Market

A query from a job candidate reader:

When you go on the market, what is the best way to raise the issue of a partner who'll need to find a university-related job outside of the law school?  Suppose the partner is a sociologist, an investment analyst, or a radiologist. What is the best way to ask whether the law school can help with finding a spot in the sociology department, the university investments office, or the affiliated hospital?

The only advice we could call to mind was on timing: "Don't bring this up until after you have an offer."  Is that advice right?  Doesn't the school feel sandbagged if you say, only after receiving an offer, "Great news!  I love your school and the town it's in.  But I have hitherto neglected to mention that my partner is a philosopher, and unless he can get a position in your philosophy department there is no way I can accept your offer.  He'll contact the department right away, but can you put in a word on his behalf please"?

Another wrinkle involves contacting schools independent of the FAR distribution.  With the partner-needs-a-job issue out there, is there any good way to contact schools that you're interested in but that are outside of your current geographical area?  Consider this example: You grew up in the South and would love to move back there for good. However, your CV screams northeast – college in Ithaca, law school in Boston, clerkship in New Haven, and a now working as an AUSA in New York City.  For all anyone knows from reading your CV, you've never been south of Battery Park.  You are not limiting your search geographically because it is possible for you to move anywhere so long as your partner can find a job there.

You want to notify schools in the South know that you are really excited about the prospect of teaching there and have roots in that region.  At the same time, you know that at some of the Southern schools you're interested in the only way you can take an offer is if the university investments office hires your stock analyst partner (or Econ department hires your economist partner, hospital hires your surgeon partner, etc.).  Is it improper or misleading to send a letter to schools in the region explaining your interest?  When and how do you bring up the importance of a position for the partner, if you ever bring it up?

My instinct here is that many schools will prejudge your geographical preferences through your resume (though the best schools -- and some but not all mediocre schools in big cities -- will assume that you will be willing to move for them), so it can help to explain to Southern schools (in the example) that you are into the idea of coming south. 

I suppose I do think that it is premature to try to negotiate for a partner pre-offer -- and it may even hurt your chances of getting an offer in the first place.  But if the sociology dept or investment shop is public about a search that your partner is a good match for, then it might be worth making your move pre-offer.  For a variety of reasons, this sort of strategy can actually improve both of your chances, I'd guess.  But fishing for a sociology appointment for your partner when the sociology dept isn't independently conducting a search is likely to get you nowhere fast -- and might hurt your chances.

Just my two cents, which I would revise accordingly if someone asked me a non-hypothetical question.  For example, some schools affirmatively like doing these things and see it as a good investment because they can then keep you longer.  Indeed, some smaller schools try to create community in just this way and wouldn't be put off at all by the early request to have your partner get in touch with job prospects.  So my comments are to be taken as "on average" ones, with an admitted bias for larger top-50ish schools.