I have arranged 6 interviews this week for lawyers.
Of those 6 interviews only 2 are for opportunities that are actively being advertised online.
There is clearly nothing wrong with keeping an eye on firms websites or job boards and seeing if anything comes up, but that will often not give you a complete view of the opportunities available.
If you are an experienced lawyer looking for a new opportunity it is worthwhile also being proactive in your job search, to ensure you are getting access to and are seeing a more complete picture.
A lot of firms will be open to creating roles around someone that would compliment their business.
A good recruiter should be able to work with you to understand your experience and what you are looking for and suggest, using their knowledge of the market, where it could be worthwhile making enquiries.
This does not mean that you should allow anyone to just send your details out here there and everywhere and hope for the best and you should be wary of recruiters who work in this way.
However, it is often worthwhile making anonymous and discreet enquiries as to whether a particular department is A) - Actively looking to recruit or B) have ambitions to grow and if your particular skillset and background could help them achieve this.
If you are actively looking for a new role role or are just open minded as to considering the right opportunity should it come up it is worth being proactive in this way.