How to Deal with a Difficult Boss9/30/2008 You say that you have never had a difficult boss? Consider yourself lucky. At one time or another throughout our careers, most of us will have to deal with what we consider to be a “bad” boss. In fact, there are thousands of articles on this...
(0 comments) Fit In or Be A Star?9/26/2008 Several years ago, I learned a valuable lesson about what I feel is the right place to be in any organization. I was a mere 18 years old, hundreds of miles and worlds away from life as I knew it. In other words, I was at basic military training (aka “boot...
(0 comments) The Lunch Quandary: Do I Stay or Do I Go?9/22/2008 You’ve only been an associate at your office for a few months. You’re overwhelmed with getting up to speed and the workload. Several days a week, your coworkers go out to lunch, but you generally choose to eat at your desk while working in order...
(0 comments) Balancing Work and Family9/22/2008 You have to be in court this morning, but the school just called to say that your child is sick and needs to go home. What do you do?
Balancing work and a family is not a unique problem to those practicing law. With so many dual career families...
(0 comments) Making Your Work Hours Fit Your Lifestyle9/19/2008 You like to rise with the roosters rather than burn the midnight oil. Is this acceptable? What if everyone else works late? Will this affect your career?
Not everyone lives – or works – on the same schedule. Gone are the days of...
(0 comments) Job #1 for Every Beginning Associate9/18/2008 In an article on The Complete Lawyer, attorney development coach Julie Fleming-Brown advises that new attorneys marry legal expertise with client service skills to enjoy a successful career. According to Ms. Fleming-Brown, while excellence in client service...
(0 comments) Bridging the Generational Divide9/18/2008 Cultural translator and generational expert Lynne C. Lancaster has written an interesting article on generation gaps in law firms and how firms can actively manage expectations in ways that can bridge those gaps. After anecdotally identifying some of the...
(0 comments) Is There a Silver Lining to Delayed Start Dates?9/2/2008 By now you’ve probably heard about the delayed start dates at some of the biggest U.S. firms. Could it be a harbinger of better days ahead? According to an article on Above the Law, short term pain could mean long term gain for associates . Following...
(0 comments) Tips to Take Back to Law School8/14/2008 How much have you learned during the summer? You likely developed techniques for:
Drafting specific kinds of documents
Working with a variety of attorneys, adapting to their styles and meeting their requirements...
(0 comments) Mentor Relationship. . . All Important8/28/2008 The concept of the Mentor has been around for a long time. (An upscale magazine by that title was published in the United States a century ago.) Just what is a mentor, as that term has come to be understood, and what part can a mentor relationship play...
(0 comments) Will you get the offer? Will you accept it?8/14/2008 Especially in lean economic times, not every summer associate who delivers good work product will get an offer from the firm. The decision often involves a recruiting or hiring committee with a variety of firm professionals reviewing oral and written evaluations...
(0 comments) Be a “Go-To Associate”8/1/2008 Dawn Wagenaar, a principal with Ingenuity Marketing Group, provides marketing, training and public relations for attorneys and other professional services firms nationwide. In an article on The Complete Lawyer, she advises young associates on the importance...
(0 comments) Developing Your Career through Networking8/1/2008 Networking skills are key to building and maintaining a successful career as a lawyer. Tapping into a strong network can benefit you in two ways.
First you can work more efficiently by drawing on existing expertise, both within your firm and...
(0 comments) CW on Splitting the Summer7/29/2008 Summer is winding down, so that means that if you are a “splitter,” you’re settling in at your second firm. What’s conventional wisdom on the practice? Lynne Traverse, a recruiting and professional development manager at Bryan Cave,...
(0 comments) Ways to Stand Out at Your Firm7/28/2008 Although you probably aren’t the only smart, talented, hard-working summer associate at your firm—and hiring trends have moderated—you can take steps to stand out and maximize your chances of securing an offer. Firms recommend that you...
(0 comments) Does dress really affect your success?5/28/2008 Do the partners at your firm wear business suits every day? Every day except Friday? Or just when they meet with clients? Not even then? A number of factors can come into play: East or West Coast, clients in banking vs. technology, partners with a more traditional...
(3 comments) What Area of Law Interests You Most?6/25/2008 During your summer employment you may be exposed to several different practice areas. Are any of them especially appropriate for you? To help you decide, here’s a brief overview of five different practice areas: corporate, securities, patents, labor...
(0 comments) Gas at $4.00 Per Gallon – How to Cope7/7/2008 You just graduated law school or opened the door to your new law firm. The price of getting back and forth to the office may be higher than what you may earn in those first few weeks, or months. How do you cope?
The Law School...
(0 comments) Professor Bowman on Interviewing Techniques6/20/2008 Professor Greg W. Bowman gave a talk at Mississippi College School of Law on interviewing techniques. The video is available online here at the Mississippi School of Law website. According to Professor Bowman’s blog, he has used these techniques on...
(0 comments) Résumés That Work6/5/2008 These sample résumés will help you choose a style for your own résumé. Also, don't forget that less is often more in résumé writing, especially if you have had a long work history.
Sample 1:
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(0 comments) Getting the Job: Winning Interview Techniques2/28/2008 "Tell me something about yourself." That dreaded interview question haunts many of us long after our law school days are over and is a phrase we have all heard at some point during our careers. For attorneys making or considering career changes,...
(2 comments) Continuing Legal Education4/21/2008 State Requirements
Thirty-four states now require that attorneys take continuing legal education (CLE) courses in order to retain their license to practice law.
Attorneys in these states are required, on average,...
(0 comments) Outsourcing of Legal Work-How Serious Is It?3/25/2008 The practice of law would seem to be one of the few areas that is safe from the outsourcing trends that have had such a profound affect on American business. That’s no longer the case.
According to the New York Law Journal :...
(0 comments) Associate Salaries-Money vs. Quality of Life3/25/2008 What’s more important to you – your salary or your social life? As income increases lead to rising billable hour requirements and less time for family, friends and fun, associates should take stock in what’s most important to them....
(1 comments) How to Get Your Law License3/25/2008 Starting the Bar Exam process early with the check list below will help you get organized and on your way to your Esquire. Some of these steps, like the MPRE, can be accomplished before you decide which Bar you will take. The Board of Law Examiners...
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