Very exciting post today! The fantastic Desiree Moore, author of the ABA best seller Thrive — A New Lawyer’s Guide to Law Firm Practice returns with ten tips for career success.
But — that’s not all. You’ve also got the chance to win an autographed copy of Thrive AND a coaching session with Desiree, where you can pick her brain about all of your career dilemmas.
Read on for details! Here’s Desiree:
If you are a law student in the current economic and legal environment, you’ve likely heard at least some negativity surrounding your soon-to-be chosen profession.
- “Law school doesn’t prepare you for the practice of law.”
- “Jobs are few and far between.”
- “Those who do land jobs out of law school are dissatisfied in the long term.”
Whether those statements are true or not, you’re fairly deep in it now, and, unless you plan on changing course, there is no sense in focusing exclusively on the negative. Instead, whether you are a 1L, 2L or 3L, you should be thinking proactively about your legal career and about specific ways you can get ahead.
Despite all the negativity and noise, what will YOU need to do between now and when you graduate to find a job and ultimately a rewarding, successful early legal career?
This question may be difficult to answer without guidance. And in fact, it is the subject of my new book Thrive — A New Lawyer’s Guide to Law Firm Practice. In Thrive, I talk in detail about your mindset — taking a proactive approach to your legal career — so that you hit the ground running, stand apart from your peers, and are successful from day one.
10 Tips for a Bold Legal Career
In this post, I’d like to share ten key points from Thrive, to get you thinking about life after law school and to energize you to take a proactive, emboldened approach to your legal career. These ten points will form a solid foundation for initiating a successful legal career.
- Inspiration: In order to have a successful legal career, you need guidance and inspiration above all. The list that follows (and the text of Thrive) is designed to provide just that. Whether here or elsewhere, seek out your legal inspiration. Remember why you went to law school and where you intend to take your legal career. Do not lose sight of this. To be successful in your early legal career and beyond, you will want to do more than show up, act eagerly, and not get fired. You will want to take your career head on, with direction and purpose. Are you in?
- Professionalism: As lawyers, we are professionals. Law school is, by definition, a professional school and it is meant to produce professionals. Coming into your firm, you will be expected to act like a professional. And acting like a professional is an important way to get ahead. Demonstrating that you are a professional manifests in a number of ways. Your attire, demeanor, and interpersonal skills all bear on your professionalism.
- Office Demeanor: As a new lawyer, you will be well served by expressing enthusiasm at the prospect of working on any case, deal, or project that comes across your desk. You should be genuinely curious about the work you are given and you should be excited to take it on. Enthusiastic lawyers are more pleasant to work with, and in turn get more work.
- Mentorship: Finding a mentor is one of the most important things you will do in your career. Professionals with strong mentors and career advisors have higher job satisfaction and a greater likelihood of success in their careers. Given the significance of mentorship, you should be discerning and selective in choosing your mentors. Over the course of your career, it is a good idea to have several mentors, each of whom can contribute something unique to your career development. Choose mentors early in your career and strive to be a mentor for someone else down the line.
- Time Management: When you begin your career, err on the side of starting your day early. You will inevitably require more time to get your work done than the attorneys around you and you will impress your colleagues by being the first one in the office in the morning.
- Working With Staff: Take several months to observe your administrative assistant’s strengths and weaknesses. From there, devise a plan for working together going forward.
- Working With Attorneys: Never forgo the opportunity to make an affirmative, positive impression!
- Networking/Marketing: Building your book of contacts is an easy and effective networking and marketing tool. Anytime you meet anyone, whether it is a prospective employer, an opposing counsel, an expert witness, a co-counsel, a court reporter, or a low level employee at a corporation, input their information into your contacts with some detailed reminders about who they are. Find reasons to reach out from time to time — consider sending them an article or an invitation to a free event. You never know when someone is going to be able to help you in your career.
- Social Media: You should not, under any circumstances, speak badly about your firm, your colleagues or your work on social media sites. Not only is this unprofessional, it will reflect badly on you, curtail career opportunities, and create a problematic paper trail for you in the event your job is ever on the line.
- Health: While hard work and dedication are admirable — and indeed required of legal professionals — maintaining good health is essential, too. Without it, being a top practitioner, or even meeting minimum expectations in your practice, will be difficult, if not impossible. Focus on “self-care” daily as an integral part of your career.
Success in a legal career depends on so many factors, including your mindset and approach to your career.
No matter what else is going on around you, thinking about how to put your best foot forward, reading up on ways to do so (for example, by reading Thrive!), and dedicating yourself to the idea of being the best lawyer you can be, is a good start.
Best of luck! I’m rooting for you!
— – —
Thanks, Desiree. Excellent advice, and congrats on being a best-selling author!
Now for the Contest
Want a free autographed copy of Thrive and the chance to talk with Desiree one-on-one about your career dilemma?
To enter, just leave a comment on this post with a career question you’re struggling with. (Make sure your email address is valid, so we can contact you if you win.) Or you can Tweet your entry to @GirlsGuideToLS with the hashtag #THRIVE. Or visit our Facebook page and leave a comment there.
Don’t delay! Entries will be accepted through January 31, 2013 (midnight Pacific time).
(Full contest rules here.)
Good luck!
Thanks so much for this! The book looks great.
I’m a second year at a mid-sized firm, and I’m not getting the type of work I want. My practice area is slow, so I get that it’s tough. But I really don’t like the work I’m doing now, and I don’t want to do it forever. But, at the same time, I’m happy to have a job and I can’t just quit.
I’d love to get your advice!
Thanks, Becky! Great question. I think the best approach is to be proactive about getting the type of work you want. Let your colleagues know that you are interested in getting staffed on certain types of projects and make yourself available if and when those projects come up. And, in the meantime, take advantage of the experience you are gaining through the work you are doing, even if it’s not your preferred type of work. There is something to be learned, I’m sure. When the time is right, if you still want to transition to something else, you will have experience to draw on when you interview. Good luck!
Thanks for the great post! Its nice to see some helpful, concrete advice about how to enjoy and succeed in my career. I’m a 1L and I just got my grades back. They aren’t awful, but I’m disappointed. I’d love your advice on how to land a summer a job at a firm with less than stellar grades.
Thank you!
Thanks, Kathryn. I’m so glad you enjoyed the post. This is a good question. First, whenever someone asks me how to get a job in a law firm, irrespective of grades, I ask them to tell me why that is their goal. It’s a great goal, certainly, but you want to be sure it’s right for you. If you are set on working in a law firm and your grades are not as high as you would like, you can do a few things. First, focus on getting your grades up next semester. There are a lot of resources on this site – and through Alison’s law school tool box – to help you do this. Next, get involved in extracurriculars so your resume has depth beyond just grades. Finally, get involved in the community and network with practitioners who may be in a position to offer you a job or connect you with others in the community who are looking to hire. And remember that grades aren’t everything – don’t let grades lead you down a path of negative thinking. Keep up your confidence, get clear on your career goals, and go after it. Thanks for writing and good luck!
I’d like to enter the contest to win a copy of Thrive. I’m a first year. My firm is mid-sized. What is the best way to build relationships with more senior attorneys in my office? The senior lawyers already have associates that they go to.
John, this is an excellent question. The best way to build relationships with your colleagues is through the process of getting and returning assignments. So, from your early introductions to working on assignments to turning in the work, make sure you are on top of your game. When you introduce yourself, speak confidently and clearly. Let the attorney know you are available to take on an assignment if and when the need arises. When you are assigned work, listen closely to the assignment. Ask thoughtful questions. Express enthusiasm and show that you are a take-charge lawyer. When working on the assignment, work hard, do good work, and get the assignment in by the deadline. Finally, deliver the assignment according to the assigning attorney’s expectations. If you show that you are on top of your work and do good work, you are going to be regarded as a reliable, superstar new lawyer. And you will be selected again and again for assignments. This is how you become the go-to lawyer. Good luck!
This was super helpful! I’m currently in law school and I’m struggling to try and figure out what it is exactly I want to do. I have to pick a concentration pretty soon and I know that picking the wrong concentration could be a waste of time and essentially money too. I’m wondering if you have any helpful hints for how to figure out which concentration to choose besides the normal investigation. I’ve been trying to research the difference between business transaction law and tax law and can’t find any great websites or information. I’ve been talking to different professors and professionals but I feel like I need to do more research before I make this huge life choice.
Also what are main things you look at and talk about when looking at a potential employee or intern’s resume and interview?
Thanks!
Becky,
Thanks for your thoughtful question. I think you are definitely on the right track in terms of thinking carefully about your career path. You’re right also that having clarity about what you want to do after law school will serve you well as you look for a job. One of the best approaches to narrowing down what practice area you want to go in to is to look at how that practice area has done historically. You’ll want to know that you are choosing a lucrative practice area that is likely going to be a good source of work for you in the long term. Connecting with practitioners in a specific practice area and asking them whether they enjoy their work, have a steady stream of work, and expect their workload to stay busy in the long term is a great way to get some background on your practice area. Adjunct professors are a great resource here – if you can reach out to an adjunct professor, even if that professor is not in the specific practice area you are interested in, he or she can likely connect you with a colleague who is. As for your question about resumes, when I was on the recruiting committee at my law firm we looked for candidates who not only did well in law school but who brought something interesting or meaningful to the table. This ranged from being active in a law journal or charity or traveling around the world. Your resume should reflect that you are professional, eclectic, and unique. Good luck!!!
Hi,
I want to enter to win the book-sounds great. Also, have question on choosing practice field. Is that decision done while in law school or decided depending on where you end up finding work? I feel like I am open to really any field that I can fInd a law job in-is that the right approach?
L.g.
Thanks – great question. First, see my response to Becky above – you guys are thinking along the same lines. You can never go wrong if you think about your practice area early. The earlier you start, the more time you have to research, do informational interviews with practitioners, and think carefully about what career path might be right for you. Before applying for jobs just anywhere, truly consider your legal interests (What classes, if any, did you love in law school? – that is a good place to start.), the lifestyle you envision for yourself, and whether one practice area or another is more likely to be busy down the line. Once you narrow your practice area of interest down a bit, you’ll find that it’s easier to find a job. You can tailor your resume accordingly and target your solicitations for interviews. Good luck!
Hi,
First let me say your book looks great!
My name is Jared and I’m a current 1L at Chapman Law. I’m starting my job search now and it is nothing
short of overwhelming. At the moment my dream job would be in the Sports
Law field, which was the inspiration for my SportsNLaw.com website
But I also have a tremendous interest in trial advocacy, which stems from my experience Mock Trial. I made the team here at Chapman (the only 1L to do so). My grades are at the class median and both fields
excite me. Is one more likely than the other? Should I play the odds?
HI Jared,
Thanks for your note! First, it sounds like you are off to a great start in law school – congrats. This is a big part of the job inquiry. In addition to good grades, you’ll want your resume to reflect that you are an engaging, interesting, ambitious person. Getting involved in things like mock trial (especially as the only 1L to do so) is a great way to boost your resume.
I like that you are passionate about both sports law and doing trial ad work – this will open up a lot of possibilities as you are searching for a job. My thought would be to try to get some exposure to both during the course of your 1L year and summer (as an aside, you might be able to work as a sports law litigator – and thus you would be doing both sports law and trial ad). Do informational interviews with attorneys in both fields; intern for a practitioner in one or both fields (even if it means without pay). The best way to choose your career path is to get real exposure to it. Figure out what a “day in the life” is like and decide that way.
As far as whether one is more likely than the other – I would say that trial advocacy covers many different areas, whereas sports law is more niche. But I believe that if you set yourself up correctly, you will increase your chances of having options in both fields. Good luck!
Hello Desiree! I have been following your blog since August when I first started looking in to law school. It has been a tremendous help, so thank you. Ultimately I needed to find a niche, something I am passionate about where a law degree would help me pursue that interest. I am trying to find out how a law degree would help in the global food movement. Ideally, I would like the food monopolies to stop pumping consumers food with chemicals and discontinuing these unsustainable food systems. Thoughts on the legal challenge?
Thank you,
Christina Delpone
Christina,
Thanks so much for following my blog! I appreciate it. This is a great question – and a complex one! I’m glad you’re thinking along these lines. As law students, we tend to get wrapped up in what others are doing – whether in the way they study or in their job search – and lose sight of the reason we went to law school to begin with. If the food industry is something you are passionate about, I encourage you to seek out opportunities in this field. Because it is so specific, there will be fewer opportunities, but fewer people looking to become involved, which will work in your favor. As for this specific legal challenge, I don’t have any expertise in the area. But I will say that consumer advocates will always be an integral part of our legal infrastructure and this is an excellent way to be of service and use your voice. As lawyers, we have a deep responsibility to serve others – this is a great way to do so. Lawyers are also in a position to educate, which sounds like a big piece of this particular issue you have identified. I like that you are passionate and you are going to do great!
I’m freaking out as a 1L who came out in the top 5% of her class and CALI’d 3 of 4 substantive classes, but can’t even get an interview for an internship…not sure what to do next.
Hi Veronica,
Thanks for writing. And congratulations on your accomplishments! It sounds like you are well on your way in terms of your law school career and your actual career will be no different, I’m sure. My first bit of advice is to stay calm – everything is going to work out just fine. As a 1L, you have some time to settle in and find a job or internship so if something doesn’t materialize immediately, that is OK. The important thing is that you keep your grades up and get involved in extra-curriculars. If you do so, you will be covering all your bases on the law school end. Next, I’d like for you to go out and network. Connect with 3Ls who have jobs lined up, practitioners in the community who you may know, alumni of your law school (check in with career services to see if they can help connect you with alums) and anyone else in the legal community who is willing to meet with you. Conduct informational interviews (this site is a great resource for that) and learn about the legal community. Learn about the trends in the law and where there might be hiring needs. Figure out what type of law you might want to practice so that you can focus and hone in your job search. And keep applying – don’t give up. Something will come of a combination of all of these efforts. Good luck! You are going to be great!
Agreed, it’s definitely too early to panic! Very few 1Ls have jobs at this point in the year.
In addition to all of Desiree’s great suggestions, I’d add a few. Go talk to your professors and see if they have ideas. If nothing else comes up, you might be able to work as a research assistant for one of them, which is a great way to get a stellar letter of recommendation (useful if you think you’ll apply for clerkships).
Also look for career fairs in your area. If you have an interest in exploring public interest or government work, there are lots of career fairs in the Spring with hundreds of potential employers. Especially if your school provides public interest summer funding, this can be a great option.
Finally, if you haven’t tried it yet, the NALP directory might be helpful: http://www.nalpdirectory.com/. You can search for people who are hiring 1Ls, so it’s quick and easy.
Oh, and make sure your cover letter for any job you apply for “brags” about your results. We’re all sometimes reluctant to self-promote, but you rocked it first semester and potential employers should know that at a glance! This isn’t the time to be modest.
Best of luck!
Hi, would love to win the book! This advice and just reading comments from other ladies is so unbelievably inspiring. Just knowing others are facing the same challenges makes me feel even more brave to take my legal career head on! I have been a paralegal for many years, a position that is both challenging and rewarding, I’m currently a 1L, any advice or thoughts on making the transition from paralegal to attorney? Pros or cons? Thanks a bunch!
Hi Kelly,
Thanks for the note. I actually think you have a tremendous advantage having a paralegal background. You have a fundamental understanding of the day-to-day practice that most young lawyers do not have. I would absolutely capitalize on this, both in your coursework and in interviews. Make sure your resume reflects your deep knowledge of the practical aspects of a legal career (everything from bates labeling documents to filing documents to spell checking and editing briefs, etc. – whatever accurately describes your experience) and leverage this practical knowledge as something that sets you apart from your peers. Of course, there will be some distinct differences in your career as a lawyer versus your career as a paralegal (namely, the substantive legal work will be more intensive as a lawyer), but the paralegal experience can only help. Good luck!
This can absolutely be true! I remember my first summer job, where I knew literally nothing about the practical aspects of being a litigator. My officemate had been a paralegal for a few years, and for her it was second nature to add some blue cover that I’d never heard of to the docs we filed. Extremely helpful.
That being said, some people struggle with being taken seriously as an attorney (particularly if they return to the same firm they worked in as a paralegal). But I think the benefits outweigh this potential risk! And it’s clear that you know what you’re getting into and have a realistic understanding of the demands of legal jobs, which is helpful when you’re applying to jobs.
I am a 1L that’s exploring my options. I am particularly interested in the law surrounding reproductive technologies. I am considering the idea of starting a solo practice immediately after law school. What advice do you have for those of us who are interested in “hanging a shingle?”
Brittaney,
Thanks for your comment! When I am asked about this – the idea of starting a practice straight out of law school – my typical response is to say that I think it would be helpful to work alongside someone first to learn the business of law. There are so many growing pains to starting any kind of business, and these can be avoided by acting as an apprentice or intern or being employed by someone else who has done it first. I would say this applies to you especially since law surrounding reproductive technologies is complicated. I imagine it would be beneficial to learn both the business of law and the substantive practice from someone before going out on your own.
However, if you are set on hanging up a shingle from day one, use your resources. Look for mentors, attend professional development CLEs, and look into programs like Solo Practice University that offer guidance for solo practitioners. Even if you are a solo, you don’t have to go it alone.
Good luck!
I’m in my second year of Law School and I’m really interested in healthcare law and my school does not offer classes in this area. It’s very hard to find internships/externships in this area as well. Do you have any suggestions on being able to get experience in this field?
Thank You, the book looks very interesting and helpful.
Hi Shannon!
Like others who have commented here, I think it’s great that you have an idea of your career focus – this will make applying for jobs easier. While the pool of options may be smaller, your search will be more specific and focused and you can tailor your resume, too. I love a number of Alison’s suggestions above and think they will be of use to you, too.
First, connect with your professors and see if they have ideas. Professors are often well connected in the legal community and may have connections to health care practitioners.
The NALP directory might also be helpful in your case: http://www.nalpdirectory.com/. You can do specific searches here and perhaps encounter someone in the health law area.
Finally, you might consider starting a club or other organization at your school that is health law focused. Perhaps you can organize a monthly meeting where a health law practitioner in the community comes and speaks. Most practitioners are eager for speaking experiences, especially if they can speak at a law school. And this will be a great way for you personally to get to know health care practitioners in your legal community.
Good luck!
Thanks for all the comments/entries! The contest is closed and we’ll announce a winner soon, but feel free to leave more questions for Desiree and she’ll try to help you out.
Congratulations to our lucky winner, Kelly! Thanks for participating, everyone, and we hope you’ll check out Thrive on your own if you didn’t win.
Thanks to Desiree for the book donation!