Please welcome back Keri Clapp, professor and tutor for the Law School Toolbox and Bar Exam Toolbox, to discuss establishing, developing, and promoting your personal brand in a competitive legal environment.
Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts? Lexis or WestLaw? Washington Post or Wall Street Journal? You probably have a quick response to each of these questions based on not just on specific experiences, but also on how you identify the brand of each of these products.
Take coffee, for example. Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts both sell coffee, but have distinct and differentiated brand attributes. These successful businesses have spent a lot of time and money deciding on their target customer profile; their marketing efforts—from packaging to product to location—are primarily directed to what that customer base will appreciate. This type of strategy doesn’t get derailed because some people will get coffee at home or at the gas station convenience store; a well-differentiated brand does not try to be all things to all people.
In a competitive legal market, spending some time creating and marketing your personal brand is a strong move. What qualities do you want to project when you meet someone? What attributes do you want to jump out on your resume? In sum, what do you want people to associate with you when they hear your name? [Read more…]
If you’re feeling a little unprepared for practice (despite three years of law school!) or are thinking about clerking or starting your own business, today’s interview is for you. 
When I started work as a law clerk, I assumed I’d learn about trial practice and explore some new areas of law. That turned out to be true. 
We can talk all day about résumé formatting, or what should be included, but there’s really only 
In general, clerking is a great job!
Applying for a clerkship can be one of the most fraught experiences of law school. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying.
After the chaos of setting up your interview schedule, going to the actual interviews should be rather relaxing!
The most critical piece of advice for managing your interview schedule is simple: do not answer the phone!
