Not sure what type of law you want to practice? Read on for some different viewpoints on large law firms, public interest work, and small firm and solo practice.
And take a look at our Interviews with Helpful People series for more real-world viewpoints on practicing law.
BigLaw
- What Are Law Firms Looking For? Get the Inside Scoop From a Legal Recruiter! Looking for a law firm job? A legal recruiter tells you what firms are really looking for and how you can maximize your odds of getting the job you want.
- 10 Things Your Law Firm Boss Wants You to Know, But Isn't Going To Tell You Having been on both sides of the law firm work equation (as the one screwing things up, and the one getting annoyed with more junior people making my life difficult), here are a few tips on how to navigate the dynamics of a law firm.
- In Defense of BigLaw...Sort Of Should you take that BigLaw job you’re not sure about? Maybe so. (And, no, your concerned parents didn't pay us to write this piece.)
Public Interest Work
- Want a Public Interest Job? Find Out How to Get One Here! Public interest type? Get advice on securing your dream job from my law school roommate, Gráinne O’Neill, who managed to do it!
- How Can Anyone Afford to Do Public Interest Work? Equal Justice Works Explains Some Options It’s no secret that public interest work tends to pay (a lot) less than working at a law firm. This guest post from Equal Justice Works lays out some options for funding your work, in-school and afterwards.
- Thinking About Public Interest Work? Find Out About LRAP, Getting the Job You Want, and More! If you’re interested in public interest work, and you don’t know all about Equal Justice Works, stop what you’re doing and read this interview with Radhika Singh Miller, their program manager for Educational Debt Relief and Outreach, right now.
Small Firm and Solo Practice
- Can You Start Your Own Firm Right Out Of Law School? Here's Someone Who's Actually Doing It! Thinking about starting your own law firm eventually? Why wait? Ruth Carter talks about starting a firm right out of law school (and why one of her specialty areas is going to be “flash mob law”).
- Thinking of Starting a Solo Law Practice? Avoid These Traps for the Unwary If you’re thinking about going solo, there’s a lot to consider. Jared Correia joins us to discuss some frequent issues he sees working with solo attorneys. Pay attention to these common mistakes, so you can stay well clear!
- Considering Going Solo? Wisdom From the Founder of Solo Practice University Susan Cartier Liebel shares lessons from her unique career path and talks about how to have a successful solo practice as a new law grad.
- Want to Save the World? Meet a Lawyer Who Is Meet Lara Pearson, a small firm trademark attorney who’s built her own niche "Protecting the Brands that are Changing the World®."
- Why I Do What I Do: Susan Cartier Liebel on Motivation and Joy Susan Cartier Liebel, founder of Solo Practice University, shares her motivation for the work she does to help solo practitioners build their practices.
- Working at a Small Law Firm as a Law Student A rising second-year law student shares her experience working at a small law firm her first summer, which helped her figure out what she wants to do going forward in her career.