Your First Year as a Lawyer Revealed : Secrets, Opportunities, and Success!

by Furi-Perry, Ursula

• ISBN13: 9781593577254
• ISBN10: 1593577257
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-01-01
• Publisher: Jist Works

Summary

Valuable Advice from Seasoned Lawyers

Author Biography

\Ursula Furi-Perry, J.D., is a nationally published legal writer and adjunct college professor with two other books and nearly 300 published articles to her credit. She pens the career column for The National Jurist, a trade publication for law students and law school faculty and staff, as well as the recent law grad profile column for both Jurist and its sister publication, PreLaw Magazine.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. xv
Getting Your First Job	p. 1
Pinpointing Your Career Interests	p. 3
What Are Some of the Choices YouÆll Have to Make When Starting Out as a Young Lawyer?	p. 3
What Factors Should You Consider When Deciding on the Career Path ThatÆs Right for You?	p. 7
Weighing Your Options: A Self-Assessment Worksheet for Law Students and Recent Law Grads	p. 10
Designing a Career Plan	p. 22
A Sample Career Plan	p. 27
Summation	p. 29
Homework	p. 30
Various Work Environments for New Lawyers	p. 31
Where Do New Lawyers Work?	p. 32
Large-Firm Life	p. 32
Small Firms	p. 36
Self-Employment	p. 41
Government and Public Interest Work	p. 53
Other Career Options	p. 54
Where Can You Find Firsthand Accounts of What ItÆs Like to Work in a Particular Area?	p. 56
Choosing the Work Environment ThatÆs Best for You	p. 58
Summation	p. 64
Homework	p. 65
Finding Legal Employment	p. 67
Where the Jobs Are	p. 67
Successful Strategies for the Job Hunt	p. 70
What If You CanÆt Find Employment?	p. 76
Summation	p. 77
Homework	p. 78
Tips for Crafting Your Resume and Other Written Materials	p. 79
Resume Tips for Law Students and Recent Law Grads	p. 79
Writing a Great Cover Letter	p. 83
Polishing Your Writing Sample	p. 85
Letters of Recommendation and References	p. 87
Filling Out a Job Application and Related Documents	p. 89
Summation	p. 90
Homework	p. 91
Presenting Yourself to a Potential Employer	p. 93
Meeting a Potential Employer	p. 93
Presenting Yourself to a Potential Employer: Polishing Your Professional Image	p. 95
Crafting Your ôCareer Sound Bitesö	p. 98
Presenting a Professional Image Online and Over E-mail	p. 99
Summation	p. 104
Homework	p. 104
Interviewing Tips	p. 105
What Does the On-Campus Interview Process Entail?	p. 105
What Questions Can You Expect During OCI?	p. 106
What Are Some Questions that You Should Be Asking During Interviews?	p. 107
What Are Interviewers Looking For in Candidates?	p. 110
What Can You Expect During the Call-Back Interview?	p. 111
What Can You Expect at an Interview with a Smaller Firm or Other Employer?	p. 113
How Can You Project a Professional Image During the Interview?	p. 114
Summation	p. 115
Homework	p. 116
Making The Most of Your First Year	p. 117
Learning on the Job	p. 119
What Makes the First Year Potentially the Most Difficult?	p. 119
What Does ôTrainingö Really Mean When YouÆre a New Lawyer?	p. 122
What Are Some Opportunities for Professional Development?	p. 126
How Can You Find Great Mentors?	p. 129
Questions to Ask YonrrMentors	p. 134
Summation	p. 137
Homework	p. 137
Getting Meaningful Assignments	p. 139
Getting Assignments: How Does It Work?	p. 139
Ways to Show Your Abilities	p. 141
Getting Evaluated and Conducting Self-Evaluations	p. 145
Summation	p. 148
Homework	p. 149
Increasing Your Marketability and Building Your Client Base	p. 151
What Must You Know About Making Yourself More Marketable?	p. 151
Why Is It Essential for New Lawyers to Begin Building Their Books of Business as Soon as Possible?	p. 154
Business Development Tips for Young Lawyers	p. 156
Summation	p. 159
Homework	p. 159
Increasing Your Productivity-and Your Billing	p. 161
Common Productivity Pitfalls-and Ways to Avoid Them	p. 161
A Productivity Checklist: Pinpointing Your Productivity Strengths and Weaknesses	p. 164
Billing Tips for Young Lawyers	p. 165
Summation	p. 166
Homework	p. 166
Building Your Network	p. 169
What Does Networking Mean?	p. 169
Networking Tips for the New Lawyer	p. 171
Tips for Approaching Lawyers and Legal Professionals (Even If You DonÆt Know Them)	p. 175
Summation	p. 178
Homework	p. 178
Organizing Your Work and Your Life, Managing Your Time, and Managing Your Money	p. 181
Tips for Honing Your Organizational Skills	p. 181
Time Management Tips for New Lawyers	p. 185
Managing Your Money	p. 188
Technology Resources	p. 191
Summation	p. 193
Homework	p. 194
Ethics, Professionalism, Workplace Etiquette, and Interacting with Others	p. 197
An Ethics Primer for Young Lawyers	p. 197
Tips for Avoiding Unprofessional Conduct	p. 199
The Ten Commandments of Ethics and Professionalism for Young Lawyers	p. 200
Paying Attention to Diversity	p. 204
Etiquette Tips on the Job	p. 206
Tips for Interacting with Clients	p. 208
Tips for Interacting with Partners and Superiors	p. 209
Interacting with Your Peers and Other Associates	p. 211
Summation	p. 212
Homework	p. 213
Maintaining Work-Life Balance, Preventing Burnout, and Managing Your Stress Level	p. 215
Maintaining Work-Life Balance	p. 215
Spotting the Signs of Burnout: A Self-Assessment Questionnaire	p. 217
Performing Pro Bono Work	p. 220
Managing Your Stress Level and Maintaining Your Sanity	p. 221
Summation	p. 226
Homework	p. 226
Thinking Ahead	p. 227
Making Them Want to Keep You	p. 229
Summation	p. 235
Homework	p. 235
Planning for Your Next Job	p. 237
Onward and Upward to Your Second Job	p. 237
Eight Proactive Steps Toward Changing Your Career Path	p. 240
Summation	p. 244
Homework	p. 244
Helpful Online Resources for Young Lawyers	p. 245
Job Searching	p. 245
Information About Legal Employers and Legal Careers	p. 246
Practical Information About Getting Started in Law Practice	p. 246
Continuing Legal Education and Professional Development	p. 247
Networking and Professional Associations for Young Lawyers	p. 247
Work-Life Balance and Maintaining Your Health and Sanity	p. 248
Glossary	p. 249
Index	p. 255
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.