Law firm job survival manual : from first interview to partnership / Nancy B. Rapoport and Jeffrey D. Van Niel.
2014
KF297 .R37 2014 (Map It)
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Details
Author
Title
Law firm job survival manual : from first interview to partnership / Nancy B. Rapoport and Jeffrey D. Van Niel.
Published
New York : Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, [2014]
Copyright
©2014
Call Number
KF297 .R37 2014
ISBN
9781454836124 (paperback)
1454836121 (paperback)
1454836121 (paperback)
Description
xix, 224 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm.
System Control No.
(OCoLC)855977625
Summary
Publisher's description: From interviewing for a position as an associate to achieving partnership, the Law Firm Job Survival Manual will help you run the gauntlet of your legal career faster and smarter. Written with humor and sensitivity, this concise handbook demystifies the etiquette and ethics of the law firm environment while equipping you with essential survival skills. Launch your career or jumpstart it with the observations and experience of Nancy B. Rapoport and Jeffrey D. Van Niel.
Bibliography, etc. Note
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Series
Record Appears in
Added Author
Table of Contents
About the Authors and Contributors
xiii
Introduction
xvii
Acknowledgments
xix
ch. One
The Interview: There's Never a Second Chance to Make a First Impression
1
A.
Some Pre-Interview Dos and Don'ts
2
B.
Let's Talk About That Screening Interview That You're About to Have
5
C.
Post-Interview Etiquette
8
Do I Need to Write a Thank-You Note After a Screening Interview?
8
How Long Should I Wait Before I Follow Up to See If I'm Going to Get a Call-back?
9
Should I Ask My References to Contact the Firm Directly If I Haven't Heard from the Firm Yet?
10
D.
When You Get a Call-back
10
E.
What About the Schedule of Call-backs?
11
F.
Things Not to Do During the Meal
13
G.
What Happens If the Interviewer Hasn't Read Your Resume?
14
H.
Some Special Situations
14
I.
Things to Remember in Every Interview
18
ch. Two
The Informational Interview: The Interview That Helps You Get the Interview
23
A.
What's Networking and Why Is It Important?
23
B.
What's an Informational Interview?
24
C.
Who Should Conduct Informational Interviews?
25
D.
How Do You Get Started?
25
A Quick Blurb About Cold Contacts
26
E.
The Next Step: Making Contact with Your New Referral(s)
26
When to Proceed?
27
How to Proceed?
27
F.
When, If at All, Should You Forward Your Resume?
31
G.
What to Prepare for the Informational Interview
31
H.
The Informational Interview Itself
33
About [Referral] and his/her career
33
About the firm
34
General questions
34
About me
35
Referrals
35
I.
What to Do After the Informational Interview
37
What Should the Thank-You Note Say?
37
Make Sure to Organize All of Your Contacts
38
J.
Conclusion
38
ch. Three
The Foundation: Common Issues for All Jobs
39
A.
Confidentiality
39
B.
Managing Your Workload
40
C.
Deadlines
41
D.
Working Long Hours
41
E.
Mistakes and Feedback
43
F.
When to Go to Work
44
G.
Dating in the Workplace
45
ch. Four
Clerkships: Summer and Judicial
47
A.
Summer Clerkships
47
The First Day
48
The First Week
49
Stupid Summer Associate Stunts
50
Working with Support Staff
52
What If You Don't Like the Firm?
53
Finishing Up the Summer
53
What If You Don't Get an Offer?
53
B.
Judicial Clerkships
55
There Is No "I" in "Team." There's Also No Hierarchy, Other Than That the Judge Outranks You
56
What judges Want
56
What judicial Assistants Want
57
Supervising Externs
58
Should You Interview for Jobs During Your Clerkship?
58
Should You Sit for the Bar During Your Clerkship?
59
Stupid Judicial Clerk Stunts
59
C.
How to Leave Your Clerkship on Good Terms
60
ch. Five
Before You Begin: Working Ethically
61
A.
Billing Your Time
61
B.
Mentors and Sponsors-Why You Need Both
65
C.
Navigating the Waters of a Small Firm or Going Solo
66
Competence
66
Diligence
67
D.
Navigating the Waters of a Large Firm
69
E.
Working with Different Cultures
70
F.
Your New Best Friend: Your Assistant
72
G.
If You Want Honest, Diligent, Competent, Timely Work, Model That Behavior Yourself
75
H.
Playing Well with Others
76
I.
Client Management
77
J.
Dealing with the Media
78
ch. Six
The First Year of Law Practice
81
A.
The Impostor Syndrome (Revisited)
81
B.
The Law Firm's Culture
82
What Do the People at the Top of the Pecking Order (Not Just the Senior Partners, But the Successful Associates) Wear?
83
Do People Keep Their Office Doors Open or Closed?
83
Are the People with Whom You're More Likely to Work Early Birds or Night Owls?
84
What Does the Firm Announce?
84
How Do the Higher-Ups Like to Communicate?
85
If the Firm Is Going Through Some Rough Times, Does the Leadership Address the Problems Directly or Pretend That They're Not Happening?
85
C.
Some of the Types of Lawyers That You're Likely to Encounter at Your Firm
86
D.
How Do You Figure Out How to Do the Assignment, Once You Get It?
92
E.
Writing and Research Skills
93
F.
Working Efficiently and Competently
97
Few Things in Law Involve Totally Original Thinking
98
Even Though Few Things in Law Involve Totally Original Thinking, Don't Just Recite What the Law Is-Think About the Ramifications of Your Research as You Draft
99
Cover Your Butt-and Do So in Writing
100
'Fess Up When You Make a Mistake
101
G.
Why You Need to Develop a Good Calendaring System
103
H.
Assignments: Getting Them, Doing Them Well, and Balancing the Workload
105
I.
Make Yourself Useful
107
J.
Boneheaded Moves (or the Types of Horrifying Mistakes That First-Year Lawyers Tend to Make)
108
K.
A Word About Electronic Communications (or How You Can Embarrass Yourself on a Global Scale)
109
Using an Unnecessary "Reply All"
110
The Angry Response
110
Tone (Probably the Most Important of the Three)
111
L.
Becoming a Rainmaker (Yes, Now)
112
M.
Taking Time Off -Vacations, Sick Days, and Errands
113
N.
Bonuses and Billable Hours
115
O.
Having Friends and Family
115
ch. Seven
Moving Up Through the Ranks: Life as a Junior Associate and Life as a Senior Associate
119
A.
People skills
120
Emotional Intelligence
120
Speaking Fluent "Client"
122
B.
Political Skills
124
Partners Aren't the Only People with Political Power
124
A Word About Your Own Power
125
C.
Are You at the Home Office or a Branch Office?
128
How Did the New Partners Get Ahead?
129
D.
The Coin of the Realm
130
E.
Headhunters and Competing Offers
131
F.
Legal Skills
133
G.
Preparation, Preparation, and More Preparation
136
H.
No Dithering-Make a Decision
138
I.
Teamwork
139
J.
Judgment and Experience
141
Stupid Stunts by Lawyers Who Were Experienced Enough to Know Better
142
K.
Your Career, Yourself
142
ch. Eight
Ten Career Mistakes That Junior Lawyers Make
145
A.
Losing Touch with Law School Classmates
145
B.
Overlooking That Your Partners Are Also Your Clients
146
C.
Failing to Take Ownership of Your Career
149
Have a Formal Plan
149
D.
Not Seeking or (Worse Yet) Ignoring Feedback
150
E.
Discounting Professional Development and Networking Opportunities
150
F.
Neglecting to Treat Support Staff as Valuable Colleagues Who Play a Critical Role on the Team
151
G.
Disregarding the Importance of Learning the Business Aspects of Law
153
H.
Not Developing Your Leadership and Management Skills Early and Often
154
I.
Not Maintaining a Professional Brand at All Times
155
J.
Losing Passion for the Work You Do
156
ch. Nine
I've Made It! Life as a New Partner
159
A.
Partnership
159
B.
Buy-ins and Taxes and Distributions, Oh My!
162
C.
Will I Make More Money as a Partner?
163
D.
The Sprint Is Over: Are You Ready to Run a Marathon?
164
E.
Old Mantra: Billable Hours; New Mantra: Exercise, Nutrition, Commitment, and Billable Hours
169
ch. Ten
Being a Great Lawyer (as a Partner)
173
A.
Your Long-Term Value to the Firm and Your Clients
173
B.
Rainmaking
174
Get to Know Your Clients and Their Businesses
174
Get to Know Your Clients as People
175
Get to Know Your Partners
175
Prepare for Meetings with New Clients and Senior Partners
175
C.
Care and Feeding of Associates
176
D.
Your Written Work
179
E.
Some Final Pointers
179
ch. Eleven
Moving On, Moving Out
185
A.
Why Exactly Are You Leaving?
185
B.
Are You Running Away from Law Firm Politics?
186
C.
How Do You Know That It's Time to Go?
187
D.
How Miserable Are You... Really?
189
E.
Where Do You Want to Go and What Do You Want to Do?
190
F.
So What Are Some Options?
191
Downsizing to a Smaller Firm
191
Government Work
193
Working In-House with the Client
195
Becoming a Law Professor
195
Something Else
197
G.
How to Avoid Burning Bridges on the Way Out
198
Afterword
199
Appendix A
201
Appendix B
209
Index
213