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What Kind of Lawyer?
By Dennis Hung • August 13, 2018 •Law School, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job
You’ve met someone new, and you’re having one of those routine icebreaker conversations. You’ve just told the other person that you want to be a lawyer. You brace yourself for a dreadfully familiar follow-up question. “What kind of lawyer?” they ask. “Maybe litigation,” you say. The truth is that you have no idea. Whether you’re a pre-law student, you’ve been accepted to law school, or you’re in your first year, you’ll likely find yourself in this scenario more than you’d like. There are so many types of lawyers. How can you possibly narrow down what field you want to pursue?…
Friend or Foe? Technology in Our Everyday Lives: Drones
By Keisha M. McClellan • June 28, 2018 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Politics and Government, Law School, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job, Issues, Other Issues
In his Time Magazine report “Drones Are Here to Stay. Get Used to It,” Alex Fitzpatrick observes that “with any technology, there are certain inflection points when it goes from being something perpetually in the near future to being a part of everyday life.” And this inflection point of drones becoming an everyday part of life is certainly in our foreseeable future. From use in news gathering, sports and entertainment, humanitarian efforts, corporate partnerships, law enforcement, and by general hobbyists, drones present a range of complexities that garner both praise and criticism. For the legal profession, this technology demands an…
Career Directions Outside of Being a Lawyer for Lawyers
By Dennis Hung • June 14, 2018 •Law School, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job
Becoming a lawyer is a professional dream that many people share. Many people want to become a lawyer due to the allure of the job as well as the potential for high compensation. While many people do end up having very long and successful careers as a lawyer, there are some situations in which someone may decide that they no longer want to pursue that career. If you are a lawyer and would like to switch into a different career path, there are a variety of different types of jobs that are great fits for people with a legal background.…
Disability & the Summer Associate Gig: To Disclose or Not to Disclose?
By Katherine Macfarlane • June 03, 2018 •Writers in Residence, Law School, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job, Issues, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination
During my 1L year, I was thrilled to receive a summer position at an employment rights firm that represented plaintiffs in anti-discrimination suits. I’d convinced the firm to waive its practice of hiring only rising 3Ls for summer law clerk positions. I entered my summer job with high hopes about the extraordinary cases I’d be a part of, and an understanding that, as a rising 2L, I’d need to prove myself. I knew that the firm’s associates worked around the clock, but for summer law clerks, the hours were reasonable. Feedback on my research and writing was strong, and it appeared that…
Straight From The Source: An Interview with Meredith Cohen from Momentum Search Group (Part 2 of 2)
By Diana LaMorie • April 29, 2018 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Other Career Issues, Law School, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job
Last month, I sang the praises of recruiters as instrumental assets in forging your career. I also shared an enlightening info session on the JD Preferred marketplace with Meredith Cohen, Managing Director at Momentum Search Group. This month, the conversation continues about Meredith’s personal experience as a lawyer turned headhunter (a “JD Preferred” career path in its own right). Without further ado, let’s take a peek inside Meredith’s world. ***** You started out in BigLaw straight out of law school. What made you want to leave? And what drew you to recruiting as your new career path? I always knew…
Friend or Foe? Technology In Our Everyday Lives: Artificial Intelligence
By Keisha M. McClellan • April 28, 2018 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Law School, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job, Internships and Clerkships
Fear that robots will rule the world, even the world of lawyers, is a major source of trepidation about developments in artificial intelligence (“AI”). But looking beyond headlines and considering other points of view is necessary. AI and the automation of certain legal tasks is not something to fear or outright reject because “AI in the legal profession is not a rogue robot storming the halls of justice.” Rather, AI has the potential to enhance the practice of law rather than simply decimating the roles of attorneys. According to the Brookings Institution, AI is a technology tool that “enables people to…
Friend or Foe? Technology In Our Everyday Lives: Social Media
By Keisha M. McClellan • April 22, 2018 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Law School, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job, Internships and Clerkships
Everywhere we turn, there’s a new cautionary tale about the power and perils of social media. Tales of employers declining offers to potential new hires who have damaged their brand and “employment value” over their questionable activity on sites such as Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter are all over the internet. Take Kylie Jenner's tweet about Snapchat’s re-design, “sooo does anyone else not open Snapchat anymore? Or is it just me…ugh this is so sad.” Reports that Snapchat allegedly lost more than a billion dollars after that Kylie tweet was intriguing. Headlines blaring “In One Tweet, Kylie Jenner Wiped Out $1.3…
To be a Woman and to be “Workplace Ready”
By Ava Lee • April 18, 2018 •Ms. JD, Conference, Ms. JD Book Reviews, Ms. JD Weekly Roundup, Writers in Residence, Careers, Firms and the Private Sector, Other Career Issues, •Law School, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job, Other Law School Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Mentoring and Networking, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination, Women and Law in the Media, •Features, Guest Bloggers and Profiles of Women in the Law, Myths & Truths, First Women, Superwomen JDs and What You Can Learn From Them
For a man, the common mantra is “seize the day.” For a woman, the common mantra is “act accordingly.” Women are conditioned to believe their self-worth is based on following rules or being "good." The ideal woman projects grace, cooperation, and compliance. She tailors herself to be pleasant and acceptable. She accommodates and sidesteps her wants for the greater good. Unfortunately, this outlook can leave one professionally stagnant. Being assertive, firm, and steadfast are required to achieve personal and professional objectives. But these traits are often downplayed for fear of being rejected or worse, unlikeable. I remember my first day…
Selfie with no Filter: the 1L Life - Resource Gems
By Britt Wiegand • March 28, 2018 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Law School, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job
Whew! This semester is flying by. Spring break is now over, appellate brief season is upon the 1Ls, and finals are on the horizon. Because everything has been so busy, I’ve come to appreciate those golden eggs of information even more than I did before. As a 0L and 1L, I wasted a lot of time looking for and using various resources, but there have been a few I repeatedly use and to which I continually return. So, this post is dedicated to a few of my favorite (and best!) resources. Whether you’re heading to law school or are currently…