The Tech Revolution Is Changing The Legal Field, And We Need To Respond In Kind
By Brooke Faulkner • August 31, 2017 •Issues, Other Issues
The technology revolution of the last half a century certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed. Everyday life is notably different for everyone. Big data and the IoT (internet of things) have created an interconnected network of devices that puts just about everything we need right at our fingertips. No one under the age of 60 has managed to escape the changes the tech revolution has spurned, including JDs. It’s no doubt that big data is already affecting the way we practice law: from more accurate client billing, to improved document reviews, to marketing analytics, law firms are taking advantage of the advances…
Specialties That Actually Thrive In Rural Areas
By Brooke Faulkner • May 24, 2017 •Careers, Other Career Issues
If you’ve ever seen Hollywood’s version of females in the legal field, you’d be convinced that we were all small town gals who fulfilled our dreams of moving to the big city by obtaining our law degrees. Of course, that’s not always the case. Sure, plenty of us left our hometowns for bigger and better things, and that might have been due to the fact that rural lawyers face certain stigmas: first, you won’t make much money in a small town, and second, you’ll need to maintain a general practice if you want to succeed. The idea that specialty lawyers…
How Millennials Are Changing The Legal Field
By Brooke Faulkner • April 18, 2017 •Careers, Other Career Issues
The question of whether the culture in America shapes new generations, or whether the generations themselves shape cultural shifts, brings about a chicken-and-egg scenario that is likely a discussion too large for this piece. What we do know, however, is that each new generation brings something different to the workforce, and also demands changes to the status quo. This is a good thing, as it keeps industries from being stagnant, and the field of law is one that needs to remain static to keep up with the times. There is absolutely no doubt that a shift is already happening: millennials…
Unconventional Specialties That Can Lead To A Career In Law
By Brooke Faulkner • April 03, 2017 •Careers, Other Career Issues
Some of us knew from the very beginning that we were headed for law school, while others didn’t realize it until they were well into their undergraduate education. Others still had different career paths in mind, and followed them only to somehow still end up with a JD. It doesn’t matter how we got here: we all have our areas of expertise, and we all have something great to bring to the table. Many consider a career shift later in life, and just about every profession can have something great to offer the legal field. Here are just a few.…
Two Birds, One Stone: Helping Veterans By Attracting More Of Them To The Legal Field
By Brooke Faulkner • March 15, 2017 •Issues, Mentoring and Networking
Editor's Note: As we honor our veterans today, please consider this March 15, 2017 post from Ms. JD contributor Brooke Faulkner. We advocate for women from all walks of life to attend law school and become lawyers, because we understand that it’s not only our female presence that rounds out the profession as a whole, but our diversity of backgrounds that contributes to its success and growth in our nation. But there are still a few groups that remain disproportionately represented among JDs, and one of them is veterans. So, why aren’t veterans pursuing legal careers? There are a lot…
Is Law School Worth The Investment?
By Brooke Faulkner • January 31, 2017 •Law School, Other Law School Issues
In recent years, the worthiness of law school has come under much scrutiny. Influential figureheads left and right were crying everything from “it’s not worth it unless you get into a top school and graduate in the top 20%” to “it’s an outright scam!” The question now is whether or not any of this scrutiny is warranted. In the summer of 2016, Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein even went so far as to say that “the most you get out of law school is debt.” However, he said in the very same interview that “Of course, you get a lot…
Why You Should Consider An MPA/MPP If You Want To Work In Public Service
By Brooke Faulkner • December 13, 2016 •Careers, Nonprofits and the Public Interest
Not everyone who works in law practices law. That being noted, are there other degree programs that can better prepare you for working in public service law? Having a JD can certainly get you a job in the public sector, but earning an MPA (Masters of Public Administration) or an MPP (Masters Of Public Policy) is definitely a better option if you want more flexibility and more job opportunities. In 2014, US News interviewed Ann Johnson, an administrative and business law professor in San Bernardino, California. She earned several degrees before she landed the career of her dreams, one of…
Women And Higher Education: A Brief History
By Brooke Faulkner • November 23, 2016 •Issues, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination
Today, women are closer to equal rights than they have ever been before. In 2014, women actually comprised 57% of students in institutions of higher education. According to Arizona State University, women currently make up almost 50% of the U.S. workforce, and 51% of corporate jobs are filled by females. Did you know that until very recently, American women have largely been excluded from higher education? In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was quite frowned upon, and at times, against policy, to allow women to attend traditional colleges and universities. The first women’s college (Mount Holyoke in Massachusetts) wasn’t…
Non-Lawyer Jobs For Those With A Law Degree
By Brooke Faulkner • October 17, 2016 •Careers, Other Career Issues
Not everyone who goes to law school intends to become a lawyer. Some have other aspirations, like becoming a judge or a professor, while others are simply interested in learning about law. There are also plenty of students who discover throughout law school or internships that being a lawyer might not be the right job for them. Others still may pass the bar and go on to practice law, only to discover down the road that it’s not their ideal career. Everyone deserves a career that makes them happy while also utilizing their knowledge and talents. Having a law degree…