From Paralegal to Associate: How to Land your Dream Job!
By Nadia Ennaji • November 01, 2018 •Writers in Residence, Careers
I was recently asked for advice as to how to land a job as a new associate in a particular field. That particular friend is passionate about entertainment and music in particular. Now equipped with a law degree and having just passed the bar, he wondered how to break into the music field as a lawyer. My first advise, which apply to any field, is to join as many associations as possible. Networking is primordial. The associations don’t need to be only legal based, and should be any type of association related to that field. While most have a membership…
From Paralegal to Associate: Happy Anniversary!
By Nadia Ennaji • October 01, 2018 •Writers in Residence, Careers
Last week marked exactly a year since I was sworn in as an attorney. I still remember the excitement mixed with the uncertainty of starting my new role as an attorney. I had worked at the firm for 6 years as a paralegal. How was I going to adjust? Will the other attorneys remember that I am now a qualified attorney? Would I still be treated as the paralegal? What about the clients? So many questions running through my head, but one thing I knew for sure, was that I could feel the immense pressure on my shoulders. I had…
From Paralegal to Associate: How to Handle Time Constraints
By Nadia Ennaji • August 31, 2018 •Writers in Residence, Careers
As a new associate, what I found the most difficult to handle is my time. Especially when I am confronted with something that I am unfamiliar with, I often find myself spending hours of research. Most of the time, those hours spend on research can’t be billed back to the Client, because it will be unreasonable. And if you are a type A like me (and I suspect you are) this makes it even more difficult to put a time limit on the assignment. What I found helpful is to give myself a time window by which I will stop…
From Paralegal to Associate: How to Deal with the “Emotional Investment”
By Nadia Ennaji • July 28, 2018 •Writers in Residence, Careers
Last month, I discussed how to maintain your enthusiasm and your passion for the legal profession. I have received so many positive feedbacks from the article, and some of the discussions I had on that subject prompted me to analyze further the issues of “Emotional Investment”. How do you keep your boundaries? How to keep yourself from becoming too invested emotionally into a client’s case? For some of us it is easy to do, for other it is hard not to become intertwined into your client’s case. Some law practice are also more concerned than others. Notably the practice of…
From Paralegal to Associate: How to Maintain your Enthusiasm
By Nadia Ennaji • July 02, 2018 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Other Issues
The first few months into the legal profession are a whirlwind of emotions. You are thrilled to have passed the BAR. You are finally an attorney. The pressure of doing a great job are mixed with the enthusiasm you feel for finally doing what took a few years to accomplish. Then the months pass, and slowly be surely, the rush you get in those first few months dissipate. The long hours are getting to you. The mundanity of some of the tasks are getting you bored out of your mind. How does one stay motivated and enthusiast? How do you…
From Paralegal to Associate: How to Handle Stress During the First Year as an Associate
By Nadia Ennaji • May 29, 2018 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Other Career Issues, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life, Other Issues
It is no secret that the schedule of an attorney is a hectic one. Balancing a personal life with the pressure of billable hour is a tricky job. The typical day of an attorney starts around 8:30 am and rarely ends until 7:30 pm. Add to this the commute to and from home. And with the new technology, are you truly ever disconnected from work? All of these contribute to higher than normal stress level in the legal profession. The first year of a new associate is even more difficult, as there is the continuous pressure to adjust to the…
From Paralegal to Associate: How to Survive your First Year on the Job – Part II
By Nadia Ennaji • April 27, 2018 •Ms. JD, Writers in Residence, Careers, Law School, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life
Welcome back! As we discussed in Part I the importance of the first impression, the need to be proactive, to keep learning, and ask for advice. This month, I will discuss the importance of networking. Indeed, it is primordial, to start making important contacts within and outside of the company / law firm where you work. Networking will not only enable you to find new jobs in the future but also to bring you potential clients. Lastly, the more you participate in networking events, the more you will be known by the attorneys in your city, which will bring referrals. …
From Paralegal to Associate: How to Survive your First Year on the Job – Part I
By Nadia Ennaji • March 26, 2018 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Law School, Choosing a Career and Landing a Job, Issues, Balancing Private and Professional Life
You have survived and graduated from Law School … You have survived and passed the Bar. Congratulation!! What amazing achievements. After the rush of excitement settles down, you realize that now, lays yet a new challenge ahead of you: your first job as an associate attorney. What can you do to survive your first year on the job? I have done some research, and adding to it my own personal experience, I am sharing what I found out. I have divided the article into two Parts. In part one I will discuss the first few weeks into a new job. …
From Paralegal to Associate: Are you still doing “office housework”?
By Nadia Ennaji • February 26, 2018 •Writers in Residence, Careers, Issues, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, and Other Forms of Discrimination, Women and Law in the Media, Other Issues
I recently read an article written by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant on women doing office housework.[1] It couldn’t ring truer to my ears than now. As a paralegal, it is your job to do all the admin tasks being delegated by the attorneys. But as an attorney, I somewhat still am asked to do those admin tasks on top of the workload of an attorney. Recently, during a trial, not only was I expected to do all the preparation for the trial, but I was also expected to put the exhibits together, and prepare the binders. What is one supposed…