Legal Careers Blog

Distance learning is one of the fastest growing segments of higher education. The convenience and flexibility of taking courses online from the comfort of your own home has made distance learning programs a popular option for busy students juggling family, careers and other obligations. Enrolling in a distance learning program may be the only option for those living in remote areas hours away from brick-and-mortar schools.

A growing number of distance learning institutions offer programs for paralegals, legal secretaries and other legal professionals. However, not all programs are of the same caliber and a few are not legitimate. Therefore, it is important to do your homework and select a program wisely. Review these six key factors to help you select a quality distance learning program.

Want to give your career a boost? Get published! Whether you are a rising attorney, paralegal or other legal professional, getting your name in print helps raise your credibility, extend your professional network and establish you as an expert in your niche. Getting published also gives you a writing sample and enhances your resume.

There are many ways to get published - write an article, distribute a newsletter, start a blog or contribute to a website. Hundreds of publications – both in print and online –are hungry for talented writers willing to provide fresh copy in exchange for a byline. So pick up a pen or pull out your keyboard to share your knowledge with others. You will be amazed at what getting published can do for your career.

It’s inspiring to see lawyers who are passionate about their jobs. A recent article in Chicago Lawyer magazine features four lawyers who were fortunate to combine their personal interests with their professional practice. These lucky lawyers put their legal skills to work for a pro sports team (The Chicago Bulls), a television celebrity (Oprah Winfrey), a video game business (Midway Games, Inc.), and a restaurateur (Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Inc.). Let this intriguing story of how four lawyers found their dream jobs inspire you to find yours.

Did you know that becoming involved in your local or state bar association is a great way to boost your legal career? What’s more, bar associations are no longer just for lawyers – many welcome paralegals and law students as well.

Bar association members have a voice in critical decisions that affect the legal profession and play an active role in improving the delivery of legal services to the public. Bar members also have the opportunity to give back to the community through pro bono efforts and community service projects.

By becoming involved in the bar association, legal professionals can expand their professional network, advance the interests of the profession and stay abreast of national, state and local developments. Bar associations also offer leadership opportunities through roles on boards, committees and sections.

Other benefits of bar membership include discounted continuing legal education seminars, client referrals, access to job banks, subscriptions to bar journals, discounted insurance programs and the opportunity to participate in bar sections or committees related to your interests or legal specialty.

If you are looking for ways to expand your network, grow professionally and promote the profession, you may want to assume an active role in your local or state bar association.

You’ve decided that a legal career is not for you. So, what can you do with your hard-earned legal education and experience? You can apply your skills and expertise to a wide range of new employment opportunties. From legal consulting, publishing and dispute resolution to education, finance and human resources management, hiring managers in many industries seek lawyers and other professionals with legal experience. Review this primer on alternative legal careers to help guide you on a new career path.

Working for a law firm during the summer before or after your second year in law school is a great way to land a job prior to graduation. However, working as a summer associate has other perks beyond a potential job offer. Here are a few ways to make the most of your summer experience.

• Free Legal Research. Take advantage of free Westlaw and Lexis usage (often granted to summer associates) to brush up on legal research skills and to learn tips and tricks of legal research software applications.
• Networking Opportunities. Use your summer experience to forge as many new relationships as possible and expand your legal network.
• Writing Samples. Keep copies of the written work product you produce throughout the summer for use as future writing samples.
• Insight Into Law Firm Life. Pick the brains of first and second year attorneys at the firm to gain insight into how young attorneys are treated and whether the firm is a good fit for you.
• Insight into Various Practice Areas. Accept assignments from a wide range of practice areas to make more educated choices regarding your future career path.
• Free training. Take advantage of pro bono opportunities and firm training, both formal and informal.

For more summer associate information, review these tips on surviving your summer clerkship.

Recent statistics released by the U.S. Department of Labor reveal that the legal services industry is not immune to the effects of a slowing economy. The legal industry has experienced three consecutive months of job losses, including 1,100 jobs in May, the Department of Labor reports. Mass law firm layoffs, such as the elimination of 124 lawyer and administrative positions at Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal, contributed to the job decline.

While legal positions are down 1.4 percent overall, litigation support and e-discovery remains hot. A recent poll conducted by The Cowen Group, a global litigation staffing firm, found that 65% of firms polled are aggressively hiring litigation support staff. Increasing caseloads and a wave of subprime litigation work has fueled the demand for litigation support talent.

It's bar exam season and new law grads across the country are gearing up for the most rigorous test of their lives. Here are a few tips to help you ace this all-important exam.

1. Establish a study plan. Establish a study strategy by outlining what you will study over the next month. While you don’t need to follow your plan to the letter, it can help guide your study efforts. Allocate 2-3 hours a day to practicing multi-state questions and the rest of your day to outlining the law and completing practice essays.
2. Create study sheets. To aid in memorizing black letter law, photocopy or retype your bar review outline, leaving the points of law blank. Create several copies and fill in the blanks. Putting pen to paper instead of repeating the material to yourself or a friend may aid in memorization and give you a better sense of how well you've mastered the material.
3. Schedule down time. Take time off from studying to relax and recharge. You don’t want to burn out in the last weeks before the exam.

Here are a few helpful links to bar exam study resouces:

• Suggested study schedule
• Elements of a good bar essay answer
• Study checklist
• Last minute bar review tips

LexisNexis, Westlaw, FindLaw.com and Law.com are several popular and well-known legal information portals on the web. Here are ten lesser-known legal information sites, compiled by Genie Tyburski, law librarian at Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll and publisher of the legal-research resource The Virtual Chase.

Whether you’re tracking down information on a particular company, searching criminal records, researching federal rules, the Uniform Commercial Code and U.S. Supreme Court opinions or seeking current information on electronic discovery, these sites may prove useful in your next legal research project. Best of all, most of these legal web resources are free!

Your inspired speech helped land a new client. Your innovative spreadsheet helped boost the bottom line. Your well-researched brief helped win the case.

Don’t just give yourself on the back – keep a record of your accomplishments. A log of your achievements can help document your value to the firm and serve as a handy resource for interviews, resumes, salary negotiations and performance reviews.

Here are a few tips for tracking your accomplishments:

• Record it immediately. Recording accomplishments right after they occur will help you capture the details while they're still fresh in your mind.
• Get it in writing. Verbal praise and gratitude is nice but a written note or e-mail is concrete evidence of your good deed.
• Quantify your achievements. Translate your accomplishment into concrete, quantifiable terms whenever possible. For example, instead of “landed new client,” you might say “Landed new client, bringing $45,000 of new business to the firm in 200_.”
• Create a career portfolio. Artists use portfolios to showcase their best work. Why not create a portfolio showcasing yours? Displaying your portfolio during salary negotiations or an interview may help boost your case.