Legal Careers Blog

In the aftermath of the work-from-home debate sparked by Yahoo's Marissa Meyer,  other companies like Best Buy are following suit and eliminating telecommuting perks.

Still, 20 to 30 million people currently work from home at least one day a week and 72% of employees say flexible work arrangements like telecommuting would cause them to choose one job over another.

Below are a few tips from Brad Karsh, President of JB Training Solutions and author of Manager 3.0: A Millennial's Guide to Rewriting the Rules of Management, on how to make telecommuting work for everyone:

1. Managers:  Make time for regular feedback. Even in a remote work situation, feedback should be day-to-day, and it doesn't have to be formal.  This is your opportunity to set clear expectations and address anything about the remote work situation that is/isn't working.  Be open in discussing productivity if you think it's an issue.

2.  Telecommuters: Keep your team posted. To avoid the assumption that you are sitting on the couch catching up on Season 3 of Downton Abbey, be available to your team so they can depend on you for support and connection.  Send "FYI" updates to the team so everyone is in the loop.  Figure out how to anticipate the needs of your team - even from a distance.  Go above and beyond to honor the privilege of flexibility you've been given.

3.  Everyone: Make some face time. It's difficult to build a strong company culture when people don't see each other.  If possible, make face time with your co-workers at least once a week.  Meet for coffee, grab lunch, or go to the office for meetings.  As the Yahoo HR Department put it: "Yahoo isn't just about your day-to-day job, it is about the interactions and experiences that are only possible in our offices."

More on Telecommuting:

• Work-From-Home Opportunities in the Legal Field
• Telecommuting is on the Rise
• Work-Life Balance Tips
• 20 Advantages of Freelance Work
• 20 Drawbacks of Freelance Work

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"Content marketing" is a hot buzz phrase for 2013.  Lawyers are beginning to understand the importance of blogging and other forms of online marketing, including:

• Newsletters
• Press releases
• White papers
• Articles
• Social media posts

These and other forms of online content can help lawyers - and other legal professionals - establish themselves as an authority on the web and gain a competitive edge.

What should you write about? One of the most common complaints I hear from attorneys is a lack of topic ideas.  This list of over 65 topics is a good place to start if you are short on ideas for your blog.

If you are a legal professional with a blog, add it to our blog directory so that others can learn about your site.

More About Blogging:

• What is a Blawg?
• Start a Blog
• 10 Reasons You Should Blog
• 12 Ways to Promote Your Blog

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The Equal Pay Act celebrates its 50-year anniversary this year.  However, females' pay still lags behind their male colleagues across most job functions. In fact, according to a new report released in February, the gender wage gap widened by slightly more than a percentage point in 2012--back to levels last seen eight years ago. Across the economy, females now earn 81 cents for every dollar earned by males.

Despite the continuing pay disparity between men and women, a recent list of the Top 20 Best-Paying Jobs for Women in 2013 by Forbes ranks women lawyers in the number 3 spot.

Women attorneys make up 33% of the profession, earning median yearly earnings of $85,000 and a median weekly salary of $1,636, according to Forbes.  Despite these healthy wages, women lawyers only earn 80% of the income earned by men.

The gender gap is particularly pronounced in leadership positions within the legal industry such as law firm partners and corporate general counsels.  However, women lawyers in the U.S. are making greater strides than women attorneys in many other countries. For example, a recent study of the pay gap at Britain's law firms shows that the average female lawyer is paid half the average bonus of men and only 76 percent of the average male attorney's salary.

Related Articles:

• Women Advance in the Law
• Women in the Workplace
• Law Firm Dress Code for Women
• Best Law Firms for Women

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In the past decade, the legal industry has undergone a radical transformation driven by increasingly sophisticated clients with changing needs and shrinking legal budgets.  Clients are now much more selective as to which law firm to retain for which type of work. As a result, a number of trends are  impacting the industry. A recent report by Huron Consulting Group highlights a few of these trends:

1. Market Segmentation - Firms are stratifying into different market segments.  According to Huron, segments include:
   1. The Global Elite - International mega-firms
   2. Wall Street Firms - Powerful New York firms that have a limited presence outside the Big Apple.
   3. U.S.  Multi-Region Firms - Leaders within their home regions that have expanded into other regions within the U.S., either organically or through merger.
   4. Regional Firms - Firms that are recognized as leaders within a specific state or region (usually in secondary markets).
   5. Specialists - Firms focused on specific expertise and often have broad national reputations.

2. Changing Legal Needs - Law firms are consolidating, partially because clients are choosing from a smaller list of firms to perform high value work. In turn, segmentation is due to greater firm focus and to businesses selecting specific types of firms for particular types and values of work.

3. Mergers - After a prolonged quiet period, law firm merger activity in the U.S. is starting to pick up as firms scramble to remain competitive by adding scale and capability in key markets.

These key trends will continue to transform the law profession in the coming year.  Meahwhile, here are ten other trends shaping the legal industry.

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Happy New Year!

Did you make any New Year's resolutions this year?  Studies show that most resolutions focus on personal goals such as losing weight, spending less, getting organized or spending more time with family. While these are worthy goals, making career-related resolutions is also important and can help set you on the right track for the coming year.

Studies also show that while nearly half of Americans make New Year's resolutions, only about 8% are successful in achieving their resolutions. If you need a little help in sticking to your goals, here are three ways to help you make good on your New Year's resolutions.

Here's to a happy and successful 2013!

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Litigation is the bread and butter of many law firms.  It is also a fairly recession-proof practice area since many areas of litigation increase in times of economic uncertainty.  Learn more about litigation as well as various career opportunities within the field.

Related Articles:

• Civil Litigation
• Pros of a Career in Litigation
• Cons of a Career in Litigation
• Litigation Attorney
• Litigation Paralegal
• Litigation Secretary
• Litigation Support Professional

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Hurricane Sandy, a 900-mile-wide hybrid of several weather systems, is wreaking havoc across the Eastern Seaboard, flooding streets, toppling trees and causing widespread power outages and property damage.

Hurricane Sandy and the flurry of recent hurricanes have led to a new law practice niche:  hurricane law.  Many personal injury attorneys are finding new avenues of revenue by handling hurricane damage claims on behalf of business and property owners.  Hurricane lawyers help hurricane victims file insurance claims, interpret coverage issues and litigate insurance bad faith claims, in which hurricane insurance claims are wrongfully denied or mishandled.  Hurricane attorneys help clients navigate all phases of the claims process, from initial damage evaluation through settlement, trial and appeal.

Other law practice areas that benefit from hurricanes and other weather disasters include wrongful death, personal injury and bad faith.

Workplace injuries occur every day.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the four most frequent fatal work injuries are highway incidents, homicides, falls and workers struck by an object.  And, while the private construction industry experienced the highest number of fatal occupational injuries in 2010, the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting industry had the highest fatal work injury rate.

Workers who are injured on the job are barred by law from filing a lawsuit against their employer to recover compensation for their work injuries.  Instead, state workers' compensation statutes outline the procedures for filing a claim and obtaining compensation from the employer or the insurance company.  Workers' compensation attorneys help injured workers obtain workers comp benefits and help insurance companies defend claims and mitigate their exposure.

Workers' compensation law is a thriving area of practice. This career profile of a workers' compensation attorney outlines workers' compensation laws and the lawyer's role in the workers' compensation system.

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Despite a nationwide surplus of lawyers and a slump in the legal industry since the 2008 financial crisis, today's law grads have confidence in the job market, according to a Kaplan Bar Review survey of 700+ law school graduates from the class of 2012.  Although 56% of recent law school graduates surveyed said they had not found a job in the legal field yet, 62% expressed confidence that they would find employment within the next three months.

Law students also reported satisfaction with their law school education, according to the survey.  In fact, the majority of new law grads give their law schools high marks.  37% of law school graduates gave their law school education an "A" grade, 53% gave it a "B," 9% rated it a "C"  and 1% scored it a "D".

But, while students  thought their law school prepared them to become lawyer, more than a quarter (28%) of new grads feel their law school education didn't prepare them well enough for the bar exam.

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Many people enter the legal field with the goal of helping those less fortunate.  But is a public interest career even possible given the high cost of a legal education?

NALP's biennial Public Sector and Public Interest Attorney Salary Report, released yesterday, shows little growth in public sector salary figures since 2004.  Here is a summary of the median salary figures:

• Legal services attorney
  • Entry level - $42,800
  • 5 years - $50,200
  • 11-15 years - $64,900

• Public defender
  • Entry level - $50,500
  • 5 years exp. - $62,800
  • 11-15 years - $78,600

• Local prosecuting attorney
  • Entry level - $50,000
  • 5 years exp. - $61,400
  • 11-15 years - $76,700

• Public interest attorney
  • Entry level - $45,000
  • 5 years exp. - $56,300
  • 11-15 years - $75,000

According to NALP's executive director, public interest lawyer salaries have kept pace with inflation while the cost of a legal education and the average amount of law student loan debt have both risen at a much higher pace during the same time period, making it a challenge for many to pursue a career in the public interest sector.

If you are interested in a public interest career, learn more through the articles below.

• Public Interest Law
• 6 Reasons to Consider a Career in Public Service
• Public Interest Careers