Your reputation in the law is important to your future success. We are sharing seven considerations for you when thinking about the type of reputation you are looking to build. Establish your expertise.As a new attorney it is your job to learn your chosen practice. You are not going to be an expert in those early years but that is okay. As you learn others around you will notice your dedication and diligence. This will help you build that reputation for expertise as to...

This week we are addressing a common summer question for those of you entering law school this fall - what do I need for law school??? Physical Items: 1. Tech - a lightweight laptop is a necessity. Many law students also opt for tablets for note taking, scheduling, planning, and more. 2. Noise cancelling headphones - these are a must to help you concentrate and get through long study sessions. 3. Portable charger - this will ensure that no matter where you are sitting in the library you...

We are gearing up for a summer filled with vacations, day trips, and time spent with family and friends. So, of course, we are considering how we can actually disconnect when we are out of the office, whether that is for an afternoon or for a week. As an attorney, it takes more than just popping up your out of office response on your email. Especially in a smaller firm, there may be files or tasks that you are the point of contact, decision maker and advisor. To be able to ...

Congratulations to all of the 2023 law school graduates! In honor of this huge milestone, we are sharing our tips to help you prepare and plan to study for the bar exam this summer. Tip #1 - Celebrate your J.D. Law school is a huge accomplishment all on its own. Take some time to put the bar exam out of your mind, as well as wherever you are in your job search and just celebrate your J.D. You’ve worked hard. You deserve to take the time to celebrate this major accomplishment befor...

Spring is here and summer is right around the corner. This usually means a different pace of our daily lives. The summer is a great time to network at any stage of your career. Because of unique summer opportunties, you can simplify your summer networking and enjoy yourself while you do it. If you are in law school you likely have a summer position. Even if you are taking summer classes, the flow of a summer session is entirely different from the regular school y...

Professional networking groups are an effective way to generate new business, refer leads to others, and generally network with local professionals. But they can be intimidating if you do not know much about them. We are breaking down professional networking groups, how they work, what to expect, and how to tell if it is right for you. What is a professional networking group? A professional networking group is a curated group of professionals that meet on some regular basis with t...

For law students and lawyers new to practice, your resume will not be filled with legal experience. This can leave you feeling anxious and frustrated with the job search process. We are sharing resume green flags that we look for in our firms and how you can showcase these in your resume. Resume Green Flag #1 - Extracurricular Activities Involvement in activities, groups, or organizations outside of your class requirements can showcase a lot about your personality. First, i...

Mentor relationships (much like networking) is something that we all know we should be pursuing for professional success, but can often be anxiety inducing. However so many of the same networking principles that we utilize can also apply to the search for your next mentor. But how to get started? The first place to look is at your current professional network. Is there anyone in your network with whom you would be interested in pursuing a mentor relationship? No matter...

When we think of networking we often think of events filled with eager networkers or exclusive networking groups. These are great places to network. But they are not the only way to network. Let’s take a step back and simplify the process. Here are three steps you can take this week to jumpstart your professional networking. Step #1 - Make a list. Make a quick list of at least nine people. These should be people whom you already know a little bit - not strangers and no...

Practical legal experience is a coveted resume builder for law students and recent law school graduates. This week we are sharing a few opportunities for you to gain practical legal experience - all with a networking bonus. 1. Legal Clinic Most law school have legal clinics associated with this schools. This is a direct routine to experiences that you would not otherwise have in the classroom. A clinic can also help you learn more about an area of law so you have a better id...

If you are a recent or soon-to-be law school graduate this information is for you. As practicing lawyers who attended law school from 2007 to 2010, we know all about graduating during tough economic times because we graduated in the midst of the Great Recession. Therefore, we know a thing or two about how to navigate a tough job market and taking the bar exam all at the same time. Here are five tips for recent (or soon-to-be) law school graduates to set yourself up for success aft...

This week we are talking about something important to everyone, no matter their stage of practice. That is - your professional reputation. Your professional reputation is important to build and maintain. We are sharing five things you can do to build a strong professional reputation. #1 Reliability Do what you say you are going to do. Meet deadlines. Communicate with your colleagues. This communicates to others that you can be relied upon and that will go a...

In part two of the 2023 Summer Associates are Made in the Winter miniseries we are discussion the application process and networking. These are two key aspects of a successful law school summer. The application process for summer positions varies widely depending on where you are applying. But how are you tracking your applications? As you apply for positions you will save yourself so much time in the future if you keep track of where you are applying. Hiring timelines for c...

We are back we a popular topic - summer associates are made in the winter! In part 1 we will give you four simple tips to get your summer off to the right start this winter. Tip #1 - Start research opportunities that are available and interesting to you. You may not know what you want to do after law school and you may not know what you want to do this summer. That’s fine! But you have to start somewhere. Your summer job does not have to dictate the future of your care...

We are nearly halfway through December and we are deep into holiday prep. If you’re like us, you may feel like you are being pulled in a variety of directions - work, school, parties, holiday prep, and more. This week we are sharing 5 steps to streamline and prioritize your to do list this holiday season. Step #1 - Make a dump list. If you think you need to do it, put it on the list. Step #2 - What can you eliminate? Take a harsh look at your list and decide what really needs to get don...

This week we continue our quest to decrease stress and improving decision making. That is why we are considering the seasonal decision fatigue and five simple things you can do to combat it right now. #1 - Make a dump list. Make a dump list of everything you have going on. Big and little put it on there. While you are making the list try to simply focus on getting it all out on the paper - don’t think about it beyond naming it. #2 - Take your dump list and acknowledge ...

This time of year has suddenly become very busy for us and we have heard from many of you that the same is true. That got us thinking about decision making, specifically big decisions. Not every day is the same when decision making is concerned. Here is a framework to help you decide whether today is a good day or a bad day to make a big decision. Question 1 - Am I making a reactive decision to a temporary problem? Being in the middle of a temporary problem is not always the...

Helping you build a strong professional network is the mission behind Lawyers Who Launch. This may be surprising, but there are times when you may need to intentionally pause your networking efforts during a particularly busy season of life. Putting a pause on networking may seem counterproductive, but it is in fact the opposite. We all have different seasons in our lives. The timing, length, and reason for the season may all vary. But sometimes you just do not have th...

This fall Haley has spent time within her firm looking for summer associates. Now that the interviews are done, she is sharing three lessons learned from her perspective as an interviewer. #1 - If you have the opportunity to interview in person - do it. Virtual interviews are part of our regular life and if that is all that you can manage that is fine. However, if you have an opportunity to meet with a prospective employer in person take it if you can. Virtual meetings will ...

This week Haley brought some wisdom from a book to discuss. She read “The Thin Line Between Cupcake and Bitch: Taking Action, Driving Change, Getting Results” by Joni Wickham. While there were many gems throughout the book, today’s inspiration is one of Joni’s 10 leadership sessions - know a crisis when you see it. In her book, Joni shared a framework for identifying a crisis. The framework focuses on assessing the implications and severity of the situation to really i...