Thoughts on the Equal Justice Works Conference & Career Fair, Oct. 26-27, 2012

                                       NCCULAW students with yours truly outside of the "deadly"

                                                                  Table Talk ballroom

I always love attending the Equal Justice Works Conference & Career Fair in the Washington, D.C. area. This year’s event was held on October 26-27, 2012, at Crystal Gateway Marriott in Crystal City, Virginia, a thirty minute Metro ride from “Biglawville” in downtown Washington, D.C.

The event joins well over 600 law students from across the country with over 100 public service employers from coast to coast (want to work for the Alaska Public Defender Agency?).  Students (2Ls and 3Ls) can apply for direct employer interviews while 1Ls can come for “Table Talk” and participate in the Conference’s other educational sessions and  the Keynote Event which this year was labeled as “Journey to the Supreme Court”: A Conversation between Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Judge David Tatel, U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Court.

Justice Sotomayor was greeted like a “rock-star” by the law students and law professionals. Under artful questioning by Judge Tatel, the Justice spoke candidly of her path from the projects of the Bronx, N.Y. to the Supreme Court with stops along the way at Princeton, Yale Law, and a chair as a federal district court judge (she loved being a federal district court judge!) She told the assembly that, in her judgment, the law is a service opportunity, adding that Public Interest Law is an honorable way to help your community.  As to the workings of the Supreme Court, she indicated that all the members of the Court were deeply invested in the importance of the Constitution and said that "we all know that if we get it wrong, we affect the whole country." She remained amazed how so many courts around the country come to so many different conclusions.

What I took from Justice Sotomayer's comments that I can pass along to law students includes her self-reflection as to her own legal skills. As she was finishing law school, she told the audience that she still thought that she did not feel that she had a complete skill set to call herself a lawyer. She honed her lawyer skills in the prestigious Manhattan D.A.'s office with famed DA Robert Morgenthau. . "I learned to be a lawyer in the D.A.'s office." After her term as an ADA, she continued her self-analysis of her skills and went to a law firm where she learned much about business. . . . What to take from this, law students?? . . . . . ....Do a self-evaluation of your skills as a potential lawyer before you graduate. Ask yourself: what career path will make me a complete and better lawyer! Other good law student advice included considering working in a clinical setting. For example, Justice Sotomayor noted that, on the appellate side, law school clinics are contributing a high quality of legal amici briefs for the Court's consideration in many of their cases.. . Wouldn't it be a thrill to work on a brief that eventually got before the Supreme Court?  Not bad resume value either, no??

. . . What does she look for when hiring a law clerk??? . . She stated that she wanted to see that a student, rather than being a "jack-of-all-trades" could do at least one thing well.

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As I reflect on the entire Conference as a whole, I found that another plus of the event is that it is place for public interest minded law students as a group to be in their element with other like-minded students. On a daily basis, the grind of law school doesn’t allow much time for dreaming and “reaching for the stars” with lawyers who have “made” it and with whom they can share the joy, passion, and resilience necessary to be successful in the area of public interest law. Moreover, students have an opportunity to have their resumes reviewed by law school counselors from other law schools, and even participate in “mock interviews” before going out to the real thing in the Main Hall.

The one event that is truly formidable is “Table Talk.” Picture a large conference room at a convention hotel. . . . . . then triple it in size and you have what the “Table Talk” ballroom looks like!  Law students are asked to move about this titanic room and select the potential employers that they wish to speak with and approach the table, resume in hand. . Not so fast! . . .  Did I say approach the table? . . I really meant get in a line about nine to ten law students deep, then wait for the opportunity to speak with the respective employers.

 Had I been exposed to such a challenge during my law school career, I may just have fled the room in terror telling myself that .  .” I simply can’t do this!! Get me outta here!” . . .Thus, I so admire the law students who go to this event, dive in, and participate in all that the Conference offers. In baseball, there is a term for a player who plays it tough day in and day out: "a Grinder." That's how I would describe the law students who come in, get in line during Table Talk and let the employers see the best that they have to offer.

I can almost see and hear the late Frank Sinatra at the top of the podium of this massive ballroom during Table Talk bellowing out the lyrics of his famous rendition of “New York, New York”:

“if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. It's up to you!”

It certainly is up to you, law student. Many of our students get internships, summer jobs and even full time jobs and fellowships as a result of their participation in the EJW Career Fair. Moreover, the networking contacts that students make can very well be career changing events.

If you are a law student with a mind for public interest law, make your plans to attend and join in with all of the great activities in this career fair and conference. . . Please look for me, I’ll be so happy to chat with you. I’m the guy in the blue suit and the New York Yankee hat (midnight blue with the interlocking NY).     . . .

Phil Guzman      

                               Truly . . nothing but the best for public service minded law students

What You Learn in Law School Applies to Everyday Life. . Or Didn't You Realize That??

Across the street from our law school’s campus, there is a small church with a parking lot for parishioners and those conducting church business during the week. For the past few years, I have decided to park in this lot rather than in the law school lot.  On the first day that I parked in the church lot, I walked up to the main office, and introduced myself to the pastor when he answered the door. I asked if I might pay a fee to be allowed to park in the church lot. He smiled wryly and explained that the church lawyer had once told him that if he took money for parking that the church would be responsible for any damage to my car during the time that it was in the lot. Ah, the law being applied to a real life situation in a little church parking lot.

He quickly smiled again -- this time somewhat mischievously -- and told me that the church had developed a policy not to take money for parking. As he was saying this, he raised his right arm and pointed to a parking space nodded his head and winked. He then turned and walked back into the church turned around one last time and told me – winking, smiling and nodding:

“Remember the church’s formal policy is that you can’t park here.”

I have parked in his church lot from that day forth, dropping my parking “tithe” anonymously into the church main box on a regular basis.

From the onset, there were a few law students who, amongst others, parked in the lot. However, as campus parking increased in price, so did the number of law students who started parking in the church lot.

As I parked with each passing day, I grew alarmed at the ever growing number of cars parking in the pastor’s lot each day. I wondered if the students had also asked for permission. One morning I arrived at the lot at the same time as did the pastor and he invited me for a cup of coffee and accompanying “chit-chat.” During our musings,  I asked him if any of our students had inquired about their ability to park in the lot.

“Not a one.”

The pastor said this with absolutely no malice or resentment whatsoever in his voice. He even chortled to himself as if he were the only one in the room. Frankly, I was not surprised at his answer, though I had hoped that a lease a few of our students had just asked! The pastor then went on to explain that there were only a few days in the year when he really needed all the parking spaces in the church lot during the year. Moreover, he had wanted to stay on good terms with the university as many of the students participated in an “open mike” night sponsored by the church every Thursday evening, an evening of fellowship frank discussions. He wanted to be there for our students.  I finished my coffee and thanked the pastor for his generosity, telling him that if he experienced any problems regarding the growing numbers of students parking in his lot, to please let me know.  No problems so far. Fingers crossed.

This whole episode has gotten me thinking. . . The law is not something that is taught in a vacuum. It is not to be memorized and pulled out in answer to a difficult law school exam question.

The law is to be applied to every day life! That’s what makes it exciting and challenging! No two situations are the same. The same set of facts –applied in two entirely different scenarios – may result in two different conclusions of law. We all see everyday applications of the law in everything that we do:  . . . . Why do we get a “ticket” when we drop off our dry cleaning?  Why does a baseball team have a disclaimer about being hit by a ball on the back of a ticket? Why does a mechanic require your signature before he will work on your car following his written (oh, did I not tell you that it needs to be on paper?) estimate. Get the picture?

Then why had no law student asked for permission to park in the church lot (hey, law student reader: would you have?).  Law students learn such terms as “trespassing,” and “private property,” in the classroom, but –in this instance anyway – failed to apply these legal definitions to real life situations. Thankfully, due to a most gracious pastor, there really is no problem here and I’m really not railing at the students. I’m just concerned that law students everywhere need to realize that putting into place the legal concepts that they are learning in the classroom starts right from Day One!! The law is is not lived in a vacuum, it is part of everyday. . the air we breath. . the things that we do to get through our day. Law students: please remember that you don’t get a “pass” in applying the law to life as you live it. In fact, I would argue the direct opposite; you know better now that you are in law school!   

As a law student, you are learning the law, living the law inside of your law school building and classrooms. Never forget that you need to apply what you are learning in real life. Soon, clients will be paying you to do that very thing. If that is so, start practicing your trade while in school.

Look for and apply the law everywhere you are, in everything that you do. Don’t let your legal career get “towed” even before it gets started.

Phil Guzman

Don't Be Shy at a Law School Related Networking Event

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 A law student recently came into my office recently in a little bit of a “funk.” She told me that she had just returned from a CLE event which had included a reception afterwards (I have always preached to law students who may not have sufficient experience in a practice to take as many courses in that particular area of practice as possible, AND then exhibit interest and expertise in that area of practice by taking a CLE and putting it in the “Education” section of their resume).

It seems that this student had followed my advice and had attended a CLE session organized by one of the local county bar associations. She was not depressed because she had attended the session, but because of what had happened afterwards during the “mix and mingle.” It seems that she had trouble making “small talk” and conversing with lawyers during the reception. She had one of those “this is awkward” moments and was now sitting in my office to get my take on how to turn that around the next time was in a lawyer networking event.

Here’s what I suggest to avoid those awkward moments during a networking experience:

HAVE A GAME PLAN

First ask yourself why you have decided to attend the event. If it’s a CLE, is it for the substance? Resume impact? Networking?? … Are you planning to gather business cards? Set up informational interviews? Is there someone at the event that you wish to speak with?

. . . All of the above?

Once you’ve decided what you want out of an event, decide on your “game day” strategy. If networking: are there particular people with whom you wish to speak?  If so, then make sure that you do not leave the event without having, at minimum, engaged in a short conversation and obtained a business card (if you have received a promise to “help in any way I can” from the person(s) you have targeted, then you have hit the proverbial “home run!”).  

Float the room; do not get “stuck” with any particular person. It’s fine to simply say “excuse me, thanks for your time. It was great speaking with you,” then move across the room to someone else that you wish to engage.

Also, please don’t hang around the food or drink table – you might as well put the word “loser” on your forehead (exaggeration to make a point).

COME PREPARED FOR CONVERSATION

One piece of advice that I always give law students as they prepare for the On Campus Interview season, or any interview that they are having during the course of the rest of the year, is to come with good questions (and not anything that could easily be answered by going to the employer’s website!) I would offer the same advice to students who are going to any type of networking function. Work on some general questions that you can tailor, as appropriate, to any person(s) that you wind up speaking to at an event: 1. Tell me about what you do? 2. What’s most exciting about what you do? 3. How did you decide on your area of practice? 4. What is the most challenging part of your work? 5. There is so much talk about the tough job market for young lawyers, do you find that to be the case from where you sit? 6. What was your law school experience like?  7. How did you get your first job out of law school?? . . . Such questions can all be conversation starters.

Remember to be a good listener, as well. The person with whom you are speaking may say something about something that you have in common (a home town, school, food dish, and hobby).  

Have you ever seen a trial lawyer who simply methodically reads from a list of questions he is addressing to the “star” witness and simply misses the answer that can make his/her case because the lawyer was not listening????  . . DO NOT be that person in networking event! If the person with whom you are speaking provides a little “nugget” for you that may, or may not, be law-related, pick it up and run with it! Don’t be afraid to pick up on this and take the conversation away from the law, if appropriate.

            Polish Your “Elevator Speech”

Have your “elevator speech” ready to help you dive into the fray during your introduction at a social event. Remember, that most lawyers are more than willing to assist a law student, or young lawyer. Just take a deep breath, walk up to a person, and dive in. The more that you get used to these social situations, the more relaxed, hence the more comfortable you will be in social situations.

           Be Yourself

Finally, be yourself. Remember that we all can’t be the “life of the party,” the person who enters the room and immediately takes command of the situation and “works the room” with charisma and style. Do not compare yourself with anyone and come up short!

We can only be ourselves and live in our own skins. If you are better “one on one,” then look for those situations. If you can sit at a table and are comfortable talking to a group of people, then don’t shy away from those situations. Remember that ONE conversation that leads to a job opportunity is way better than having a dozen business cards in your hand when you leave a room.

Relax, go in and mix. I still believe that the best way for a law student to get a job is through the networking process of going to bar association events in law school and meeting practicing attorneys. . . If you want to catch fish, go to a pond where they are plentiful.

Phil Guzman

5 Quick Tips for a Successful Legal Career

Desiree Moore is President and founder of Greenhorn Legal, LLC.which offers practical skills training programs for law students. She is a "blogger in residence" (so happy she is!) for Law School: Success and Careers. Check out her initial post, The Law School Graduate's 5 Step Guide to Prosperity http://lawschoolsuccessandcareers.blogspot.com/20/law-school-graduates-5-step-guide-to.html  I'm happy to post her latest blog article on the very day that she has announced the release of her new book, Thrive: A New Lawyer's Guide to Law Firm Practice!  Her blog spot here talks of the mental commitment a new lawyer needs in setting out in his/her legal career. She speaks of setting concrete goals. These goals are often tested and I would only add that young lawyers needs the discipline to stick to their goals (with some flexibility, of course), no matter how much sacrifice is needed. 

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 In my new book, Thrive – A New Lawyer’s Guide To Law Firm Practice (American Bar Association, 2012), I take an in-depth look at all of the things you can do as a new lawyer to build a successful legal career from day one. Among other things, your mindset, professionalism, time management and organizational skills, and ability to work well with staff and other attorneys will contribute to your success in the early years of your career. You can be sure that the practice of law is nuanced and, in your early years in particular, there is a lot to learn. Still, there are some foundational skills you can employ right away that will ensure success and position you to be a leader in your practice down the line. Better yet, these foundational skills are not complicated. Whether you are joining a large, mid-sized, small law firm or government agency as a new lawyer, here are 5 quick tips for ensuring a successful legal career from day one:


1. Get in the Proper Frame of Mind

No matter where you find yourself after law school, your mindset will dictate your success. To get in the proper frame of mind, above all, you will want to make a decided mental commitment to your career. You must be committed to the idea of being the best lawyer you can be, as well as dedicated to the present moment. Being in the proper frame of mind also requires that you set concrete, written goals for your practice. Setting goals reminds us that our careers and the direction of our careers belong to us and us alone. Setting goals motivates us, too, and keeps us inspired when times are otherwise tough. Finally, in furtherance of your mindset, you will want to maintain perspective. The practice of law is incredibly respectable and your job is an important one. Still, it should not be the only thing of value in your life. Take pride in being an attorney. But revel in things outside of work, as well.

2. Take a Holistic Approach to Your Work 

Early in your career, the learning curve is steep. You are likely not adept at all of the substantive skills your practice requires. Still, you can put forth effort to get involved in your work so that, over time, you become an integral member of your team. As you work on assignments, think holistically. Instead of completing one discreet project after another, become involved and invested in your cases as a whole. Follow up on work you have done. Follow up on the status of the case or deal. Volunteer to take on additional work. This way, you are not only demonstrating interest in the work you are doing, you are building relationships with your colleagues. These efforts will ensure your success and longevity in your practice.

3. Become Involved in Your Firm or Office

As I tell new lawyers all the time, if you ran your own business, you would likely know every last detail about the way the business was structured. Knowing this information minimizes risk, maximizes profit, and increases productivity, among other things. You should approach your career in a similar manner. Learn how your firm or office is structured. Understand your position within that structure, and how to move your career forward. In your time there – whether it is six months or sixty years  approach your work every day as though you are an owner in the business. And one day you will be.

4. Market Your Practice

It is never too early to market your practice. More importantly, you should never feel that you are not in a position to market your practice. Whether you work for a large law firm or the state’s attorney’s office, you can never be sure where your career is headed 5, 10, or 15 years down the line. Marketing yourself and your practice ensures that when the time comes, you have potential clients and employers at your fingertips. Marketing your practice happens both inside and outside of the office. Within the office, you want to do good work for anyone and everyone you work with. This will ensure good reviews and good relationships if and when the time comes that you need a recommendation. Keeping up with legal news is also a good way to market yourself. If you can demonstrate that you are conversant in a recent Supreme Court decision or an amendment to a statute that is relevant to your practice, your colleagues will be duly impressed. Outside of the office, you should constantly work to build your book of contacts. Collect business cards from – and give business cards to – everyone you meet. Input information about the people you meet in your contacts management system and find reasons to reach out from time to time. It is also a good idea to become involved in your local bar associations, attend alumni networking events, and stay in touch with your friends outside of the law. All of these efforts, over time, will amount to a decent start in transitioning into a new job or building a book of business when you need it.

 5. Take Care of Yourself

In the early years of your practice, it is tempting to focus exclusively on work and compromise fundamental aspects of life outside of work, including basic health and wellness. While hard work and dedication are admirable – and indeed required of legal professionals – maintaining good health is essential, too. Without it, being a top practitioner, or even meeting minimum expectations in your practice, will be difficult, if not impossible. Throughout your career, even when times are busy, you should be thinking about ways to manage your own health and wellness. Your efforts do not have to be colossal (instead of training for a marathon, you might consider a brisk walk during lunch time) but they should be apparent (to you, anyway). Seek out projects, relationships, and diversions outside of work that keep you healthy and happy. Make time daily to restore the depletion that inevitably comes when we dedicate ourselves to our work. Whatever activities you find enjoyable, includes these in your daily routine, just as you include work in your daily routine. Your work, and your life, will be better for it.

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Desiree Moore is the President and founder of Greenhorn Legal, LLC. Greenhorn Legal offers intensive practical skills training programs for law students and new lawyers as they transition from law school into their legal practices. Ms. Moore is the author of the new book, Thrive – A New Lawyer’s Guide to Law Firm Practice, published by the American Bar Association. Pick up a copy here! She can be reached via email at desiree@greenhornlegal.com or on Twitter at @greenhornlegal.

Counseling Students in the Lower Half of the Law School Class

I can’t tell you how many times I have seen law students simply outwork their Law Review colleagues and land the job (a paraphrase) . . .

·         Craig Raynsford, Esq. Legal Advisor, DHS, Office of General Counsel, NALP/PSLawNet Mini-Conference, Washington DC, October, 2011

           

 As the economy continues to struggle and law firms and public service entities search for new hiring models, law students find themselves in an extremely competitive employment market where even top students are finding it difficult to find jobs. Moreover, the current climate has led to recriminations regarding law school transparency and lawsuits against law school by their own students. In such a poisoned atmosphere – with law students already anxious and frustrated -- law school career counselors are faced with a specific set of unique employment challenges for all law students. However, employment concerns are far more acute for a group of students who are becoming law school’s version of the “silent majority” – students in the academic lower half of their class. . . silent” as in: feeling helpless and no longer bothering to visit their career services offices for advice.

We in Career Services need to identify these students and set to work on specific strategies (some new, some not so) to get them, once again, engaged in enthusiastically looking for work and careers. That may require more time and effort on our parts, i.e., more follow-up sessions as part of the norm. Moreover, the counseling may extend past assisting with job strategies and spending more time than in the past dealing with the students’ anger, frustration, and self-worth profile.

How to start? Get them together as a group. . . How about starting with a “Let’s Get to Work Session?”. . .

Have a general strategy session inviting students in this group to a general panel (perhaps an event discussing how to counterbalance the grade component of law school for purposes of making for a stronger resume). From such an initial session, more individualized meetings can be scheduled. 

Assist the student in a realistic self-analytical process.

First and foremost, be an “Encourager.” For example, tell the student about the quote from Mr. Raynsforth used as the introduction to this article. Students need to hear the positive and how recruiters still leave the door open for hard working students who show initiative and can demonstrate that they can “fit in’ and contribute.

Next, help the student with some self-evaluation. What has he/she exactly been doing to narrow career choices? How have they conducting their job searches? To what success?  What may be needed are realistic career course changes and new strategies that help the student to redirect their employment course. Walk the student through all job applications, and interviews that were unsuccessful and work with the student to try to determine why the job was not offered and how to proceed from this point forward. This process would include polishing interview skills through mock interviews and other “socializing skills” events that you may host through the career services office. Furthermore, try to identifying areas of deficiencies and coordinating academic support, if needed, through the appropriate channels at the school (i.e., working with tutors and/or the professors, the writing team, etc).

Build an Appropriate Resume

Help the student of build a resume that is solid in practice legal experiences. One that sets out a solid skill set from which the student can present him/herself confidently in a positive light that present experiences in legal research; writing and drafting of legal memoranda; client contact; and trial worthy experiences. In today’s completive market unpaid volunteer (or positions providing funding via law school stipend money) are examples of positions to obtain practical work-related experience. A frequently overlooked student job is that of being a Research Assistant for law school professors. Such a job will give the student the research and writing skill set needed to strengthen a resume.  Of course, participation in writing competitions, moot court, and journal write-on activities would also fit the bill. 

I try and remember that there is no “one size fits all” and that law students struggling to raise their GPA’s may need to be focused on their studies and not be involved in too many extra-curricular activities. This is the delicate balance that must be worked out with each student during consultations.

Work the Network

For students in the lower half of the class, networking becomes a critical component of a job search. Students should be encouraged to join local bar associations, alumni groups (attorney mentors for students in the lower half is a valuable tool), and attend attorneys law school events. Additionally, given what I have seen in my own experiences on Twitter and LinkedIn, students can find tremendous networking opportunities through connections made through blogging and social media.  I watch in amazement as law students on Twitter reach out and connect with industry leading lawyers who are more than willing to assist law students (In-house counsel to the Los Angeles Angels, and an In-house counsel at Warner Brothers Studios, to name just two). Plus, these types of connections are not based on GPA and class rank considerations.

In conclusion, many of our “best and brightest” lawyers are late bloomers. We should never forget that and, certainly, keep encouraging and pushing our law school late bloomers to the finish line. Make them feel just as important as those in the top ten percent of the class!

(Special thanks to Gary Greener, Esq., Associate Dean for Career Services, Southwestern Law School for providing excellent resource materials that were so helpful in writing this article).