Job Seekers

Credit: Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock.com

Compensation packages often consist of a base salary, a bonus, equity with a range of structures, and then a benefits package. The compensation structure can vary at a private company versus a public company. Heather Fine, a partner in the in-house counsel recruiting team at Major, Lindsey & Africa, gives insight into the topic of compensation for in-house attorneys. 

Mary O’Carroll and Jenn McCarron, two legal operations veterans, share some insights on how to level up the legal ops at your company in 2024. Last week, both came together to hold a virtual question and answer session with tips on how to get better at the job, how to get buy-in from leadership and how to prevent problems with clients before they occur.

With more than 30 years of experience in professional development, Tracy LaLonde works with law firm leaders on generating better engagement and combating burnout amongst employees. While the 2022 trend of “quiet quitting” has stopped hitting headlines, LaLonde expresses concern that the act have passive disengagement at work has not prompted change in the workplace.

Mike Evers, a recruiter at Evers Legal, shares some unconventional wisdom for attorneys who are looking for happiness in the workplace. Evers describes a television commercial for a job site that shows a woman’s heart tearing itself out of her chest, marching into the supervisor’s office and resigning, then by the tagline “Follow Your Heart.”

Lisa Jerles and Mara Geronemous, co-founders of Miami boutique law firm JG Legal, give advice on founding a law firm. Jerles and Geronemous have a cumulative 40 years of experience in litigation and corporate law. Both drew on their experience running All Before Dinner—a networking group for professional women and did the fundamental tasks incorporating their LLC, developing a website, obtaining insurance and selecting a legal research service. 

From drafting memorandums to prepping appellate briefs, attorneys need to hone their legal writing skills daily. The main goal of writing assignments are to present your position persuasively to effectively advance your position with your intended audience or objectively present relevant facts and case law to educate your audience on a particular topic.

Being an associate in 2023 is something entirely different than it used to be, according to Tracy LaLonde, a professional development consultant in the legal industry. Associates starting out in their careers seek employers who give them work-life balance, allow remote work and a manageable workload. Starting salaries can sometimes be upwards of $200,000 for a first-year associate these days, but young attorneys seek meaningful work and flexibility.