The social media platform LinkedIn is a powerful way to build up a professional’s reputation within their selected area of practice, establish an image as a thought leader in the legal industry, and a way to connect with potential clients. 

When individuals need legal help, they do not just select the first law firm that comes into their path. People research their options, and a professional LinkedIn profile that highlights their expertise can boost credibility.

While building their LinkedIn account, they should be sure to include these certain elements:

-An eye-catching headshot
-A powerful headline
-A background image that is in line with their brand 
-Your LinkedIn summary statement

Are you interested in learning more about why these are the four must-haves for a lawyer’s LinkedIn profile? Read more in this law.com article.

As a junior lawyer, it can be hard to navigate how to manage and take charge of what you want for your career. In this law.com article, Weber Gallagher Simpson Stapleton Fires attorney Vanessa Mendelewski recommends some of the best practices and tips to move up the ladder of a law firm and reach their goals.. 

Many of these best practices and tips do overlap with each other due to it not just being one factor that will help people get to where they want to be. Some tips to follow include: differentiate yourself from others in the firm, making yourself indispensable, welcoming new opportunities and more. 

Are you interested in learning more about the best practices and tips to begin taking charge of your career? Read more in this law.com article.

Stacy Clark Marketing’s very own Stacy West Clark recently had an eye-opening lunch with an area associate general counsel of a large U.S. company—a business that has over 1 million customers. This specific in-house counsel hires and oversees the majority of firms that conduct litigation on the company’s behalf. 

When this in-house counsel started with her company several years ago, the business was using hundreds of outside firms. Now, they work with 10 go to firms as outside counsel (this does not include local counsel). 

Since this in-house counsel had a lot of extremely helpful things to discuss with Clark about her relationship with outside firms, she agreed to give her and her company anonymity for this interview.

Are you interested in learning more about advice from a high-power in-house counsel who hires law firms? Read more in this law.com article.

Humor helps build trust with personal relationships and can help influence attitudes at work. In fact Harvard Business Review recently published an article, Sarcasm, Self-Deprecation, and Inside Jokes: A User’s Guide to Humor at Work which weighs in on when and how to use humor. 

There are rules to follow and avoid when to interject humor and the risks associated by doing so. Humor goes a long way with personal relationships, but not many consider humor to be a powerful tool at the job or during an interview. 

No one likes to be the nay sayer or a gloom and doom prognosticator. Lifting up the room does more than just putting everyone in a good mood. Humor can bring the energy level up and improve the workplace culture building interpersonal trust and influence critical behaviors and attitudes. 

CONTEXT MATTERS 
Inappropriate remarks no matter how funny can be perceived as offensive and harm your professional standing at work. Unintended consequences include being thought of a thoughtless and incompetent may cost you your job. 

It takes skill to know what Is appropriate and where and when to tactically use humor. Being clever and humorous makes people view you as more competent and intelligent. During a job interview it can help you become memorable, leaving a positive impression as a winner and someone who will fit in at the firm. 

Follow these job-interview do’s and don’ts when using humor: 

1. Stay away from jokes and being sarcastic. If it doesn’t come from you then it’s going to come off as clumsy, scripted and phony. Rule of thumb, no jokes. 

2. Reflect on something genuinely funny or fun in your life. Sharing a real-life experience that makes us smile and feel good helps to lighten up the mood during the interview. If you are not funny, don’t try to force it. There are plenty of other ways to be impactful.  
Shari Davidson, President of On Balance Search Consultants — “Use a personal humorous story about yourself that is relevant to the conversation”.

3. Read your audience and follow the interviewer’s lead. Pay attention to cues and body language.

4. Make sure you are being positive. Focus on lifting up the conversation to spark enthusiasm, reduce tension or hostility, or to simply put people at ease. 

5. Tactically interject humor to make a point, illustrate an example, and create a lasting, positive perception of you as a competent attorney. Attempting to use it for anything else is a mistake. Be sensitive to topics of gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, age discrimination, and anything else that could potentially offend.

WHEN TO USE HUMOR 
“Show how you made light of a challenging situation by using humor to reduce the tension and turn the crisis into a success story. You can also demonstrate how you used humor to defuse a hostile situation and resolved the conflict,” said Shari Davidson. 

These five simple do’s and don’ts will help you appear like a more competent, emotionally intelligent, effective, and desirable candidate. 

#law #lawjobs #lawyerlife #attorney #legalrecuriter 

About On Balance Search Consultants
On Balance offers great insight and industry intelligence.  Shari Davidson, president of On Balance Search Consultants, advises law firms on how to take a firm to the next level and helps rising talent make the transition to the right law firm.

Contact us today.  Call 516.731.3400 or visit our website at https://www.onbalancesearch.com

Please note that the content of this blog does not constitute legal advice and is only intended for the educational purpose of the reader.  Please consult your legal counsel for specifics regarding your specific circumstances and the laws in your states pertaining to social media and any legal restrictions regarding the law.

As numerous young lawyers will come to understand, one great part of being a lawyer—and the key to becoming a successful one—is securing favorable results for your clients. These favorable outcomes often come in the form of settlements. Because of that reason, negotiating is a skill that any attorney will need to develop so they can enjoy what they do and be successful at doing it. 

However, for a young lawyer, settling cases with long-tenured members of the bar can seem like an intimidating endeavor. But, there are various tips that can be provided to fellow junior members of the bar that can help ease concerns and lead to successful resolutions of cases. 

Tips include knowing the file, understanding what makes a good case, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of a case and more. 

Are you interested in learning more about five tips for success when negotiating settlements with more seasoned attorneys? Read more in this law.com article.

When 3D printer company Glowforge hired Megan Lutes as general counsel last summer, she was not expecting to take on additional roles outside the legal department. However, a few months into her new position, the Seattle-based startup’s chief human resources officer left and, all of a sudden, the chief executive officer was asking Lutes if she wanted to serve as chief GC and HR. 

“I was feeling like, ‘Gosh, I’m not even done building my legal team. I don’t have our processes in place. That’s a lot to do to take on another organization. Does that make sense?’” she remembers. 

Lutes, a former employment lawyer, also questioned whether serving as both GC and HR chief would possibly cause sticky attorney–client privilege issues. 

“In-house already has a gray line, because you’re often giving business advice and not legal advice,” Lutes says. “And is that going to be compounded when you’re also the head of a business org that’s not part of legal?”

Are you interested in learning more about the rise of the dual-role GC? Read more in this law.com article.

Recently, the number of Big Law partners landing at virtual law firms has been increasing, a sign that these firms continue to resonate as an appealing move for lawyers. 

Potomac Law Group has acquired eight new firm partners in the last six weeks, including names from Mayer Brown, Jenner & Brown and Reed Smith, while FisherBroyles announced new partner hires from Trouthman Pepper Hamilton Sanders and Stinson in mid February. 

While Potomac, a firm that is now up to 120 attorneys in 20 different states, has previously had success hiring counsel-level attorneys from AM Law 100 law firms, it’s now gaining more traction among partners, according to managing partner Benjamin Lieber.

“You have a lot of lawyers at big, traditional firms who are unhappy. They would like a move to something like a virtual firm, but they were previously apprehensive about it. They always had the marble and mahogany and people all around them taking care of them,” he said. “COVID thrust them into an environment where they can work from home. People said, ‘I can do this. It’s great.’”

Are you interested in learning more about how more Big Law partners are heading to virtual firms? Read more in this law.com article.

I say YES!

A common misconception is that once the interview is over, all you can do is wait for the phone to ring. Wrong. Sitting back and doing nothing may diminish your chances of securing the position.

“As a legal recruiter, one of the most common mistakes candidates make is not following up after an interview” – Shari Davidson, President On Balance Search Consultants.

A thank you note rarely gets you the job, but it can be the difference in kick-starting the process of landing that career opportunity.

Why Write a Thank You Note

1. 1. It shows that you can follow up on matters.
2. 2. Your professionalism.
3. 3. Can you write a short note and get to the point? A thank-you note is like a second writing sample.
4. 4. Your enthusiasm for getting the position or even business (for future business development)
5. 5. A thank you note reflects who you are. Are you grateful, humble, conscientious, etc.?

Do’s and Don’ts of Thank You Notes
Be proactive. Learn these simple strategies to ensure you are top of mind with the decision-makers at the firm.

1. 1. PROOFREAD!!!!! Before you press send, MAKE sure it is perfect. Make sure there are no typos. Spelling or grammar errors of any sort, including the name of the partner, law firm, or inverting letters (i.e., receive vs. recieve), will reflect on your writing skills and carelessness.
   -Please DO NOT send a note stating: I am sorry I had a typo in the thank you, I previous sent. This will not help your cause.
2. 2. FORMAT- send yourself the thank you note and view it on your mobile device. The thank-you note should be easy to read and have no more than one swap on your phone.  Be brief to the point.
3. 3. DO NOT- rewrite your resume. You have already met with the law firms’ team. They know who and what you can do.
4. 4. DO NOT – send group thank you notes. Send separate emails to everyone that was in the interview. Personalize each note. 
5. 5. DO highlight a point that was discussed in the interview.
6. 6. Know your Audience. What are they looking for? What are their interests? Most practice leaders and managers use their mobile devices to read emails.
   -According to Google, “Email open rates from mobile devices have grown by more than 100% since 2011, and the percentage of open rates from mobile continues to grow each year! Today, 81% of all emails are now opened and read on mobile devices.”
7. 7. ERR on the safe side. If you don’t know how to address the email. Use Ms. Or Mr.
8. 8. BE conscientious of cultural bias.
9. 9. WHEN to write the thank you note. 
   -“I started recruiting in the 1990s. My team coached our candidates to get nice stationery and write handwritten personal notes. Mail it ASAP. It may have taken 2-3 days, and sometimes a week, to receive the mail. In today’s digital age, life happens quickly. We don’t have the luxury of time. I suggest getting thank you notes out quickly for all the reasons in this article.”
10. 10. ND the thank note – by moving the process forward. I.e., I look forward to meeting the rest of the team.

A thank you note may not get you the career job of your dreams. BUT taking the time to write the note will  level the playing field.

#law #lawjobs #lawyerlife #attorney #legalrecuriter

About On Balance Search Consultants
On Balance offers great insight and industry intelligence.  Shari Davidson, president of On Balance Search Consultants, advises law firms on how to take a firm to the next level and helps rising talent make the transition to the right law firm.
Contact us today.  Call 516.731.3400 or visit our website at https://www.onbalancesearch.com
Please note that the content of this blog does not constitute legal advice and is only intended for the educational purpose of the reader.  Please consult your legal counsel for specifics regarding your specific circumstances and the laws in your states pertaining to social media and any legal restrictions regarding the law.

Recently, Deny-Jean Silny earned the role of Head of Legal M&A within Bayer AG’s (Bayer) in their legal department. Silny is no stranger when it comes to complex deal-making at the German pharmaceutical and life sciences giant. He first joined Bayer’s legal department in July 2016 and has since helped the company navigate its deal-making both big AND SMALL. 

Over the last year or so, we had the privilege of working with him and his predecessor, Christian Bank, on Bayer’s up to $4 billion acquisition of U.S.-based Asklepios BioPharmaceutical, Inc. (AskBio) and it’s up to $2 billion acquisition of U.S.-based Vividion Therapeutics, Inc. (Vividion). Following a whirlwind year, ALM asked Silny to reflect on his career and transition to a new position, key takeaways from the businesses’ recent deals and on larger trends he is seeing in pharma M&A. 

Are you interested in learning more about fostering innovation through growth through the lens of Bayer’s in-house counsel? Be sure to check out this law.com article.