Adriana Paris, author of “The Chill Lawyer,” is a legal recruiter at Rissman in Florida but had practiced law for ten years prior to switching careers to work in professional development. Paris notes that while the legal profession is “plagued” with lawyers who are stressed and feeling stuck, there are ways for an attorney to ensure that they can create a career in law that they love. 

“What is a curated career?” writes Paris. “It’s one that involves deep reflection, intentional thought, and a vastly different set of questions than we currently ask ourselves in law school about how to choose a job. It is not a happy accident or a lucky break — it’s the result of deliberate actions and choices that align with one’s personal values.”

Paris writes that the first step to curating one’s career in the legal industry begins with figuring out a “likes/dislikes/tolerates” list. An attorney should track which tasks at work they enjoy, which tasks they detest, and which tasks they are fine with performing occasionally. Instead of an attorney believing there are certain tasks they “should” enjoy, they should focus on whether they genuinely enjoy doing those tasks in their career. The list will help an attorney create their “ideal job description.”

The second step involves figuring out one’s strengths and “not-so-strengths” at work. If you are an average writer, but excel at negotiating case settlements, Paris would recommend working on your negotiation skills to become a standout at your firm. 

Are you interested in learning more about how to map out your career?  Read more in this law.com article.

Steve Fretzin, host of the “Be That Lawyer” podcast and author of four books on legal business development, and Wayne Pollock, founder of Copo Strategies, and the Law Firm Editorial Service, offer advice to associates and partners on how to become a rainmaker in private practice by paying attention to the business development side of the legal industry.

Pollack and Fretzin write that rainmakers “understand that business development and thought leadership complement each other” and by consistently investing time in both business development and thought leadership. The duo put together a list of the main things rainmakers need to focus on to grow their law firms.

Rainmakers Master Relationship Building

Rainmakers don’t merely prioritize relationship building, they pursue opportunities in the right places with the right people. While defense attorneys could join any networking group, most attorneys need to join networking associations specifically for their industries. 

Rainmakers Also Master Positioning Themselves as Authorities

Rainmakers understand that thought leadership is the yin to business development’s yang. They should invest their non-billable time in developing thought leadership materials like articles, blog posts, videos, podcasts, and webinars.

An Invitation to Scale the Mountain

In today’s competitive marketplace, attorneys are required to combine the rapport-building, on-the-ground, one-to-one endeavor that is business development with the authority-demonstrating, high-level, one-to-many endeavor that is thought leadership.

Are you interested in learning more tips about becoming a rainmaker at your law firm?  Read more in this law.com article.

Stacy Bratcher and M.C. Sungaila recently shared the top insights from their podcasts on succeeding in a career as an in-house attorney. Bratcher, general counsel of Cottage Health, hosts The Legal Department podcast and Sungaila, partner at Complex Appellate Litigation Group, hosts The Portia Project. Their top ten tips include:

Seek out Opportunities to “Be with the Business.” Most departments in a company have staff meetings or other recurring meetings where they discuss priorities, strategies, and pain points. Ask to join these meetings.  

Come with a “Curiosity First” Mindset. Issue spotting is fundamental for lawyers.  When we identify an issue or risk that the business can proactively address, we are at our best.  But too often we lead by identifying all of the flaws, warts or problems with someone’s idea.  Practice an open, “curiosity first” mindset. 

Make it a Priority to Develop Your Team. Former in-house counsel, now executive coach Sheila Murphy described on The Portia Project® podcast how the ability to manage talent and develop your team’s abilities is critical to being promoted in-house. She explained: “Depending on the year, twenty percent to forty percent of my bonus could depend on the talent I developed.” 

Seek Out Stretch Projects. On the Portia Project® podcast, Ann Kappler, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Chief Compliance Officer of Prudential Financial, noted that broadening “your experience is very important,” as is understanding the business, and developing leadership skills. Good leaders may be outside the legal department; seek them out and learn from them. 

Are you interested in learning more tips about working in an in-house legal department?  Read more in this law.com article.

Shannon Duffy Lombardo drives strategy for business development initiatives firmwide at Saul Ewing. As director of business development, she strives for growth in lateral attorney integration, attorney training, and other initiatives, and find that thought leadership helps effectively showcase a firm’s capabilities to a curated audience.

Lombardo advises that bylined articles, tip sheets, blog entries, and speaking engagements provide mentorship opportunities for younger attorneys and seasoned attorneys to collaborate at the firm. Often, Lombardo finds that attorneys struggle to find the time to develop writing or speaking opportunities or figure out where to start.

“Direct invitations to meaningfully contribute thought leadership to and in forums ripe for business development don’t typically find their way to attorney inboxes on a regular cadence,” Lombardo writes. One of the methods she mentions includes consultants GrowthPlay’s “Dream Out Loud” mentality, which encourages people to share “hopes and dreams and goals” with their network. If someone wants to become a thought leader in their industry, they could talk to colleagues, business managers or law school alumni about possible opportunities. 

In that same line of thought, Lombardo also advocates that attorneys “practice proactivity” and pursue quick meetings with professionals instead of a formal call for proposals. The worst that could happen is that you make a new contact that may help with building your brand down the line.

Are you interested in learning more about thought leadership?  Read more in this law.com article.

Chantelle McHugh, an associate at Pardo Jackson Gainsburg & Shelowitz in Miami, knows that few people are lucky enough to start their careers in their dream positions. Getting promoted to the next level in the legal industry usually involves switching law firms or working in different areas of law. 

“While changing firms and practice areas may seem daunting, it is also an incredible opportunity,” McHugh writes. “Switching employers can serve as a natural checkpoint to reassess your strengths and interests, allowing you to identify firms and opportunities that align with your goals. It is no secret that being an attorney is not a 9-to-5 job, so finding the next career move involves more than just securing a position at a firm.”

McHugh advises attorneys to evaluate what they’re looking for in daily life and whether the new position and workplace aligns with what they want.  This could depend on the current stage of their career – a recent law graduate might prioritize finding a firm that would help them develop broad foundational skills and finding a mentor. The more seasoned attorney might seek more trial experience and look for a job as a prosecutor or public defender. 

Whichever stage of life the attorney is currently navigating, it’s important to consider all these factors of what type of legal experience the attorney is hoping to gain, while also considering income, schedule flexibility, the billable hours requirement, and firm culture and diversity.

Are you interested in learning more career advice from a young attorney?  Read more in this law.com article.

Tracy LaLonde witnessed firsthand the transformation of what it meant to “go above and beyond” in the post-pandemic world. Instead of putting in the most hours or staying late nights at the office, those who innovate and bring about change are regarded as excellent employees.

LaLonde, who has more than 30 years of training, consulting, and professional development experience, writes that billing the most hours and taking on more tasks than one can handle used to earn the most respect. But now it’s about working smarter instead of longer hours. 

“It’s about proactivity, not just productivity,” LaLonde writes. “Our post-pandemic reality has underscored the importance of being adaptable, thinking ahead, and being ready to pivot at a moment’s notice, all while maintaining the high quality of work our clients expect.”

Firms are now looking for team members who are eager learners and quick adapters. Working remotely has helped bring about this shift, as it requires teams to work independently. LaLonde writes of “Ten Actions That Define New Standards of Excellence” in her column, with the first being proactive team members that can anticipate needs and act without prompting. 

Are you interested in learning more about how to go “above and beyond” in the post-pandemic legal industry?  Read more in this law.com article.

The total number of new hires of summer associates in New Jersey stayed strong this year, with 100 summer associates hired across firms surveyed. The average number of summer associates hired per firm was about 4, which has stayed consistent in the last two years.

New firms surveyed this year include: Barnes & Thornburg; Laddey Clark & Ryan; Lindabury, McCormick, Estabrook & Cooper; and Trenk Isabel Siddiqi & Shahdanian. Very little change occurred with firms surveyed in previous years, with Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi and Connell Foley bringing on three fewer hires than 2023. The majority of firms either hired the same number of summer associates or more associates than previous years. Firms such as Fox Rothschild; Lerner, David, Littenberg, Krumholz & Mentlik and Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer increased their number of hires from previous years. 

Lowenstein Sandler hired the largest number of summer associates, with 15 students. The results show that the hiring of summer associates is a priority in the state. The firm with the second-highest number of summer associate hires is McCarter & English with 11 new summer associates. The firm doubled the number of summer associates hired in 2023. 

Christine Lydon said the increase in class size is affected by projected client demand and the needs of the firm’s practice groups. “Looking at the near future, both of those metrics are trending up, so we are pleased to increase the size of our 2025 summer class,” said Lydon, chief human resources officer at McCarter & English. “So many of our current partners started their career as a McCarter summer associate.”

Are you interested in learning more about how summer associate programs can help your law career?  Read more in this law.com article.

April Petrosino, an attorney at Stinson, found herself struggling at her first job after law school. Beyond just first-job jitters, the pervasive psychological phenomenon known as imposter syndrome where someone doubts their skills, abilities and accomplishments can be extremely common amongst young attorneys. Petrosino herself experienced imposter syndrome as a new attorney at her first job in the post-pandemic world and doubted whether she was cut out for a career in the legal profession.

“The world was just starting to return from the pandemic lockdown, and my social skills were rusty after months of Zoom law school,” Petrosino writes. “I began to experience self-doubt and would chide myself whenever I needed to ask a question. I frequently worried I was bugging the partners too often—and, on the worst days, I feared that I wasn’t cut out to be a lawyer.” 

Petrosino cites a 2018 survey where 74 percent of attorneys aged 18-24 in the United Kingdom reported experiencing imposter syndrome. Luckily for her, she found mentors at her workplace who were willing to walk her through the unique situations an attorney faces at work, especially situations that weren’t covered in law school textbooks. Experienced and senior attorneys can impart legal knowledge and insights about client interactions, case strategy and ethics. Petrosino credits her mentors with helping her to recognize her “self-doubt for what it was: imposter syndrome” and believes that having a mentor “who can empathize and assist with their own experience is vital” for new attorneys.

Are you interested in learning more about how mentoring can help young lawyers?  Read more in this law.com article.

David H. Freeman is a consultant and author drawing from his experience in the legal industry to help lawyers become “great rainmakers.”  A former attorney, Freeman created an accountability and development training program called Lawyer BookBuilder. One current tool used to aid learning and development is music, and Freeman details how this can help a lawyer in progress in their career. 

The Power of Music in Memory and Learning

Using music as a tool to aid in memory – Freeman points out that mot people can recite songs from childhood from memory since “beat, lyrics, hook, repetition—they all burn deeply into the mind.”

Music and Business Development

As Freeman created his development program, he enlisted the use of music to create an eleven-song musical that follows a protagonist on their path toward becoming a rainmaker. Freeman admits he isn’t a musician, but he used artificial intelligence and other music programs to help turn the idea into reality via prompts for lyrics. 

The Rainmaker’s Journey

Using catchy lyrics and melodies, the songs reveal advice and truths about becoming business developers. A sample song is called “Brand New Me,” and teaches about personal branding with lyrics such as “I am my brand, and my brand is me.” Another song, called “Habits of Success” relates to the importance of good systems in place for business development. All the songs are available on various music platforms. 

Are you interested in learning more about how music can help your law career?  Read more in this law.com article.

Michael Maslanka, an associate professor of law at the University of North Texas at Dallas, gives a few pointers on how to give a great closing argument, and certain pitfalls for attorneys to avoid. 

Suggestion No. 1: Skip the Throat Clearing

Maslanka suggests to skip any unnecessary “throat clearing” which also includes “excessive gratitude and personal stories” that waste the jury’s time. 

Suggestion No. 2: Remind, Never Lecture

Jurors do not want to be told or instructed to “find for your client” no matter what develops in court. Thunderous declarations in your closing argument may turn off a juror. Instead, Maslanka writes to remind jurors of the science and facts of the case, and to remind them that they have a choice to make. 

Suggestion No. 3: The Trifecta—Voice/Pacing/Hands

Maslanka reminds attorneys to underscore points with variations in levels of voice during the closing argument. Any points that can be accentuated using critical pauses, pacing, etc., during delivery of the speech can be practiced. An attorney should not be stuck in one tone of delivery during the closing argument.

Maslanka’s new book titled “A Short and Happy Guide to Professional Responsibility” will be published later this summer by West Academic.

Are you interested in more advice from Professor Maslanka?  Read more in this law.com article.