Job Seekers

Jill Backer, associate dean for professional development and alumni affairs at Ave Maria School of Law in Naples, recognizes that cover letters work as a necessary evil. Backer believes that most lawyers have the wrong approach to cover letters.

Gartner’s recent study found that in-house generalist roles are being replaced by the rise of automation, specialized applications and more non-lawyer employees, leading to more in-house counsel looking into specialization as a means to job security.

Linda Sugin, a professor at Fordham Law School, writes that she believes the mental health crisis for legal professionals begins in law school. Citing a recent survey, she writes that half of students reported feeling depressed, and three-fourths reported feeling anxious. Female and nonbinary students, and students of color, reported higher numbers of depression and anxiety. 

Kayla Mosquera of Ball Janik writes about changes brought about by the pandemic – the Great Resignation and the Great Return. Lawyers are leaving their jobs in the Great Resignation, and lawyers are also returning to in-office work in the Great Return. 

A career is a journey with no set destination. It’s the persistent effort to do better and be better. None of us will ever be perfect, so the effort will never end. 

Motion days have changed in previous years, with most motions taking place over the phone or via video conference. 

If you feel like your salary increase this year did not outpace inflation, you’re not alone. Many inside counsel feel as though they are underpaid in 2023.  Whether they actually are underpaid depends on their role.

Daniel Pierson of Pond Lehocky Giordano remembers his first deposition as a new attorney, the first time a lawyer presents a witness in court. In the post-pandemic world, depositions have increasingly been remote depositions, but key principles still apply to a successful deposition.

Gary Stine, mentor and career coach, discusses how the mind is designed to work – how we’re at odds with our understanding of it – and how we can move beyond perceived personal limitations.

The last three years changed how law firm leaders view associate development and mentorship. With the pandemic shifting many positions previously in the office to remote work, associate development and interpersonal relationships were affected at law firms. Whether the effect on mentorship has affected the level of expertise within law firms remains to be seen.