Tag Archives: law firm

Career Advice with Sasha Kalb, VP Compliance & Risk, American Express Global Business Travel

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  • In our second instalment of our interview series with successful lawyers in the field, we’re excited to bring  you Sasha Kalb, sharing her insights and tips on how she established and maintains a growing and successful career.

Career Stats
Name: Sasha Kalb
Current role: VP Compliance & Risk, American Express Global Business Travel
Law School: Brooklyn Law School
First job: Attorney Advisor, US Customs and Border Protection
Years of experience: 11 1/2

 

  • Tell us about your career path and how you got to be where you are today?

When I finished law school, I knew I wanted to work in the area of International Law, but didn’t quite know what that meant. I was given some good advice by a fellow graduate from my law school who worked at Customs and Border Protection (CBP). He suggested that it was a good place to start because I could get some real, practical experience in my first year out of law school. And he was right – it was a great place to start. I started to understand what it meant to build an internal customs/international trade program. From there, I broadened my role into general corporate compliance.

  • What’s the biggest challenge in your current role, and how are you handling it?

Managing time zones. I live in Hong Kong and cover all of Asia-Pacific.  Given all of the varying time zones in the region, this means that my clients start work at 5-6am and finish work at 10:30 my time.  In addition, many of my team members are based in Europe and the U.S., which makes the days even longer.

  • What’s the best piece of career advice you were given? What’s the worst?

I was offered a wonderful career opportunity when I was five months pregnant with my first child. I was scared about taking the opportunity and considering turning it down.  But someone I trust very much told me to take the job because great opportunities don’t come along very often.  I did and it worked out really well.

  • How is technology impacting your role?

To some degree, it is making my role easier. Recently, I was able to avoid a long-haul journey away from my family by scheduling a video conference in lieu of an in-person meeting.  On the other hand, technology means that we are always connected…and available to work.

  • How are you balancing work and your personal life?

I have a family and a job that requires very long hours. So managing work and my personal life is a constant balancing act.  I don’t think I will ever get the balance quite right, but I will keep working on it.

 

 

See our law firm openings and start your job search with Lawjobs.com today.

 

Lawjobs.com Career Advice_In House to Law Firm

Swimming Upstream: From In-House To Law Firm

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I love variety. It’s what makes daily life as a recruiter interesting. In my earlier blog, I discussed the traditional journey of going from a private law firm to an in-house position. In this column, we explore the opposite track–going from an in-house position to a private law firm. While it doesn’t happen often, it occurs enough that the topic warrants exploration for those in-house lawyers considering the move.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with a corporate attorney (let’s call him “Al”) at Big Law. Al joined their Miami office from an in-house position. In my recruiting world, anyone who fled a law firm for an in-house job NEVER went back to private practice. Once free of the billable/business shackles, they effortlessly rode the downstream current, basking in the ability to do their job without accounting for increments of their time or building a client base. They loved coming to work, doing their job(s) and going home. That said, let’s take a closer look at Al’s career path.

To put things in perspective, at the time he graduated from law school, only two years after  2008 (a watershed for hiring), the market offered Al very limited law firm opportunities. By chance, a recruiter placed Al in an hourly position at the Boston office of a major brokerage house where he was responsible for reviewing and analyzing contracts. Al remained “on the job” for a number of years and rose through the ranks. In 2014, he came home to Miami–while still working with the same company in their South Florida office. He was grateful to have a job–but at the same time–there was a gnawing feeling that he wasn’t achieving his larger career goals as a corporate attorney.

Over time, his responsibilities increased, and he focused almost all of his efforts on credit swap exchanges, a very narrow subset of corporate law. To Al’s credit, he survived rounds of company layoffs after he moved to Miami. In 2015, he joined his current firm after starting there on a temporary basis. He offered six reasons why he switched to private practice:

  • 1. He was pigeonholed in his in-house role and concerned about such granular specialization (i.e.: credit swaps).
  • 2. He wanted exposure to a wide variety of legal matters including M&A and general corporate transactions.
  • 3. His company simply didn’t have the platform to expand his legal experience beyond what he was doing.
  • 4. He knew staying would decrease his overall long-term employability.
  • 5. He took a risk by leaving his full-time in-house job to obtain his current job on a temporary contract basis. Due to his hard work, he developed it into a full-time associate position.
  • 6. He felt it was his responsibility to “manage his own trajectory” in his career and that he had to be proactive in his efforts. No one was going to do the “heavy lifting” for him.

 

He also shared six key questions an in-house lawyer should honestly ask themselves before making a change to private practice:

  • 1. “How much am I learning at my job?”
  • 2. “How much realistic opportunity is there for me to progress at my job?”
  • 3. “How often will I be doing the same work over and over again?”
  • 4. “Am I building a solid foundation for my career?”
  • 5. “How stable is my company?” (Remember: Al was lucky to survive rounds of layoffs)
  • 6. “Do I want to have more control over my destiny by building a practice and having a wide range of experience?”

As we concluded our call, Al reminded me that, for him, making the move to a law firm gave him a sense of accomplishment. He had always wanted to start his career at a firm, but the market forces weren’t as accommodating. He took a longer route to accomplish his goal, but he maintained a positive attitude the whole time.

Al is acutely aware that sometimes work comes before life and sometimes life comes before work. No matter what, he said, for an attorney who is relatively new in their career, they “may have to give now to get later”. He encouraged anyone thinking about making a similar leap not to lose hope and to keep their focus on the end game: doing what they love and making achieving that a priority. For him, the journey to private practice took longer than he anticipated, but in the end, it was absolutely worth it.

I trust this article, and Al’s advice, will be helpful. So if you are going to swim upstream, we both wish you the best of luck!

Looking for law firm associate positions? Start your job search with Lawjobs.com today.

AUTHOR:

Joseph E. Ankus, Esq.

President/Founder

954.862.1738

Ankus Consulting, Inc.

[email protected]

www.ankusconsulting.com

James Goodnow, Fennemore Craig

Career Advice with James Goodnow, Managing Partner, Fennemore Craig

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In the first of our interview series with successful lawyers in the field, we’re delighted to bring you some great career advice from James Goodnow, one of the youngest lawyers to run a large American law firm.

Career Stats
Name: James Goodnow
Current role: Managing Partner, Fennemore Craig
Law School: Harvard Law School
First job: Summer File Clerk, Fennemore Craig
Years of experience: 18 in law; 12 as an attorney

  • Tell us about your career path and how you got to be where you are today?

Law runs in the family.  My dad was a lawyer, first for the government, and then later as an in-house attorney.  I knew from a young age I wanted to follow in his footsteps, even if I didn’t fully have an understanding of what being a lawyer meant.  I got my first job in the legal world as a summer file clerk at Fennemore Craig.  I returned to Fennemore during law school as a summer associate, got hired full time after graduation, made partner, joined the management committee, and now serve as the committee’s chair.  I’ve been privileged to make this firm my home for my entire career, and have held positions at every level.  That’s allowed me to see the firm from the inside out and understand it in unique ways.

  • What’s the biggest challenge in your current role, and how are you handling it?

We’re facing many of the same challenges that are plaguing the legal industry as a whole.  The market for private legal services is contracting generally, as bigger players are moving more and more work in-house.  The clients that remain are pushing for lower rates and commoditized practices, which at a certain point aren’t sustainable.  Non-traditional legal service companies are stepping in and taking up market share. We’re working to stay ahead of these challenges by encouraging innovation, rethinking the law firm model, keeping overhead low, and providing reminders to our clients that the quality of legal service they get from a firm like Fennemore isn’t something that you can go out and replace tomorrow with an off-brand copycat.

  • What qualities do you think make you successful in your role?

More than anything, I think it’s how much I enjoy interacting with people.  The modern legal practice is hugely centered around interpersonal communication.  I feel joy when I get to know my fellow attorneys and legal professionals, learn about their interests, get to know their families.  Those kinds of connections help me do my job better.  I understand the needs of the firm’s people better, and I hope it also helps them trust me when I come up with proposals for the firm.

I’ve also benefited from being an unapologetic tech nerd.  My practice sits at the intersection of law, business, and technology.  We use tech to connect with clients, prepare cutting-edge video demand packages, track and analyze our numbers, and position ourselves online.  Being an “elder Millennial” puts me in a sweet spot to be young enough to embrace technology, while still being able to work with people of different generations – including those who aren’t ultra-tech savvy.

  • What’s the best piece of career advice you were given? What’s the worst?

Best: “There’s no substitute for hard work.”  Simple, but true.

Worst: “Friends are friends, business is business.”  I’ve never liked this one.  I’ve typically heard people use this when they’re trying to justify hurting someone they care about.  It strikes me that you don’t say this unless you know you’re doing wrong by somebody important to you. On a more practical note, for supposedly being pro-business, this advice can be a bad business move. Business is about relationships, and once you’re known as someone who can hurt those you’re close to, every relationship you have is going to suffer.  I’m friends with the attorneys in our firm, and I aim to treat them with respect.  Sometimes, tough decisions have to be made.  That doesn’t mean you can’t make those calls compassionately, and in a way that allows everyone involved to maintain their dignity.

  • What do you know now that you wish you knew when you were starting out your legal career?

Whatever stress you’re dealing with today probably isn’t going to matter in five years.  There’s always another emergency around the corner, another fire you’re going to have to put out, so save your energy and don’t stress yourself out over every little snag you hit.  Take the long view, stay calm, and keep things in perspective.  Whatever you’re facing, you will handle it.   Billions of people on this planet are having a worse day than you are.  Take a breath, keep moving, work hard, and everything will be better soon.

  • Where do you go now for career or work advice?

I’ve been blessed to have had more mentors over the years than I can name in this space. I’m grateful for all of them.  Recently, I’ve really come to rely on the two former managing partners at our firm that are still practicing.  I meet with them regularly for insight and guidance as I transition into the new role.  More than anything, though, my close friend and firm partner Marc Lamber has been an invaluable mentor to me through my entire career.  I wouldn’t be the lawyer I am today without his advice, and I’ll continue to sit under his learning tree as long as he’ll have me.

  • How is technology impacting your role / organization / industry?

Every way possible.  Law is now a 24/7, global business.  Clients expect constant communication, and cloud-based document storage means that being out of the office is no longer the impediment to working that it used to be – for better and for worse.  Tech-based competitors like LegalZoom are eating up market share, keeping traditional law firms on our toes.  Tech-enabled virtual law firms like FisherBroyles are also challenging the traditional model.  Insurance companies and major corporate players are using Big Data analysis techniques to quantify and commoditize the practice of law.  My own firm is experimenting with AI-based legal research.  Law is heading for a massive tech disruption, and we aim to be on the leading edge of those changes.

  • What causes are you personally invested in?

I care deeply about developing diverse representation within the firm.  Prior to becoming chair of the management committee, I chaired the firm’s Diversity and Retention Council, which was charged with bringing in and keeping diverse attorneys.  The legal industry as a whole has struggled to bring in diverse attorneys, and more importantly to keep them on track to partnership.  The entire industry loses far too many diverse attorneys as they climb the associate ladder.  Encouraging diversity isn’t about touchy-feely, political correctness; it’s about developing a major competitive advantage.  The research is clear that diverse teams are stronger, smarter, more efficient teams.  The legal industry can’t afford to continue letting strong, bright attorneys fall through the cracks.

  • How are you balancing work and your personal life?

This is the single biggest challenge I face.  I’m blessed to be married to my high school sweetheart, who’s a businesswoman in her own right as the CEO of the college admissions consulting firm Going Ivy, and together we have two beautiful kids.  I’d gladly spend every minute I had with them, but my practice entails long hours, short deadlines, and a lot of travel.  And that was before I became chair of the firm’s management committee.  These days I take my kids to school every morning and do my best to be home by 7 pm to tuck them in and give them a goodnight kiss.  I catch up with my wife after the kids’ bedtime, and then usually have to hit the computer again to catch up on emails before bed.  I work hard to keep as much of the weekends free as possible and to carve out the odd lunch date or school trip wherever I can.  It’s not easy, and it’s something I’ve long been working on being better at.

  • Beyond work, what are you most passionate about?

Working out is a big part of maintaining my wellbeing, both for physical fitness and mental.  Given how little time I have for family already, workouts are even harder to fit in, but I try to find the time.  Workouts function as “me time,” which everyone needs at some point.   I grew up a competitive cyclist, and I lament the fact that my bike mostly collects dust.  These days, I typically get up early, around 4:30 AM and work out in my house before the kids get up for breakfast.  I also recently splurged on a treadmill desk for my office, which is perfect for tapping out emails on an iPad or handling phone calls.

See our law firm openings and start your job search with Lawjobs.com today.

Law School News: Columbia Law Boasts Highest Hiring Rates

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The results are in from the Law.com Go-To Law Schools list for 2018, and Columbia Law School ranked #1 for the 5th year running based on their strong performance of 2017 JD graduates who took associate jobs at the nations’ largest 100 firms. An impressive 68% of their 432 2017 graduates ended up at NLJ 100 law firms.

There are many factors that go into selecting a law school, but this research gets right to the point of what many prospective students really want to know – how will their degree ultimately lead to a job in the legal field.

So how do they do it?  Here are just a few factors that work in Columbia’s favor:

Location, location, location – Columbia happens to be in one of the biggest legal markets in the U.S., so students are better located to attend recruiting events, network, and join summer associate programs in their own backyard.  This correlation can also be seen in the 2nd and 3rd ranked law schools, University of Chicago and NYU.

Alumni – the Columbia alumni network is active and very involved in the recruiting process.  Having these connections in leadership positions at the largest law firms helps even more – last year 27 Columbia Law School alumni were promoted to law firm partnerships according to the report.

Reputation – quoted in an article on Law.com, Columbia Law School dean Gillian Lester said ‘the firms’ hiring teams know that our students will arrive with superb legal and leadership skills, ready to take on the most challenging assignments’.

Columbia is not alone in their success this year.  Here’s who else ranked highest in the 2018 Go-To Law Schools Report, and how these compare to the U.S. News & World Report:

1. Columbia Law School (ranked 5 by U.S. News)

2. University of Chicago Law School (ranked 4 by U.S. News)

3. NYU School of Law (ranked 6 by U.S. News)

4.University of Virginia, School of Law (ranked 8 by U.S. News)

5. University of Pennsylvania, School of Law (ranked 7 by U.S. News)

6. Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law (ranked 10 by U.S. News)

7. Duke Law School (ranked 10 by U.S. News)

8. Harvard Law School (ranked 3 by U.S. News)

9. Cornell Law School (ranked 13 by U.S. News)

10. University of California, Berkeley School of Law (ranked 12 by U.S. News)

 

 

 

Inclusion Riders and The Mansfield Rule: Women and Diversity in Law

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On International Women’s Day it seems fitting that we highlight some of the efforts to increase diversity in the legal industry.

As #inclusionrider reverberated around the world this weekend following Frances McDormand’s Oscar speech, diversity advocates delighted. Started by the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, the contractual provisions of an inclusion rider are not new.  However, they offer new hope that with widespread adoption we could see tangible changes. For those in a position to use them, it provides a way to take action and make an impact.

Writing in Corporate Counsel this week, Sue Reisinger speculates that “it’s possible some highly recruited executive—a CEO or general counsel perhaps—could likewise try to insert diversity hiring goals into an employment contract.”. Once in a position of authority though, executives have the power to increase diversity at the company, and also demand that their vendors and providers show a commitment to diversity in their own organizations. That of course extends to outside counsel too, and the list of corporations who are insisting on diversity among their preferred providers is growing.

Law firms are responding to this call for action at all levels. Cue the Mansfield Rule, born out of the 2016 Women in Law Hackathon hosted by Diversity Lab. According to their website “the Mansfield Rule – the next generation of the Rooney Rule – certifies that law firms consider at least 30% women and minority lawyers for significant leadership roles”.

The rule is so named after Arabella Mansfield, the first woman admitted to the practice of law in the U.S. in 1869. This is an apt reminder of how far we’ve come, but there is much more work ahead. These are all positive signs that the conversations are turning to action.  We’ll continue to follow these trends with interest.

Join the conversation and check out some of the great work being done by the following groups:

Minority Corporate Counsel Association

Women, Influence & Power in Law

Colorado Pledge to Diversity

Diversity Lab

Annenberg Inclusion Initiative

 

 

 

Big Law Insights: The Latest Law Student Recruiting Trends

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Our colleagues at The American Lawyer report that entry-level recruitment efforts across law firms remain steady and robust .  Big Law recruiting volume and practices are now on par with pre-recession levels, according to the data collected by the National Association for Law Placement.

What has changed though is the size of summer program classes, with the average falling from 22 in 2016 to 20 in 2017.  The good news for those who get through is that 95% of participants in summer programs go onto to receive offers for an associate position.

Read more about the NALP survey in the article here and let us know how this compares with your experience!

From Law Firm To In-House Counsel: The Right Move?

From Law Firm To In-House: The Right Move?

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The following guest post is written by Joseph E. Ankus of Ankus Consulting, and does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Lawjobs.com and ALM Media.  To view the latest in-house roles on Lawjobs.com, click here.

Nothing in life or law is perfect. Setting aside how glaringly obvious this statement is, let it sink in for a moment. If you are reading this article, you may be thinking about leaving a private law firm to join an in-house legal team. This article presents, in a balanced way, the pros and cons associated with such a career change.  In sum, I urge you to “know before you go.”  There are more things to consider in undertaking such a move than you might imagine.

– Here’s the good news. Historically, most lawyers are happier in-house than in law firms. This is because there are NO BILLABLES. Although there are some trends suggesting companies may adopt timekeeping style metrics, I have always found that in-house lawyers work on projects that are not tracked in microscopic time increments. The lawyers repeatedly tell me this freedom is incredibly liberating.

– The ability to work without having to worry about “shifting gears” to a different client or taking an extra hour for research allows the attorney to fully immerse themselves in a particular matter without fear of overbilling a client or “being ground to death” minute-by-minute.

– Here’s more good news. Many companies, whether private or public, offer stock or options that, over time, can be worth exponentially more than traditional base compensation or bonuses. Law firms simply cannot offer these incentives due to their intrinsic organizational structure. I have known a considerable number of attorneys who have earned life-changing retirement size packages from stock options. This must be considered in the calculus to go in-house.

But consider the risks.

Once you make the move, it’s almost always an irrevocable one-way street. There are exceptions, but rarely, if ever, have I seen an in-house attorney voluntarily choose to go back to private law practice. There are two primary reasons for this:

  1. 1. They don’t want to EVER bill hours again
  2. 2. They don’t have any portable clients they can bring with them to a firm. As a general observation, most lawyers with more than 8-10 years of experience need to have portable business to move up in the law firm hierarchy. If they don’t, it is difficult, if not impossible, to “get back in” and “get back on” the elusive partnership track. There are exceptions but I wouldn’t count on them unless you are a top tier candidate in fast moving and sophisticated legal market.

With this cautionary tale in mind, here’s why a Law Firm career may still be the one for you.

  •  – Law firms tend to offer more job security. Corporations are notorious for their less than humane downsizing practices. Many times, especially in larger companies, decisions of “who lives and who dies” are made thousands of miles from where the lawyer may be physically working. Law firms are no stranger to layoffs, however, companies collectively earn first prize for frequently slashing hundreds of positions with the stroke of a pen. Combine this with ruthless internal corporate politics plus a multitude of corporate mergers and takeovers and you have the recipe for a professional environment that can be unstable. Overall, law firms are no stranger to parting ways BUT my experience reflects a bit more humanity.

 

  •  – More Law Firm Roles Available. Generally speaking, there are considerably more law firm roles available than in house opportunities. Because of this, there is a relative amount of “job (in)security” that exists based on pure numbers. That said, the golden rule remains- have a large client following- and be open to non-partnership track roles (ie: senior counsel, “of counsel”, and senior associate)

 

  •  – Clearer Career Path.  For better or worse, almost 100% of attorneys “know where they stand” in their law firm’s hierarchy. You are either a summer associate, an associate, a partner or “ of counsel”.  As discussed above, there are gradations in these categories but, overall, your law firm career path is more well defined than inside a corporation.

So having looked at some key pros and cons of in house life, I recommend doing the following before you make the leap:

  •  – Research the potential employer carefully. With the advent of the Internet, it is inexcusable that a candidate seeking a new position does not do full scale review of all relevant information that is publicly available. Obvious starting points are LinkedIn to see “who knows who” and “who worked where” and, a review of the company’s own website (and public securities filings) and a basic Google search to get a general lay of the land. The Internet is like a neon billboard full of information; you just have to drive by it and take a look.

 

  •  – Speak to attorneys who have worked at the company you are considering and speaking to those attorneys who are gone – there is no substitute for this. You must speak to both in order to get a fair and balanced view. Don’t be jaundiced by opinions offered by those who left and don’t fall in love with the lawyers who are there. Be objective. Ask tough, focused, critical questions about the organization, the environment and the job itself. You can’t let emotions guide the whole process. Remember- an interview is only a snapshot; working there daily is a video.

 

  •  – Strategize your exit plan pre-emptively from your current job, BEFORE you start your search. Most law firms are 100% supportive of your move to a company. Why? It’s simple. They hope to get your new employer as a client. Don’t be naïve about this. Manage expectations up front. If you believe you can have a cooperative working relationship between the two of you, that’s great; if not, discuss it with them too. At the same time, it wouldn’t hurt for you to have a frank discussion about returning to your firm (assuming you wanted to) in case in house life is not what you expected it to be.

 

In sum, and on balance, most lawyers who transition from a law firm to an in house position are collectively happier with their new lifestyle. At the same time, I trust that this article will give you a more well rounded perspective about the pros and cons associated with your future goals. Good luck!

 

AUTHOR:
Joseph E. Ankus, Esq.
President/Founder
954.862.1738
Ankus Consulting, Inc.
[email protected]
www.ankusconsulting.com

How to Optimize Law Firm Onboarding

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Hiring new employees is an expensive and time-consuming task, so it is important to make sure they start on the right foot. In the legal field, proper onboarding and training is vital to ensuring that fewer mistakes are made, and that your new hires will be valuable to you for years to come. Optimization of training and welcoming of new employees can go a very long way toward helping those employees get settled into their new roles.

Training Comes First in Onboarding Legal Talent

No matter how much legal experience or education someone has, every law firm they work for will have different procedures. The laws they work with will be the same, but there are nuances to be addressed. Consider specific training for:

– The procedures for handling files
– Requirements when working with clients
– The best way of providing information to paralegals
– How to optimize scheduling
– Any specifics related to safeguarding client information
– How technology is factored into the daily work
– Who to talk to if stress becomes a problem

If training is not optimized and the legal recruiting process is not taken seriously, it can be difficult for any attorney to get a foothold at a new firm and perform well.

Make Sure New Employees Feel Welcome

Another way to optimize the legal onboarding process is to ensure that a new law firm employee feels welcome, as that can help reduce stress levels. When people do not feel like they are allowed to become a part of their workplace, they can withdraw and avoid asking questions or learning new things. Onboarding is more than just giving a set of instructions, it is also about welcoming new employees to the firm’s culture.

Listen to What Your Employees Need

Ask your current employees for feedback on their onboarding experience. Listening to what they thought was done well, along with what they felt they had to learn on their own, can go a very long way toward the onboarding process. Collecting this information helps law firms realize:

  • Where they might be falling short when they onboard employees
  • What changes need to be made to the legal recruiting and onboarding processes
  • How they can improve their firm’s training

While not all attorneys will need as much onboarding help as others, it is very important to provide more, not less, for optimal value for the attorneys and the firm as a whole.

How to Stand Out as a First-Year Associate

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Most law school graduates become first-year associates, but few will rise through the ranks to become partners in established law firms. If this is your goal, you need to appreciate that your legal career begins the moment you accept a first-year associate position and your success requires a plan to stand out from the crowd.

Understand your role. Your job is to complete assigned tasks fully, effectively, and timely. Treat the partner or supervising attorney as if he or she is your client. Anticipate problems and suggest solutions. Become an asset and resource, not a problem.

Learn. No one expects you to know everything; part of your job is to learn how to truly practice law. Take notes regarding legal strategies and processes, and ask questions at a suitable time. This initiative will be noticed.

Say “no” when appropriate. As a first-year associate it is tempting to say yes to everything because you want to be viewed as someone who can get the job done. However, if your work quality is diminished because of your overburdened schedule, you will get a reputation as someone who can’t deliver. Stand out from the crowd by reviewing each work request, measuring it against your current workload, and accepting or passing accordingly.

Demonstrate personal integrity.  Take ownership in your projects by meeting deadlines and delivering what you promised. Take initiative and look for work during slow periods. Take responsibility for mistakes and correct them when possible. Show that you are trustworthy and responsible in all areas of your professional career.

Share credit. If another associate, paralegal, or assistant helped you complete a project that is recognized for its quality, be gracious. Even though you did the majority of the work, acknowledging that others contributed will show that you know how to lead a team to accomplish a task, which is a fundamental skill of a successful lawyer.

Understand the case. Most of your assignments will be discrete portions of a larger case. Take time to understand it so your work will seamlessly mesh with other documents and activities. Anticipate problems and present a plan to address them, which can lead to more work and a bigger role on the team. You will demonstrate your understanding of the integration of the aspects of the project and your willingness to support its goals.

Be resilient. You will have losses as well as wins; learn from them and move on. Dwelling on past mistakes will distract you from current efforts, so the sooner you let the mistake go, the sooner others will as well.

Embrace the partner’s goals. The law firm’s partners have a vision for the practice and have set priorities accordingly. Make those priorities your own and become a team player committed to the firm’s success.

Becoming a stand-out first-year associate is one of many challenges you will face as you define your legal career. The quality of your work, willingness to be a team player and understanding of the law firm’s goals are keys to rising above the rest.