Tag Archives: lawyer

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

 

 

 

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

What To Look For During Legal Recruiting Interviews

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The legal recruiting process is very important when trying to make a hiring decision. If you are looking for a new attorney for your firm, getting the right person matters. Sometimes, it can be difficult to tell whether you have located the right attorney, or whether that particular lawyer simply interviews well. Making that determination before a hiring decision can save you a lot of trouble at a later date, when the person you have selected simply does not work out the way you intended. By learning what to look for throughout the recruiting and hiring process, you will be better prepared to get the best attorney for your firm.

What Interviewers Should Ask

Any interviewer who is focused on the legal recruiting process should be looking for the very best attorney for the job. Interviewers should look for attorneys who have a good work ethic, proper schooling, and a collaborative attitude that will help them at the firm if they are selected for the position. So, what can interviewers ask? Consider questions such as:

– What was the most important thing you learned in law school?
– What made you choose the legal profession?
– Where do you see the future of law in this country?
– Why did you choose your practice area? (personal injury, divorce law, etc)?
– What makes you most effective as an attorney?

Good Lawyer, or Good Interviewee?

Some people interview very well, but that doesn’t mean they are good attorneys. Deciding whether a person is truly competent, or whether they simply know what to say when they are being interviewed, can be difficult for an interviewer, but it is also a very important distinction to make. To make that determination, it is highly important to listen carefully to what a candidate says. Look for:

– Answers that are rehearsed or sound as though they are memorized
– Weaknesses that are actually strengths
– Smooth talk that avoids a direct answer
– Answers that are too fast, not well thought-out, or that delve into longer explanations than really necessary.


How Important is the Recruiting Process?

The legal recruiting process is extremely valuable. An attorney who is selected by any firm is one that has been chosen because it was believed that they would be a good fit for that firm. Not all attorneys are created equally, and many issues much be considered, including:

– Skills
– Abilities
– Where they went to school
– Quality of the work they do
– How well they fit into the firm where they have applied

In other words, personality matters in the recruiting process, as much as other aspects of hiring a new attorney to work at a particular firm. With the importance of various aspects, firms would be wise to take a careful look at their processes and make adjustments accordingly.

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.

 

How to Get Back in the Legal Industry

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Career changes and job changes are a constant for the typical American worker, and the constant state of flux in the legal industry only reinforces this general principle. Turnover in the legal industry costs roughly $9.1 billion annually. Much of this turnover is due to lawyers who seek a legal career change or lawyers who left law and aim to re-enter the industry.

This extensive industry turnover provides an excellent opportunity to re-enter the legal industry for anyone looking to use their law degree to practice law once again. If you are a legal graduate looking to return to the industry, the following tips should prove helpful for your legal re-entry strategy.

Tap Into Your Legal Network

Given that you were once an active member of the legal community, you likely created ties and connections to important people in the industry before you left. In the years since your departure from the legal industry, those peers likely have grown to enjoy hiring influence in their respective law firm and/or company.

As the old adage goes, it is often who you know, not what you know that makes the difference in the hiring process. This is no less true in the legal industry. Whether you tap into your peers or a network of passionate law school alumni, connections reduce barriers to re-entry and make it far easier to get your foot in the door.

Staying on Top of Legal Changes

Staying current with the latest legal changes is a critical component of making a successful return to law. Many educational institutions offer programs designed to help lawyers shore up their knowledge before re-entering the competitive legal marketplace. Bar associations may also provide similar programs and opportunities, so it pays to do your research in the state where you will be practicing. Not only will these programs help you find job opportunities, they are also critically important for shoring up legal knowledge.

As you know from your days in law school, many areas of law change rapidly. No matter what practice area you plan on resuming, you will need to find out what’s changed in your field since you left the law. Whether you take continuing legal education (CLE) courses or you need to take the bar, you will find the resources you need through local law schools and bar associations.

Refine Your Résumé

Once you reconnect with peers and refine your legal knowledge, you will be ready to commence the job interview process. While you may have an “in” with some of your former colleagues, you still need to tweak your résumé so you showcase your experience in the best possible light.

Depending on your desired practice area, highlight the skills you learned outside of law in the best possible light. For example, if you left real estate law to become a real estate agent, leverage that experience to highlight your nuanced understanding of real estate transactions from every angle. In short, sell your prior experience as something to be coveted and valued by legal employers.

Once you reach out to your network, regain familiarity with your practice area and hone your résumé, you will be well on your way towards a fulfilling return to law.