Archive for April, 2010

In his new book The View from the First Chair: What Every Trial Lawyer Really Needs to Know, Martin L. Grayson defines a trial as follows–

“[N]othing less than a six-dimensional merry-go-round-jigsaw-puzzle-demolition-derby all playing out in your mind while you sit relatively passively at counsel table, trying to concentrate on 12 things at once while listening to witness testimony.”

This passage gives you the sense that this California defense lawyer knows what he’s talking about, and is going to tell it to you with a certain amount of wit.

Grayson wants you to think of his book as “a virtual mentor for attorneys.” It’s filled with the type of tips you don’t get in a typical trial manual. Examples: a chapter titled “Thinking on Your Feet,” a chapter on the proper uses of email, and a chapter on communicating with clients. These chapters are written and organized in a way that invites you to read the book from beginning to end, rather than skipping around from issue to issue.

Other highlights:

* A how-to for finding the best experts (”most attorneys have no idea how to find well-qualified experts,” says Grayson);
* Useful tips for settling cases (”settlement is about psychology and rhythm; the numbers are just music in the background”);
* A technique for dealing with abusive counsel at depositions (”98 percent guaranteed to change the entire tone of the proceedings,” according to Grayson–and I think he’s right).

Sample chapters include:

The Secrets of a Good Deposition, The Importance of Witness Motive, Preparing Your Witness, How to Beat a Bully, How to Find Real Experts, How to Evaluate Liability & Damages, How to Concede … and Conquer, The Dangers of Email, Know Thine Enemy, The Tao of Settlement, How to Pick the Jury, Courthouse Demeanor, What Verdicts Teach, … and More

Throughout the book are sidebars containing the author’s real-life litigation stories. Although the book is slanted towards defense lawyers, I’d recommend it to any type of litigator who lacks significant trial experience. Reviewed by Midwest trial lawyer Evan Schaeffer at The Trial Practices Weblog.

– The View From the First Chair (170 pages, 2009. Published by LawyerAvenue Press). is available on this Web site. To purchase your copy, go to Avenue Shops (the blue button), and click on Bookstore.

Maybe you’re one of the lucky few; you actually have a job interview coming up. Well, it doesn’t have to be the interview-from-hell … not if you’re prepared. The following are some of the questions you might reasonably expect. And, of course, the one unspoken question is always, ‘Why should we hire you?” See what you can do with these few questions, and if you REALLY want to challenge yourself, ask a friend or family member do a simulated interview with a video camera rolling. Good luck.

INTEREST LEVEL

* Why are you interested in working here?

JUDGMENT/PROBLEM-SOLVING

* Assume you’re a new associate here, how would you handle a situation in which the partner is unavailable, and the client needs an immediate answer to a question?
* Assume you’re by asked by two partners to complete two different assignments, but you have only time enough to complete one. What would you do?
* Tell me about your last big mistake. How did you handle it?

LEADERSHIP

* What attributes do you have that would install client confidence?
* When you’re in a team/group/committee setting, how often are you chosen to be a leader? Why? Are there times when you choose not to lead? Why?
* Describe a situation in which you acted as a leader that was particularly satisfying to you.

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

* Tell me about a time when you worked as part of a team.
* What is your favorite and least favorite aspects about teamwork?
* What do you do when you know you need help or more expertise?
* Have you had a person who acted as a mentor at some point in your life? Tell me about him/her.
* What skills do you believe that you have that would contribute to a team effort?
* Why do people like working with you? Why might people not like to work with you?
* Tell me about a time when you were in a pressure situation. Why do you think this situation arose? What, in hindsight, were you most dissatisfied with about your performance? What do you wish you had done differently?
* Tell me about a task you accomplished as a member of a group which you now believe you could have handled better alone.
* When disappointment or failure occurs in your life, what do you do?
* Describe an event in your life that has had a major impact on you.
* How do you help others who are in crisis or under stress?
*What is your favorite non-law-related activity?
* If you had an extra hour in the day, what would you do with it?

INDEPENDENCE/GOAL DIRECTION

* Have you ever undertaken something just to prove to yourself or others that you could do it? What non-law-related goals do you have that you would like to accomplish in the next few years?
* Which of your accomplishments are you most proud of? Why?
* If you don’t get a job with this firm, what will you do?

– Adapted from the law firm interview exercise at the Indiana University School of Law

Leave it to US News & World Report to come up America’s 50 Best Careers … and forget to add lawyer to the list. But that’s what happened this week. Now that the economy is slowly recovering, US News examined the Labor Department’s job growth projections for 2008 to 2018. They were looking for occupations expected to add jobs at an above-average rate over the next decade or so, and those that provide a median income above the national median of $32,400.

They came up with 50 jobs that present some of the best opportunities for workers in five categories: science & technology, healthcare, business & finance, education & civic, arts & services. The closest to anything law-related was “mediator” and “court reporter”. BigLaw associate, in-house counsel, public service lawyer? Forget it. Here’s the 50; if you hurry, maybe you can enroll in some night school classes:

Accountant, Actuary, Biomedical engineer, Civil engineer, Clergy, Commercial pilot, Computer software engineer, Cost estimator, Court reporter, Curator, Dental hygienist, Emergency management specialist, Environmental science tech, Film and video editor, Financial adviser, Financial analyst, Firefighter, Gaming manager, Lab tech, Landscape architect, Loan officer, Logistician, Market research analyst, Marriage and family therapist, Mediator, Medical and public health social worker, Meeting planner, Meteorologist, Network architect, Optometrist, Physical therapist, Physical therapist assistant, Physician assistant, Plumber, Public relations specialist, Radiologic tech, Registered nurse, School psychologist, Security system installer, Special ed teacher, Systems Analyst, Technical writer, Training specialist, Urban planner, Veterinarian.

And not one of them lives by the billable hour!

When it comes to finding work, career advisers will tell you there is no substitute for phone calls and handshakes. In a word, networking. We agree, and yet we’d be remiss if we didn’t pass along the six exceptional online job sites cited in this week’s US News & World Report. They are:

* www.Careerbuilder.com
* www.Monster.com
* www.Jobfox.com
* www.Dice.com
* www.Linkup.com
* www.Indeed.com

And while you’re at it, check the Web site for the International Association of Employment Web Sites (www.employmentwebsites.org). There are more than 50,000 online job boards in the US alone, and most of the best are listed here alphabetically. Of course, in the interest of time, check out below at our own list of online law job boards (and don’t overlook the public interest, US government, and international job sites located in our Career Counseling section). Good luck:

Advancement Project (www.advancementproject.org) – Legal action group committed to racial justice. Found in 1998 by veteran civil rights lawyers, the AP partners with community groups, bringing them the tools of legal advocacy and strategic communications to dismantle structural exclusion. For a small but current list of job opportunities for lawyers and law students, click on About Us.

American Corporate Counsel Association (www.jobline.acca.com) – Serving the professional needs of attorneys practicing in corporate legal departments and private sector organizations worldwide. The searchable job database has more than three dozen categories from ADR and antitrust to tax and transactions.

American Lawyer Media (www.LawJobs.com) – Employment classifieds from a network of recruiters and legal publications, including its own — The Recorder, National Law Journal, and New York Law Journal. The site contains a rotating collection of career-oriented articles, surveys, and firm rankings.

Attorney Jobs Online (www.Attorneyjobsonline.com) – This Thomson Reuters enterprise is a monthly subscription service that posts legal and law-related jobs with gov’t agencies, courts, corporations, law firms, advocacy groups, and international organizations in the US and abroad. The site also offers a fee-based career coaching service.

Capitol Hill Jobs (www.hillzoo.com) – The go-to site for internships and political, lobbying, and legislative jobs in Washington, DC.

Coalition on Human Needs (www.chn.org) – An alliance of national organizations working together to promote public policies that address the needs of low-income and other vulnerable populations. CHN seeks highly motivated, organized, and energetic individuals for full-time internships.

Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (www.elaw.org) – The Oregon-based office of ELAW gives public interest environmental lawyers around the world access to the scientific and legal resources in the U.S., and the lessons of more than 30 years of using law to protect the environment. ELAW begins interviewing in early March for its summer legal intern program. Interns assist the staff attorneys in responding to requests for assistance from overseas advocates.

EmplawyerNet (www.emplawyernet.com) – Inexpensive, subscription-based job data for lawyers, law students, and paralegals. Student rates. Members get email alerts when a posted job matches their search criteria. Jobs are gathered from a variety of online sources, legal newspapers, and directly from legal employers. Member discounts available to many law school alumni groups. Est. 1991.

Hieros Gamos (www.hg.org/employment) – In ancient Greece, hieros gamos – or hierogamy – meant “holy wedding”. An apt description for this encyclopedic marriage of all things legal. Founded by a law firm consortium in 1995, the site presents a wealth of posted legal jobs (domestic and international), links, and thoughtful, career-oriented material. There’s something here for anyone leaving a job, losing a job, changing careers, or seeking alternatives. And it’s free; go to the tool bar and click on Employment Center.

Portfolio Media, Inc. (www.portfoliomedia.com) – A daily, subscription-based online news service covering key litigation, legislative initiatives, regulatory developments and law firm news in 10 practice areas. The IP section (www.ip.law360.com) is the only one with a job board with positions posted daily; members and nonmembers are free to view and apply.

Roll Call Jobs (www.rcjobs.com) – Interactive Capitol Hill job site operated by Roll Call, the leading DC publication on Congressional news.

Womens Job List (www.womensjoblist.com) — Online job board for women. Founded in 1999, the site breaks out jobs by more than three dozen professional categories (legal, among them), and draws from thousands of employer classifieds posted every day on Craigslist. Free membership; members can sign up for email job alerts.