By Sheila Nielsen, JD/MSW
“They’re dropping like flies.” This comment came from a worried fifth-year at a large Chicago firm. She was reporting on the outplacement of associates in the litigation group at her firm. She had come for counseling about how she could avoid becoming another statistic. Was there anything she could do to be [...]
First, Be Your Own Advocate
By Ralph Wrobley, Esq.
You need to care about your career more than anyone else. If a partner or supervisor takes an interest so much the better, but it is up to you.
If you are not getting the training, support and experience that you want, speak up appropriately … and do [...]
The Law and Your Family
By Ralph Wrobley, Esq.
The practice of law is as demanding as any career you could choose. This is particularly true of large law firms. You make a huge mistake if you fail to deal with its impact on your family.
* If you’re married, your spouse needs to have her or [...]
For someone who isn’t naturally outgoing, networking and other such events can be especially daunting; even painful. This is particularly true when you’re new to a group or you’re attending an event for the first time and everyone else seems to know each other. They’re greeting one another like old friends, and perhaps sharing jokes [...]
How a Former Prosecutor Got Clients from the Start
By Mark A. Sindler, Esq.
I was a prosecutor for several years, so it was logical I would choose defense work when I finally started my own firm.
What helped smooth the transition was to make sure I could be around people who knew more than me about defense [...]
Hey, Turn Off Your Blackberry
By Charles Volker
Like many experienced legal professionals, you probably feel comfortable with the basics of interviewing for a new position. You’re prepared to expand on your qualifications and to respond in an articulate manner to likely questions. But are you confident that you’ve mastered the art of making the best possible [...]
Good Manners Go a Long Way
By Charles Volker
Maybe you’ve decided to test the waters of the job market in search of new opportunities. Or, perhaps you’ve been quietly interviewing for a new position and have reason to believe that an offer is imminent. Whether you’re just thinking about the possibility of making a job change [...]
Look for These Red Flags
By Charles Volkert
Signs of career trouble don’t usually appear overnight. Nor are they always obvious. More often, there are small clues that pop up over time that suggest your job trajectory is headed in the wrong direction.
Indicators of career distress can be internal or external in origin. For example, job [...]
The Basic Rules of Engagement
By Charles Volkert
Discussing compensation is uncomfortable for most people, and, not surprisingly, many job candidates fare poorly during salary negotiations. Even legal professionals who are experienced at interviewing often make mistakes at this phase of their job search.
The negotiating process is rife with the potential for missteps. Because of anxiety [...]
What Lawyers May Not Know About Stress
By Douglas Richardson, JD
Do you often feel tired, cranky, edgy, agitated, pessimistic, hypersensitive, paranoid, resentful or angry?
Although fatigue takes many forms, many of us complain about our symptoms without giving serious thought to their causes. Among lawyers, there is a tendency to put every significant decline in energy [...]
Career Planning for Senior Lawyers
by Carol Kanarek, JD, MSW
There’s an ever-growing number of Boomer lawyers who are leaving their jobs but who want to continue practicing law. In part, this is because of the prevalence of mandatory retirement policies in big law firms, and also because of the desire of many senior lawyers to move [...]
Solo By Choice
By Carolyn Elefant, Esq.
Back when you were in law school, you had dreams. Maybe it was standing before a jury, passionately arguing on behalf of a desperate client … or winning an appeal that would link your name to a new legal precedent … or pulling off a dramatic 11th hour deal that [...]
Realistic Guidelines for Change
By Ed Honnold, JD, LICSW
Though a lateral move within law can sometimes occur quickly, a more radical career change may take considerable time to accomplish. Years, in fact. In my experience as a legal career counselor, radical change typically occurs in four phases: 1) assessing the nature and causes of your discontent; [...]