Pick Up Public Speaking Tips From Your Dog

Fulton County Daily Report

Consultant Joey Asher says he's sure that if his dog Balou could only talk and write on a flip chart, he'd be a great public speaker. That's because he understands how to connect with people better than most humans. Balou understands that you can do a lot wrong if you establish great rapport. Asher says that, taking tips from Balou, we can be successful public speakers if we infuse our presentations with energy and passion, use great eye contact and show our audience sincere affection.

TOP JOBS

Top Essential Skills and Assets for Paralegals

The Legal Intelligencer

In these challenging economic times, it is imperative to develop skills that enhance your potential marketability and strengthen your retention as a paralegal. Paralegal Mary L. Creekmore, a former president of the Philadelphia Association of Paralegals, polled the paralegals in her firm, paralegal managers, legal recruiters and colleagues in order to develop a list of skills and assets that are essential for career success. The number one asset may not be a surprise: the ability to prioritize and multitask.

Planning a Big Law Wedding

Fulton County Daily Report

Right now, in a Big Law office somewhere in America, a first-year associate with nothing else to do is looking busy at the office by planning the social event of his or her life -- a Big Law wedding! But The Snark reminds us that, as with all Big Law events, a Big Law wedding comes with unspoken rules of decorum and social expectations, now made a little more complicated by economic realities. For those planning a Big Law wedding, The Snark discusses some things to keep in mind about locations and guest lists.

Was the Lateral Flight From AmLaw Firms to Startup Boutiques Worth It?

The American Lawyer

From October 2008 through September 2009, according to The American Lawyer's Lateral Report, 114 partners left The Am Law 200 to start or join small practices, up from 70 in the previous 12-month period. Some might think it's insane to leave a large firm to hang up a shingle in the midst of an economic downturn, but those who've done it think it's crazy to stay put. The founding partners of these new boutique firms seem to be relishing their new autonomy, and say their firms are doing well financially.

Interview Strategies: Facing and Acing a Panel Interview

Special to Law.com

Rather than being intimidated by facing multiple interviewers at the same time, you can ace a panel interview with some preparation, say consultants Valerie Fontaine and Roberta Kass. You may have to work a little harder to make sure you make a connection with each of the interviewers in the room, but as the authors note, panels can provide some advantages for both interviewers and job candidates. Here are some strategies to deal with the group dynamics and other specific challenges of panel interviews.

Lateral Partner Moves Spiked in 2009, New Report Shows

The American Lawyer

By most measures, 2009 was a dismal year for the legal industry. One notable exception to the drumbeat of record layoffs and bankruptcy actions: By our count, there was also a record number of lateral partner moves in The Am Law 200. In the 12 months ending Sept. 30, 2009, 2,775 partners left or joined the biggest firms in the United States -- a 10.6 percent increase in mobility over last year. Litigation partners led the pack, but banking and finance partners were close behind.

Practicing Law in the Era of Mandatory Retirement

Special to Law.com

As a legal recruiter, Laurence R. Latourette has met a growing number of lawyers who are bumping up against their firms' mandatory retirement age but who are interested in continuing to practice law. And that trend will accelerate over the next five years, he notes, in part because about 60 percent of law partners are now 55 or older. Latourette discusses the current state of mandatory retirement policies at law firms, and how attorneys can help themselves to make a late career lateral move.

What to Say When Friends Ask About Law School

Fulton County Daily Report

In these economic times, many people are going back to school for more education, and some will undoubtedly ask you if law school is a good idea. The Snark discusses the illusion that a J.D. guarantees a high-salaried job, saying that many recent law grads are bartending, cleaning houses, living with their in-laws or teaching LSAT prep courses. Still, The Snark says there are benefits to a legal education, and runs down lists of the top three -- and bottom three -- reasons to go to law school.

Is the Legal Job Market Picking Up?

The Recorder

The start of January always brings hopes that the new year will be a better one. And this year, it might be. The bad news is that Union Bank's Justin Miller says that based on conversations with West Coast Am Law 100 and 200 firms, more associates and staff will be getting the pink slip before the spring quarter is over. The good news is that sources don't expect this year to be the disaster that last year was. Recruiter Julie Brush says some firms don't want to over-slash their workforces.

Applying Quality Control in Law Firms

The Legal Intelligencer

Quality control should be exercised in the selection, evaluation and retention process at all levels of a law firm's personnel system, writes consultant Joel A. Rose. And decisions to retain legal assistants, law clerks and lawyers are important checkpoints, he says. Rose discusses use of quality checkpoints for lawyers as they move up through the firm, and notes that some firms benefit from using client feedback or setting up more formal systems for training and evaluation.

6 Tips for an Effective Job Search for Attorneys

The National Law Journal

Lawyers at large law firms are typically smart, highly skilled individuals with much to offer potential employers. But they may have one distinct disadvantage in the job market, notes consultant Kate Neville: They may never have had to look for a job on their own. Many went straight from law school to a firm through an on-campus recruiting program and were recruited by a job placement professional for a lateral move. Neville provides six tips to help lawyers who may be looking for a job on their own.