ALM Properties, Inc.
Page printed from: The Legal Intelligencer
Select 'Print' in your browser menu to print this document.
Young LawyerThe Young Lawyer Supplement includes articles on topics such as trial skills for young attorneys, selecting a law firm, developing business and more.2013-01-22 12:00:00 AM View the Digital Edition of this Supplement The Development of Trial Skills for Young Lawyers Congratulations, you have just been given your first courtroom assignment. It is finally time to pull your head from your research assignments, get unlocked from the chain attached to your desk and venture out into an actual courtroom. You might find that your excitement is quickly tempered, however, by two words that make your pulse race: Now what? This article will provide some helpful tips on preparation and advocacy skills, directed to the younger lawyer but useful to lawyers of all ages, that can help you look and feel like an experienced litigator. Many of the skills discussed will be useful for handling your first deposition or oral argument as well, but trial skills will be the focus. Read More How Is the Coffee Here? What Associates Should Look For When Selecting a Firm As a member of Thorp Reed & Armstrong's recruitment committee, I have answered many questions about the firm. Depending on context, both the best and worst question I have been asked, however, is the titular question. On the one hand, perhaps it is a pragmatic and quasi-satirical inquiry into the quality and essence of a firm that one cannot find on Google. Presumably, as a young attorney, one will be getting to work early and leaving late, and, thus, will likely ravage his or her firm's supply of single-serving coffee pods. Also, if a firm is miserly on something as essential and cheap as coffee, then one must ask whether that mentality has infected other areas of the firm. Read More Prioritizing Business Development to Ensure Autonomy As the national economy continues to struggle through slow growth in the aftermath of the 2008 recession, employment opportunities for new graduates and young professionals are at a premium. Lawyers and law firms have certainly not been spared. Reduced job opportunities, attorney layoffs, partner de-equitizations and even firm bankruptcies have been reported with increased regularity. Although the law may be a privileged profession, it is also a business and subject to the same market forces as other private enterprises. In light of these economic uncertainties and reduced job opportunities, now more than ever, young lawyers need to allocate significant time and energy to business development. Read More Making the Most Out of the Lows: Lessons Learned from Taking a Loss Fresh out of law school and having endured the grueling bar exam, I was about to experience my first jury trial. Walking into City Hall as a trial attorney can be extremely intimidating for an inexperienced, young attorney. Add unexpected challenges that I encountered in this trial, including the Pennsylvania limited tort threshold, disputed liability and causation, a client who "looked fine to me," minimal damage to both vehicles involved in the accident, and a defense attorney with more than 20 years of trial experience, I suddenly concluded that the only chance I stood of a favorable outcome was to put my heart and soul into my preparation, say a prayer and hope for the best. As an eternal optimist with a competitive drive, I truly believed I could win this trial. Read More How to Deal With Increasing Demands at Work and Home Advancement in a law firm 20 years ago was relatively simple: If you worked hard, did a good job and played nice with your colleagues, chances are you would advance and even make partner. Today, increased competition and trying economic times have shattered this notion. Now, in most firms, you need to work hard and generate business to advance. To obtain new clients, you must market yourself and your firm by spending countless hours at functions, lunches and networking events. The mounting pressure to generate business has increased the amount of nonbillable work required of young lawyers who must manage their billable requirements at the same time. Read More Ten Reasons to Join Your Local Bar Association The Significance of Writing in the Legal Setting
|