http://www.law.com/jsp/law/careercenter/index.jsp Law.com Career Center - Where legal professionals find jobs and the latest career information. en-us 26 Dec 2011 14:55:21 -0500 Copyright 2009. Incisive Media US Properties, LLC. All rights reserved. http://www.law.com/service/terms_conditions.shtml http://www.law.com/img/lawjobs/alert/career_rss.gif http://www.law.com/jsp/law/careercenter/index.jsp Check out some of the latest posts on the lawjobs.com blog, The Careerist. Law School News, Including a Suit Over Graduate Employment Data Plus Lost Generation of Lawyers Is Now Forgotten Generation And Rude Enough to Succeed? http://www.law.com/jsp/law/careercenter/lawArticleCareerCenter.jsp?id=1202458536378&rss=careercenter 1202458536378 Being a successful lawyer is about having more than just legal skills, says Katharine M. Chen of Fordham University School of Law. She provides some advice for developing other key competencies, including client and people skills, leadership qualities, and work management skills. http://www.law.com/jsp/law/careercenter/lawArticleCareerCenter.jsp?id=1202464172787&rss=careercenter 1202464172787 Are suicides among big firm lawyers becoming more frequent? Or just more frequently reported? Steven J. Harper, an adjunct professor at Northwestern University, fears it is the former. He notes that everyone -- especially lawyers -- should periodically assess whether a job is a good fit. http://www.law.com/jsp/law/careercenter/lawArticleCareerCenter.jsp?id=1202464178240&rss=careercenter 1202464178240 The 2011 summer class sizes at large law firms won't reach the go-go levels of 2008 or 2007, but they should represent a major improvement from this summer. Weil, Gotshal & Manges and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton plan to recruit more summers for 2011 than they did for this year, according to sources familiar with plans at those firms. The bigger jump comes at Weil, which will double its summer class size from 40 this year to 75 or 80 in the United States a year from now. http://www.law.com/jsp/law/careercenter/lawArticleCareerCenter.jsp?id=1202464178844&rss=careercenter 1202464178844 The legal job market is waking from its doldrums, which may mean more opportunities to transition to new jobs, say consultants Valerie Fontaine and Roberta Kass. In this article, the first in a new series, the authors discuss the factors to consider when contemplating a move. http://www.law.com/jsp/law/careercenter/lawArticleCareerCenter.jsp?id=1202464112884&rss=careercenter 1202464112884 Judges are nervously watching Yolo County, Calif., where local leaders are considering whether to stop providing county-funded benefits to Superior Court jurists, potentially making it the first county in the state to rescind judicial benefits since state legislation addressed the issue in 2009. Judges' groups are pleading with county leaders not to trigger a domino effect, and the Alliance of California Judges has warned that eliminating benefits might discourage "lawyers of the highest caliber" from joining the bench. http://www.law.com/jsp/law/careercenter/lawArticleCareerCenter.jsp?id=1202464167046&rss=careercenter 1202464167046 Pro bono work is as good for the attorney as it is for the client, writes attorney Frank Slover, and not just from the feeling of satisfaction you get by knowing you're making a contribution. As a corporate attorney, Slover found that pro bono work helped him develop his courtroom skills. http://www.law.com/jsp/law/careercenter/lawArticleCareerCenter.jsp?id=1202464118088&rss=careercenter 1202464118088 Regulations for the recently enacted financial reform law are months away, but law firms with strong financial services practices are rolling out the welcome mat for client conferences and filling their calendars with client meetings. Clients' initial questions have largely focused on the so-called Volcker rule, which generally bans banking institutions from investing in private equity or hedge funds or engaging in proprietary trading, said Greg Lyons of Debevoise & Plimpton. http://www.law.com/jsp/law/careercenter/lawArticleCareerCenter.jsp?id=1202464109685&rss=careercenter 1202464109685 Do you have a career-related question about working in the law? Want to get advice from other readers who may be facing the same issue or have already found their solution? Submit your question for an upcoming new feature on lawjobs.com Career Center, called "What's Your Advice?" http://www.law.com/jsp/law/careercenter/lawArticleCareerCenter.jsp?id=1202463678936&rss=careercenter 1202463678936 As of Feb. 15, New Jersey law school graduates were hired at a rate of 90.6 percent, the fifth-best performance of any state in the U.S., according to a NALP survey. However, New Jersey 2009 graduates earn the fourth-lowest median salary by state of reporting respondents: $46,000 a year. http://www.law.com/jsp/law/careercenter/lawArticleCareerCenter.jsp?id=1202464051206&rss=careercenter 1202464051206 Brad Newman, a Paul Hastings partner, has found a perfect balance to litigation. He has launched Givelocally.net, which enables people to give donations to pre-screened recipients who need financial help. The idea is to give people a way to help specific people in their communities. http://www.law.com/jsp/law/careercenter/lawArticleCareerCenter.jsp?id=1202464054207&rss=careercenter 1202464054207 Does prior paralegal experience before law school benefit in any way when you're looking for a litigation associate position? http://www.law.com/jsp/law/careercenter/lawArticleCareerCenter.jsp?id=1202463922098&rss=careercenter 1202463922098