http://www.legalauthority.com/articlearchive.php Legal Authority Articles Section en-us © 2009 Legal Authority. All rights reserved. admin@legalauthority.com admin@legalauthority.com Mon, 05 Jan 2009 04:22:02 CST News http://www.legalauthority.com/feeds/larssfeedarticle.php 60 Legal Authority Reports that Targeted Mailing Is the Best Way to Find Jobs during Recession http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70084 la1 Wed, 24 Dec 2008 06:00:00 GMT What Is a Behavioral Interview? After reading the title of this article, you may be asking yourself, ''What exactly is a behavioral interview?'' A behavioral interview is one aimed at evaluating an applicant's past behavior in previous employment situations. The theory is that past performance is the most accurate predictor of future performance. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70047 la2 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:00:00 GMT Graduating from law school is certainly a job in itself. Now it's time to take the next step: landing that dream position! The interviewing process can be an extremely daunting task; while being able to sell yourself to a particular firm is, of course, the primary goal, there is a plethora of guidelines every recent law school graduate should follow. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70045 la3 Mon, 14 Jul 2008 05:00:00 GMT In today's workforce, individuals are constantly switching employers for both personal and professional reasons. For example, what's one to do when an opportunity that matches so perfectly with his or her resume is a thousand miles away? What's the solution when one's fiancé finally lands that government dream job, but it's in Arlington, Virginia? http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70046 la4 Mon, 14 Jul 2008 05:00:00 GMT Have you ever looked at your law school professor and wondered what it took to get there? Do you know what it takes to become a law school professor? All of your law school professors have a few things in common. They all possess great credentials, and they are committed to scholarship and teaching. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70044 la5 Mon, 30 Jun 2008 05:00:00 GMT Every year hundreds of highly paid and highly qualified senior associates contemplate the decision whether or not to seek a position at another firm. Some make the choice because it provides a better chance to make partner; for others, the motivation is better hours or a change of environment. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70016 la6 Thu, 31 Aug 2006 05:00:00 GMT It may sound harsh, but busy employers don't spend much time perusing the hundreds of resumes they may receive each day. When you are searching for a job, your resume must deliver the greatest impact in the least amount of time. All of your accomplishments, education, and work experience must be presented in a clear, concise format that a potential employer can quickly scan. Make sure your resume is error-free! Even one seemingly minor grammar or spelling mistake gives an employer reason to toss your resume in the trash. Legal Authority employs professionals who can ensure that your resume is concise, accurate, and attention-grabbing so it will get the attention it deserves. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70001 la7 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT Employers do read the cover letter, don't they? Well, yes, but briefly. Since employers only spend about a minute looking over all application materials and most of that time is spent on the resume, an employer will probably only spend 10 to 20 seconds reading your letter. Make it succinct. This is your chance to quickly inject some of your personality into your application package. After reading your cover letter, an employer should feel that he or she knows you a little better. This is also your chance to demonstrate the writing ability you honed in law school or through years of writing briefs. Just keep one thing in mind: The cover letter is a brief supplement to your resume. It is not the main attraction. Also, when employers spend so little time reading the cover letter, it is not worth it to customize a letter to each firm or company. Instead, make sure your cover letter focuses on your best assets. Essentially, your letter should serve as a short introduction that lets the employer know who you are, what you can do, and how to reach you. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70002 la8 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT Congratulations! You've crafted a flawless resume and cover letter that have garnered the attention of the hiring committee, and you've been called in for an interview. Don't rest on your laurels just yet, though. You still have a lot of work to do. The first step? Preparing for the interview. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70003 la9 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT Now that it's 2008, it's not a day too soon for attorneys who want to make a move or move up in their career to act now. Most attorneys put off looking for work towards the end of the year because they are preoccupied with the holidays, vacationing, or waiting to complete the year at their current firm, company, or organization. The end of the year, however, is the best time for an attorney to begin a job search. The attorney ready to move fast will benefit from other attorneys who attend to other matters into the New Year. Attorneys are wise to make use of the typically inactive holiday season to compile resumes, cover letters, writing samples, and other important documents. However, candidates who choose to focus the end of the year with family and functions regarding their current positions still can make good use of the winter season to move forward with their careers, granted that they act right away. But what's more important for the New Year is what candidates have to expect. Being prepared ahead of time is a good thing, but it's better to be prepared with respects to the forecast of the legal market. For 2008, associates practicing in the areas of corporate, IP, tax, and labor/employment law will find that their services are in demand, while bankruptcy and real estate attorneys might find it challenging for placement due to the lack of activity in their respective markets. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70004 la10 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT Weighing your options about your career search? Here are two comprehensive lists to help you decide whether or not Legal Authority can benefit you http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70005 la11 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT Legal Authority Gets More Attorneys Jobs Inside Law Firms Than Any Other Source. We Can Get You Your Next Law Firm Job. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70006 la12 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT Attorneys have traditionally gone in-house by accepting an offer from one of their clients (or a client of their firms). Nevertheless, unless specifically asked by a client to work for his/her company, traditional methods of searching for an in-house position might not produce the desired results. If you were to ask one of your firm's clients if you can work for his/her company, how does that make your current firm look? What if your request gets back to your current law firm? http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70007 la13 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT Looking for the perfect in-house position? Our database contains every in-house legal department in the United States and abroad. (For American attorneys relocating abroad, we generally recommend that they approach only U.S. companies, due to compensation and other issues which can be complicated in any international relocation.) We can cover a specific city or the entire nation. Our job at Legal Authority is to ensure that we put your name in front of every company that may need an attorney like you. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70008 la14 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT Yes. you can be a college professor if you are already a lawyer. Your law degree provides you entry into academic life beyond just the teaching of law. Your degree provides you with sufficient academic stature to teach almost any subject in which you have a background. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70009 la15 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT ''The year I spent as a clerk was the most intellectually challenging and relaxing year of my legal career.'' -Former law clerk http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70010 la16 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT There are thousands of prosecutor and public defender jobs. There are prosecutors in virtually every city in the United States. What an excellent way to get actual courtroom experience and uphold the Constitution! http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70011 la17 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT There is a lot to consider before you make the leap. Wanting to help those less fortunate is noble. All religions believe this, and secular society concurs. However, you will be relatively meagerly compensated for your efforts. Many lawyers do pro bono work as a way to give to charity, but their main focus at work is to bill paying clients so that they can make high salaries. While these lawyers are helping a cause occasionally, they are hardly devoting themselves full time to public interest law, and the focus of this article is on those of you who may wish to do so. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70012 la18 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT At Legal Authority, we believe that for many attorneys there is no better job than working for the federal or state government. One of our Employment Advocates used to work for the United States Department of Justice, and the way he tells it, after 5:15 p.m. each evening, you could fire a canon down the hall because everyone had gone for the day. In addition, as he tells it, there were several attorneys who would actually show up day after day, month after month and literally do nothing. In all seriousness, though, there are some major advantages to choosing a career with the government. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70013 la19 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT Change of career? Are you currently an attorney looking to get out of the legal profession? More and more, people from diverse walks of life are obtaining their J.D.s without having the intention of necessarily practicing law forever. They realize the prestige that a J.D. will bring to them in any business venture. Doors will be open to them in many corporate areas. Or at the very least, doors will be open slightly more to them than to others without such a degree. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70014 la20 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT Legal Authority is not only extremely beneficial to the many legal job seekers in today's marketplace, but it's also extremely viable. In today's world, the concept of marketing yourself is wildly popular; and with more than five years of experience under its belt, Legal Authority is the expert when it comes to marketing legal professionals. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70015 la21 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT Attorneys and law students are one of the most ill-informed groups of people there are when it comes to conducting a job search. We hate to criticize the group in society who comprises our clients; however, this is true. There are so many misconceptions out there about the best way to go about a job search in the legal profession that it is often very difficult for us at Legal Authority to believe. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70017 la22 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT The biggest mistakes that attorneys and law students make in their job searches can be summed up by looking at the letters that make up one word: ASSUME. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70018 la23 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT As your parents may have told you when encouraging you to go to law school, having a law degree means you can do much more than simply work at a law firm. Of course, working at a firm can be terrific experience. Young lawyers are exposed to many aspects of the law and may even receive mentoring from senior partners. At some firms, new attorneys will ''learn by doing.'' Your research and writing skills will get an excellent workout. You can develop a specialty and build a client list. The compensation and the perks of working in private practice can be quite enticing. But at some point, every lawyer experiences burnout. Maybe it's the 80-hour workweek, or maybe it's the endless paperwork that accompanies billing in six-minute increments, but after a few years (or even a decade or two) at a firm, you may ask yourself if there isn't a better way. That's when the prospect of becoming a member of a company's in-house legal team can seem especially alluring. Both law firm positions and in-house positions hav e their perks and drawbacks, though. The trick is to determine where you, your skills, and your lifestyle requirements will fit most comfortably. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70019 la24 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT Just as you are unlikely to remain forever with the first firm you join, you may decide that the practice area you chose right out of law school no longer suits you. Changing practice areas can be a difficult process, but it can be done. First, though, let's discuss how to make the right choice the first time. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70020 la25 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT Whether you are just out of law school or have been practicing for years, you want to find the perfect job. Perhaps you have been responding to Internet job postings and sending out resumes to no avail. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70021 la26 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT When deciding whether or not to accept a job offer from a law firm, there are many elements to take into account. Salary, benefits and, location top the list of factors to weigh in the balance. But there is one other thing that should be given serious consideration�the culture, or the http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70022 la27 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT One of the more notable aspects of the current economic slowdown is that many firms have become increasingly ''meaner'' to their associates. Many firms have become so nasty that associates are often left wondering why they chose careers as attorneys in the first place. We have heard stories that, quite frankly, are shocking the first time you hear them, but now occur with such frequency they are becoming old news. For example, one major firm over the past year fired more than half of its first-year associates with little or no explanation at all. This firm simply informed these associates that �we do not believe you are a good fit.� Such conclusions may not seem that terrible on their own; however, when you consider the facts that this same firm never gave its associates a single performance review and offered no critique whatsoever of their work, you quickly must realize that this is not the rational environment one expects from an organization that employs highly educated professionals. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70023 la28 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT Given recent economic conditions, many Legal Authority clients choose to make the switch from corporate law to litigation each week. While this is not always the best choice (especially if you believe that you are particularly suited to doing corporate work), it is an option that Legal Authority clients have chosen with increasing frequency due to the perceived stability of litigation as opposed to corporate positions. Due mainly to the better economy a couple of years ago, many attorneys were choosing to make the switch from litigation to corporate. To give you a sense of the mechanics involved with making a switch, we have profiled a recent Legal Authority client who successfully made the switch. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70024 la29 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT On-campus interviewing allows the largest firms to troll for what they define as the best candidates (i.e., those with the best grades, law review membership, and class rank). However, most law school graduates have the skills and knowledge to succeed in most firms. Very often, law firms consider potential additions to their firms when they receive a resume in the http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70025 la30 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT The following resources may prove very helpful in providing you with some much-needed insight into your job search. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70026 la31 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT The movie Jerry Maguire told the story of a sports agent hounded by phone calls from an aspiring professional athlete who kept insisting, ''Show me the money!'' Sometimes lawyers, although they know better, think of legal recruiters or search specialists in the same way—as if they might be their personal agents. So they wonder why their resumes are often not acknowledged or their phone calls never returned. Though recruiters such as BCG Attorney Search can be quite helpful in searching for an attorney position, there is a significant difference between an NFL player's agent and a legal ''headhunter.'' Legal recruiters court skilled lawyers and work very hard to market their abilities to potential employers, but they are not paid by the lawyer. Their fees are paid by the client company or law firm to locate, screen, and then recommend qualified legal candidates. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70027 la32 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT You have identified the names of people you would like to contact, carefully composed a letter, and followed up with a phone call scheduling a time for your meeting. After that preparation, the meeting itself is nothing more than a friendly conversation asking for advice, but the flow of this conversation should not be left to chance. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70028 la33 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT Mass mailing doesn't have to be ineffective. In fact, it can be highly effective if done right. The key to making it so is to understand the difference between just any mass mailing and a carefully planned, targeted mailing. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70029 la34 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT Many people view the ad-answering phase of a job search too narrowly, as if it were only a two-step process: 1) You answer the advertisement, and then 2) you interview with your potential employer. The most ignored aspect of this activity is as important as a steppingstone in the middle of a fast-flowing stream. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70030 la35 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT Once you have an interview scheduled, you need to be able to answer the perennial threshold question: Tell me something about yourself. This article will explain how to best answer this question. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70031 la36 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT Many of Legal Authority's clients ask the very same question when they first hear about networking. ''Why,'' they wonder, ''in a legal community driven by the bottom line and billable hours, would people ever take time away from work to meet with me, someone they have never met before?'' http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70032 la37 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT Many lawyers think they know everything they need to know about interviewing. After all, how hard can it be to answer an interviewer's questions when you're thinking on your feet all day in court and preparing witnesses for cross examination? Because a lawyer's verbal abilities may be high, he may feel that he can talk his way through any interview. What happens? He ''wings it,'' and then doesn't get the job. Lawyers fail to understand that job interviewing is an acquired skill, not an innate ability. Successful interviewing requires the right attitude, an ability to anticipate the interviewer's questions, and well-prepared answers. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70033 la38 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT When you start thinking about a career move, you may choose to begin by looking on Internet job boards and in the classifieds-either those in the legal newspapers or those on the Internet (such as LawCrossing.com or Monster.com)-and answer the job opportunities that seem interesting and attractive, even if you are not completely sure of your direction. Answering advertisements benefits your job search in several significant ways: http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70034 la39 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT Corporate folklore abounds with stories about the catastrophic failures of some once well-advertised products, such as the Ford Edsel, New Coke, and Japanese Pampers. New product introductions aren't always successful; sometimes they can be colossal flops. For one reason or another, certain consumer items fail to find a market niche. Their names live on only as footnotes in grad school texts. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70035 la40 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT Negotiating a financial package is every job seeker's final hurdle. It is also their nightmare. The topic of one's own worth can make even the most secure person apprehensive. Further, many people are so happy at having received an offer that they fail to take advantage of their leverage at this critical time. The temptation is strong to settle salary questions as quickly as possible and be willing to accept an employer's first offer. However, this may not be the best way. Your negotiating strength is never greater than at the moment the firm invites you to join its team. This article will suggest several ways to prepare yourself for salary negotiations. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70036 la41 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT Several years ago, lawyer and legal consultant Brian Howard was asked to address a group of Washington attorneys on a very sensitive subject: the quality of life in law firms. Howard spoke for about half an hour, concluding his presentation with a quotation from T.S. Eliot's poignant reflection on human relationships, ''The Cocktail Party.'' He then opened the floor to questions, expecting the audience to challenge his views. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70037 la42 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT First step: Sign up for a free consultation Here at Legal Authority, we understand that conducting a job search can often be a daunting task for attorneys and law students. Our clients come to us looking for guidance and solid career advice to better conduct their job search. Our Employment Advocates will help you in this process by discussing your interests, marketability, and career options in relation to your specific job goals. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70038 la43 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT Attorneys have traditionally gone in-house by accepting an offer from one of their clients (or a client of their firm). Nevertheless, unless specifically asked by a client to work for them, through traditional methods of searching for an in-house position you might be out of luck. If you were to ask one of your firm's clients if you can work for them, how does that make your current firm look? What if your request gets back to your current law firm? http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70039 la44 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT Most people are skeptical about Legal Authority, and others think our service is too expensive. That is good news for our clients, because thousands of our clients get fantastic positions using our service each year. You can get a better position with Legal Authority too. Put yourself far ahead of your competition; while they remain skeptical, you can take action. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70040 la45 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT Every law student in this country is familiar with Career Services. You have probably used them to look for either a summer associate position, or a law clerk position while you attended school, or even a post-graduation position after you had taken the bar exam but before your results arrived. Some students have achieved varying degrees of success, but most students have been left dissatisfied, frustrated, and, most important, jobless! If this describes your situation, Legal Authority exists to help students like you. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70041 la46 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT As a resume counselor to attorneys from all types of practice areas and career levels, I am always surprised to see many of the same errors in my clients' original resumes and cover letters. The comparison has been made between legal jobseekers and snowflakes: No two are alike. Yet while it is true that in preparing a resume, the objective is to set oneself apart from the competition, the path to that winning document will often be the same. Here are a few common mistakes (and remedies) in preparing legal resumes and cover letters. http://www.legalauthority.com/articles/index.php?id=70042 la47 Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT