With graduation behind you, for former law students, studying for the bar exam and starting a new career are usually next on the agenda. If you recently graduated, you may already have a job lined up for the fall. If you don’t have something already lined up, or maybe you’re a 1L or 2L who is considering different internships, you are in the right spot. In this article, we explore the many different career options for lawyers.
Most law schools do not discuss the concept of the billable hour beyond mentioning it in passing. For attorneys who are just starting out at law firms, however, billable hours are a bit part of day-to-day life. In this post, we will discuss the concept of the billable hour, what a first-year associate should know about the billable hour, and some tips for keeping track of your time as a new associate.
Being a lawyer and advocating on behalf of your clients is a rewarding experience in and of itself, but lawyers often wonder what more they can do to give back to the communities where they live and work. Giving back to the community is not only a rewarding experience, but it provides an outlet for lawyers to get outside of the workspace, take their minds off work, network, and learn. No matter what type of law you practice, there are always ways you can offer your support to the community and make a positive impact. To help you get started, below are some examples of ways that lawyers give back to their community.
For most students, going to law school means working at a private law firm or obtaining a judicial clerkship after graduation. This post, however, is for those who may want to do anything but begin or continue your career in private practice. If you find yourself in that latter category, we are happy to tell you that there are definitely other options available to you! It turns out that there are many different types of lawyers than those you see depicted in television dramas and Hollywood blockbusters. In addition to actual “lawyer jobs,” there is an endless number of careers that are commonly referred to as “law-adjacent.” We talk in more detail below about alternate careers for those not interested in following a more traditional law school career path post-graduation.
Law is a relational industry. Your relationships can help you get connected to jobs, clients, and opportunities. In your career, you will inevitably find yourself at networking receptions. These can range from cocktail hours hosted by a law firm to baseball games with the local bar association. In this post, we will go over seven tips for navigating these types of events so you can come out with a stronger professional network.
If you haven’t yet, be sure to read our general tips on networking.
We are thrilled to announce our Law School Scholars Program, which connects top law firms with historically underrepresented first-year law students. Law firms pay for tutoring for the law students and also serve as mentors, providing them with valuable career advice. Read more
Many associate attorneys struggle to find a work-life balance. Although it can be difficult to achieve that balance in the legal field, especially at a law firm, it is not impossible. Below, an attorney shares 6 tips for achieving associate attorney work-life balance!
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there may be some uncertainty about whether your summer associate program might be canceled. This is due to news of summer classes being canceled, shortened, delayed, postponed, and going virtual.
If your summer plans are working at a firm, this post will give you some tips on how to prepare in case your summer associate program is canceled.
Kim Kardashian, who has posted about personalized JD Advising MBE questions before, recently re-posted JD Advising’s Tiger King-themed MBE question on her Instagram story. Read more
The coronavirus (COVID-19) has had an impact on all areas of life. One question running through many law students and law graduate’s minds is how the coronavirus will impact the legal job market.
At this time, there is no telling what the landscape will look like in a month or even three months from now. However, we offer some thoughts on what might happen in this post.
UPDATE 4/9/20: there are reports online that firms are decreasing pay, cutting employees, and/or furloughing employees.
UPDATE 5/5/20: law firms are facing a decrease in the number of new cases/clients.
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, many law firms and courts are closing their doors at the moment. This leaves students who have accepted a summer associate position or clerkship uncertain about their summer plans.
UPDATE 4/8/20: Some law firms are delaying summer associate’s start dates to June. Read more about it here.
You may be wondering what exactly a judicial clerkship is and whether it would be a good position for you. In this post, we explain what a judicial clerkship is and the pros and cons of taking such a position!
What if I Pass the Bar Exam? Making Your “Plan A” We talk about how to make a Plan B if you fail the bar exam here. However, you should also come up with a “Plan A” for if you pass the bar exam! It sounds silly, but some examinees are just as anxious about passing the bar exam as they are about failing it. Passing the bar means you are eligible to become a “real” attorney and not a student. Some examinees find themselves stressed out by this prospect — either they don’t have a job lined up or they are anxious about starting their job!
Here are a few things you can do to make your “Plan A.” Read more
I am an attorney taking the UBE. How do I make sure I pass? We receive many emails from attorneys who decide to take the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE). If you are an attorney taking the UBE, you probably want to do whatever you can to pass it the first time you take it. This may be because:
Here, we give you some advice on how to maximize your chances of passing the bar exam the first time you take it. Read more
The Best Uniform Bar Exam Course for Attorneys: It has become more popular for already licensed attorneys to take the Uniform Bar Exam. This relatively new bar exam has been spreading like wildfire and opens the door to an attorney becoming licensed in 28 jurisdictions! If you are an attorney, you probably work a lot, have enough stress in your life, and have no wish to relive the days where you attended hours of bar exam lectures while filling in lecture handouts. Yet, you also probably don’t remember a lot of the nuanced laws that you learned for the bar exam and you probably need a full-service course.