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.
Whether you are an experienced attorney or still in your first year of law school, having a legal resume on hand and up-to-date at all times is a smart career move. Your resume might be the first item an employer sees. So, it is important not to appear unprofessional and immediately be out of consideration for the job.
An important part of searching for a legal job is networking. Besides your credentials, who you know might be the key to finding the right job.
Obtaining a judicial clerkship can be a valuable experience to include on a legal resume. Judicial clerkships typically teach research and writing skills, usually at appellate-level courts, and provide exposure to the courtroom, usually at the trial level. There are federal clerkships and state clerkships. Federal clerkships are considered more prestigious than state clerkships, but both provide great opportunities to develop legal research, writing, and lawyering skills.
How to Start Your Own Law Firm How to Start Your Own Law Firm: Starting a law firm can be an extremely rewarding endeavor. If you have your own firm, you can set your own hours, hire people to work for you as you please, and choose your own clientele and specialty.
It can also be exhausting to start your own law firm! In the beginning, you will have to work a lot of hours. You will also have to get used to wearing multiple hats — lawyer, marketer, secretary, accountant, janitor, etc. As you gain success, you can start to hire help and delegate (which are two other skills that are difficult for some). Read more
JD Advising founder, Ashley Heidemann, is proud to have an article published in the May 2017 edition of the Michigan Bar Journal.
Ashley Heidemann’s article is titled “The Business of Practicing Law: Targeting Millenials.” The article discusses how law firms and laywers can better tailor their practices in order to reach the millenial generation. The Michigan bar journal article outlines 7 steps for lawyers and firms to take if they seek to make their businesses more “millenial friendly”.
To read the article on “The Business of Practicing Law: Targeting Millenials” please click on the link. Read more
What Is Document Review?If you went to law school and are looking for a job outside of a traditional law firm, or need some work while preparing for the bar exam, document review might be for you! Below, a recent law school graduate gives an inside look at document reviewer positions.
Document Review Pros and ConsDocument review is a growing field of employment for attorneys, especially given the challenging job market in many parts of the country. Below, a law school graduate details the pros and cons of a document review position.
Our 7 Best Workflow tips: Nothing is more annoying than spending a day unmotivated, dragging your feet. Or realizing you have spent the past two hours on Facebook instead of getting anything done. Or, seeing half of your to-do list left for tomorrow. Here are our seven best workflow tips to combat unproductivity and inefficiency. Whether you are a law student, a lawyer, or something else entirely, we hope our seven best workflow tips can help you! Read more
Starting your own business is super-exciting. It is something that is challenging, fulfilling, and different than any thing you have probably done in your life.
Unlike other goals, there is not a clear “start” or “finish.” There is not a set path. You have to find one as you go along. This brings a lot of surprises and challenges on the way. In this post, I discuss the advantages of being an entrepreneur as well as the disadvantages.
Hate Practicing Law? Need a way out?
Many lawyers realize quickly that they do not like their jobs and need to find a way out! Some feel guilty for even complaining (given the not-so-stellar job market). But we believe you only have one life and should not spend it on something that you dread, or that is unfulfilling, or not what you were meant to do. Read more
