Career Paths
Knowing Who’s Who in the Job Search Process
August 18, 2017
By Valerie Fontaine – Job seekers in the legal marketplace find a myriad of online and in-person resources of varying uses and value. Do-it-yourselfers might stick to Internet options such as social media, job boards, and employer listings with great success; others seeking the more human touch might reach out to one or more of the
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How Can We End the “Pinkwashing” of Biglaw?
July 16, 2017
By Gemma L. Descoteaux — A quick perusal of the websites for the Am Law 200 law firms shows that big firms are dedicated to the advancement of women. They sponsor women’s events, host gender equality initiatives, and hold large women’s conferences. Yet, when you look behind the website fluff—what I call the “pinkwashing” of
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THE MANSFIELD RULE: Making Leadership More Than a Man’s Field
May 31, 2017
By Patricia K. Gillette — “What if we consider that it is not the women, but the system that needs to be fixed?” Whatever we are doing in law firms to increase gender diversity in positions of economic and institutional power is not working. How do we know that? Simply look at the statistics. The number of
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Laterals Must Take a Proactive Role in Their Onboarding
June 15, 2016
By Valerie Fontaine – Much is written about the lateral lawyer onboarding process from the employer’s point of view, but the newly hired lateral must play an equal or greater role in the process. Most large law firms have an established protocol yet, once everyone gets busy, it’s not always followed or completed. As a lateral
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Reentry Attorneys: Wanting Back In (and Bringing A Lot Too)
April 17, 2016
By Carroll Welch – There’s a huge, still largely untapped source of energy and talent available to legal employers right now, and with the recent increase in structured programs that recruit, vet, re-orient, and/or mentor these candidates, there’s never been a better time to include them in a workplace that prioritizes diversity: reentry attorneys. Opportunities such
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What’s Your Hook?
January 21, 2016
By Valerie Fontaine – A narrative hook grabs readers’ attention at the beginning of a story and draws them in so they continue reading. Similarly, in a job search, your hook or Unique Value Proposition (UVP) states the clear benefit you provide to a prospective employer. It communicates who you are, what you do, what differentiates
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Looking into My Crystal Ball . . . Hot Practice Areas for 2016
November 23, 2015
By Valerie Fontaine – Hot and cold areas of law practice fluctuate with economic cycles. Areas that are hot right now may be completely cold in the future, and vice versa. Right now, and for the foreseeable future, real estate and corporate transactional practices are absolutely hot. Real estate finance, development, construction, purchase and sale, and
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What is a Successful Legal Career?
August 25, 2015
By Ellen Ostrow – (Originally Published in the Women Lawyers Journal; 2015, VOL. 100, NO. 3) If asked to evaluate your career – as of this moment – as successful or not, how would you react? What would determine your conclusion? Had you prevailed in court last week, perhaps you would respond with an emphatic “successful.” But had
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Career Counseling for Lawyers: It’s Never Too Early
April 6, 2015
By Naomi Beard & Jessica Hedrick – As part of the outplacement process, law firms have long invested in specialized career coaching services for departing associates to ensure thoughtfully executed and ultimately successful career transitions. Any attorney who has worked with a career coach through such a transition can point to numerous advantages afforded them by
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Finding Hybrids in the Legal Industry – The Lawyer-Entrepreneur
January 26, 2015
By Gwynne Monahan, Guest Contributor – This article was originally published in Law Technology Today January 2, 2015. The premise of the TV show Vampire Diaries is that there are vampires, werewolves, and witches living among us, only we don’t know it because they blend into our surroundings by adopting the human mannerisms, clothing, gadgets, and other material things
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