What do you like most about your job? Least?
I cope on a daily basis with government agencies which aren't always administering the law and often have examiners that are under-trained. It may be frustrating dealing with a system that is so unpredictable.
What is the best means to get a job?
To land your first job out of law school, you have to first decide what type of job you hope to secure. If your plan is to attach among the AmLaw 100 firms or work in the public sector, the best plan is to participate in your law school's on-campus interview plan, which literally brings law companies and government entities directly to your door and allow you to learn about and apply for a number of chances. Check with your college to determine which firms and public-sector agencies take part in the program.
Would you really have to push yourself into the ground the first couple of years of training to make it?
In actuality, there is every reason they need to. Having interests and responsibilities outside the workplace make you a better-rounded person, and that is something we value. Many hours are spent by our lawyers away from the workplace on matters including but not restricted to pro bono or community service jobs, article and research writing, nonprofit board memberships, and athletic endeavors. While all those activities help to make our lawyers' lives more satisfying, they make us a much workforce which is able to fulfill requirements and the needs of our varied client base.
Can you see a bias against people who attend law school later in life?
Being a lawyer is not only about studying the legislation and problem solving. It is about understanding clients' objectives, both personally and within a business. From there, lawyers can develop strategies for addressing those objectives but always keeping in mind that the clients' costs and overall company and/or plans that are personal. In short, understanding and implementing the law, while important to the achievement of any lawyer, is just one element of what a lawyer does. And, candidly, attorneys who have experience in adulthood in terms of life lessons, prior experience, or the workforce are usually more armed to grasp the larger picture of what it's to be a lawyer.
Did any courses prove particularly useful as you began practicing?
In my view, the most important classes you may take are legal writing and research, both basic and advanced. I attended Cornell Law School in Ithaca, New York. At the moment, it had since I had been one of the few associates who may turn without any editing in a workmanlike memo, an intensive , research and writing program during winter break that served me well in summer positions.
Was there anything that you wished you would have done otherwise in law school that you didn't understand until you started to practice?
I'm glad I didn't compare my study habits to those of my pals. I have been a studier. When it came time to study for the bar examination, I kept up my customs but was hearing from friends who had been in the law school library using a research group from open to close. I wondered if my 10 a.m.--4 p.m. schedule at my regional library was going to induce me to fail the bar, so I ventured down to the law library one day. I found that those people could have been "at the library" daily, but they were certainly not researching all day. I came back to my customs and realized the study skills that got me would get me I knew worked for me.
No comments:
Post a Comment