The skills that make a great rainmaker are not necessarily the same skills that make a great law firm associate. In the first few years, associates are valued for traits similar to those that brought success in law school—the ability to learn quickly and produce massive quantities of quality work. Suddenly, a few years later…
To conduct a successful job search, you need to tell a consistent story in your resume and cover letter, and continue the theme throughout the interview process. Just as a narrative hook grabs readers’ attention at the beginning of a story and draws them in so they continue reading, in a job search, you need…
Most major law firms pay annual associate bonuses during the months of January and February. Firms eye their competition and try to match or slightly outdo each other without giving away too much of their precious partnership profits. As each new year begins, many lawyers wonder: How much will my bonus be? Or, in tough…
When it comes to advancing your career, it helps to be self-centered. To survive slow economic times or thrive in good ones, you must demonstrate your value to your organization’s bottom line. It is your responsibility to document your work; you can’t expect others to remember and recognize all that you do. An essential career…
The partnership track at most major law firms is seven to ten years long, and wise associates will make use of the entire time to position themselves for the nod. Making a concerted effort during the last year or two may be too little, too late. At the beginning of an associate’s career, the top…
Performance reviews needn’t be an ordeal; rather, with the proper preparation and attitude, they can be an opportunity for mapping out your path to career success. Virtually all attorneys from junior associate to senior partner have some sort of evaluation, even if it is only part of the annual compensation-setting process. With the tight economy…
