blog

Advice for Junior Associates in 2023

Photo by monicore on Pexels.com I recently checked in with some lawyer colleagues and friends, asking for their current tips for today's junior associates in law firms. Here's some of the advice I heard over and over again: Pick up the phone. Can't get someone to...

Staying Healthy as a Young Lawyer

A coaching client recently asked me for advice on staying healthy as a young lawyer and making time for wellness while working in biglaw. My client will soon be joining a large law firm as a first-year lawyer and over their third year of law school and summer of bar...

Sale: Survive & Thrive for New Lawyers

The transition from law student to lawyer can be tough. How tough?A 2015 survey by Barbri found that while 71% of law students believed they had sufficient skills to practice law, only 23% of practicing lawyers thought that those new lawyers had...

Sale: Survive & Thrive for New Lawyers

The transition from law student to lawyer can be tough. How tough?A 2015 survey by Barbri found that while 71% of law students believed they had sufficient skills to practice law, only 23% of practicing lawyers thought that those new lawyers had...

How to Spend a Slow Summer at Work

Many legal practices slow down for the summer. As a litigator, July and August tended to be some of my slowest months. Opposing counsel and courts seemed hesitant to set deadlines as everyone took one last summer vacation or break before the new school year started...

Summer Associate Advice Roundup

Law firm summer associate programs are well underway, so I’m posting a roundup of some of my past advice to summers. Have a burning question for me this summer? Just email it to thecareerfiles@gmail.com. GENERAL ADVICE...

Work Smarter, Not Harder: Using Templates in Legal Work

One piece of advice I always urge junior and senior lawyers to follow is to identify and use templates. Junior lawyers should ask for sample documents to follow for formatting, style, and substance when getting new assignments. Senior lawyers should share templates...

10 Tips for Lawyers to Improve Well-Being in Your Workday

Photo by Matteo Di Iorio on Pexels.com Well-Being Week in the Law is upon us. Well-Being has been a big topic of late, especially with the stress of the last couple of years living through a global pandemic. Law firms are hiring wellness consultants and coaches and...

Lawyer Gifts that Attorneys and New Grads Could Really Use

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com As a new class of lawyers graduates this spring, I’ve been giving some thought to lawyer gifts that attorneys and recent law grads can actually use. Following are items I would have been grateful to receive as a new lawyer....

Law Firm Life is Now Available

I am thrilled to announce that my latest ebook, Law Firm Life, is available for purchase on Amazon. It's the guide I needed before starting work at a large law firm after graduation and covers: How to set up your home and finances to prepare for working lifeTips to...

It’s April – Got a New Job Yet?

The year is a quarter over. If you resolved to get a new job this year, it's time to check in on your progress. I love movie trailers. I always get to the theater (remember theaters?) early enough to watch them. They’re full of promise and possibilities. I also love...

BILLABLE HOUR