CAREER ADVICE FOR GRADUATES

While emphasizing that lawyers fulfill a vital but often misunderstood public function in society, The American Legal Profession: The Myths and Realities of Practicing Law dispels some of the common misconceptions about the legal profession to show that the reality of being a lawyer is much different from what many students believe it to be. Many students know little about what law school is like or how it differs from undergraduate study, and this book corrects common myths about graduating law school and life after passing the bar. This brief primer is a nuts-and-bolts analysis of what it is really like to go into the legal profession, from start to finish, giving students considering a career in law a realistic overview of their potential legal careers.

There is more to thriving as a new law firm associate than doing great legal work. Associates must also demonstrate commitment to law firm values; capably manage up and down within their firm; successfully interact with people of different generations, cultures, and backgrounds; champion diversity and inclusion; work smartly and efficiently; contribute to innovation within their firms; manage their workloads; continually learn about their clients' businesses; and so much more.An Associate's First Year: A Guide to Thriving at a Law Firm, edited by Jennifer L. Bluestein and written by more than a dozen experts--including partners, professional development directors, law firm associates, and other legal industry professionals--provides guidance on: The expectations of a first year attorneyStarting off right in the first six monthsTime managementPracticing in a global environmentCreating "positive visibility" for yourselfThe importance of pro bono work early in your careerEmbracing technology and innovation in legal practicePresenting work to senior attorneysWorking with secretaries, paralegals, and other staffEstablishing yourself as a leader within the firmReceiving and responding to performance feedbackFostering inclusion in a diverse workplaceSelf-editing your written workTaking charge of your careerPracticing self-careGetting the most out of year-end reviewsKnowing when it's time to leave your firmEach chapter is full of practical suggestions that can help new associates gain confidence and thrive in the first year of practice at a law firm.

Kerry Lavelle received his undergraduate degree in Economics from North Park University. He then earned an MBA in Finance and Economics from DePaul University before pursuing his J.D. at the DePaul University College of Law. He began his own practice, Lavelle Legal Services, in 1989, focusing primarily on matters of tax law. Today, the firm known as Lavelle Law, Ltd., has grown to include twenty-eight attorneys with practice groups in Tax, Business Law, Commercial Real Estate, Estate Planning, Criminal Law, Home Health Care, Small Business, Gaming Law, Bankruptcy, Corporate Formation, Family Law, Litigation, Grocery Law, Employment Law, Residential Real Estate, Securities, and LGBT Law. A frequently published attorney, Lavelle has also hosted a weekly public policy television program and along with the other attorneys in the firm is a regular contributor to the weekly podcast series "Chicago's Legal Latte." He has received numerous commendations and awards for his tireless commitment to both charities and pro bono legal services. His entire staff is committed to a wide range of charitable events through Lavelle Law Charities. Lavelle has served as an adjunct faculty member at John Marshall Law School, teaching a course in I.R.S. Practice and Procedure, and as an adjunct faculty member at William Rainey Harper College, where he has taught courses in Business Law and Economics. Mr. Lavelle resides in Inverness, IL, with his wife, Geralyn, and their four children. Book jacket.

So you've taken the bar exam. Now what? How to Achieve Success After the Bar Exam will guide recent law-school graduates as they make the crucial transition from student to lawyer. Through week-by-week activities and practical advice, this book will help recent grads define their career vision, seek out networking opportunities, demonstrate their value to potential clients, develop accountability, and think like a businessperson.

Let's face it. The entire legal industry is in a state of flux. If you're a new lawyer in today's economy, you're probably asking yourself one of the following questions: .How do I transition from law school to law practice? .How do I get a job? .How can I find like-minded mentors and colleagues? .How do I develop a book of business? .How do I become a good lawyer? These questions weigh on you and keep you awake at night, along with thoughts like "Was going to law school really the right decision?" or "Should I be doing something else with my life?" If you aren't asking yourself these questions, you are ignoring the world to your detriment. Written from the in-the-trenches perspective of a young lawyer, The Marble and the Sculptor provides a clear no-nonsense path from law school to lawyering. It presents a fundamental understanding of what is expected of new attorneys and a framework for becoming a successful both as a lawyer and in life. With advice on everything from choosing classes that matter in law school to the importance of writing well, attracting clients, and avoiding five basic mistakes in your first job at a law firm, this book is destined to become the go-to guide for all young lawyers regardless of law school or area of practice. Simply put, if you care at all about practicing law, you can t afford not to read it."

The Roadmap process transforms the question of "what value do you bring?" into an opportunity to differentiate oneself from other students. You will not need to wait for a specific question about the value you bring beyond technical legal skills to help legal employers and clients. Instead, you will understand what skills legal employers and clients need and will be able to explain how your strongest skills can help them succeed. You will be prepared with your best stories to demonstrate persuasive evidence of your strongest skills. The book encourages you to use your time in law school to develop the competencies important to your future, and helps the reader form a conscious plan to demonstrate these self-development experiences.

In What Millennial Lawyers Want: A Bridge from the Past to the Future of Law Practice, author Susan Smith Blakely expands her audience beyond young women lawyers to ALL young lawyers and those who lead them. Following the success of her three-book Best Friends at that Bar series, Ms. Blakely shifts her focus to millennial lawyers who are the future of the law profession. This book is for: Law students to understand current practices, what needs to be changed, and how to fit into an evolving profession; Law firm associates to validate their instincts about outdated law firm policies and toxic law firm cultures; and Law firm leaders to understand millennial lawyers and to make the necessary changes to law firm cultures to retain talent and lead them into the next quarter of the 21st century. Through extensive research about millennial lawyers and by millennial lawyers as well as entertaining and inspirational stories of lawyers from a generation past, Blakely makes a case that demonstrates a healthier path forward for a profession in transition--a path enriched by recapture of the values and beliefs, which successfully guided lawyers of the Greatest Generation. The message is that bad habits and toxic environments are not beyond repair if we listen to the voices of a new generation of lawyers and help them--and us--find a better way forward. You will learn: The facts about millennial lawyers; The values that millennial lawyers bring to the profession; What millennial lawyers want from law practice; The challenge for law firms to initiate change to retain and develop millennial lawyers; and Lessons from real life stories demonstrating values lost but not forgotten.