Amanda Ellis Legal Search
Something Different
September 2010
Welcome to the September issue of Something Different! The arrival of fall signals the arrival of new associates at law firms, so it seemed appropriate to use this issue of Something Different to share ten tools to help new associates in their new careers.

Coming September 24!
The 6Ps of the BIG 3™ for Job-Seeking JDs
 September also signals the arrival of the book I've talked about since January. The 6Ps of the BIG 3™ for Job-Seeking JDs arrives on September 24!

final front cover

















Click here to view the Table of Contents and click here to pre-order through Amazon.

The book is 360 pages and contains over 200 examples of lawyers and law students using the Big 3 sites.

Visit the 6Ps blog for updates about the book as well as the latest social networking issues affecting your career. The blog posts since the August newsletter include:

September 30 - Resumes & #LawJobChat
The next #LawJobChat is September 30, 9:00 p.m. EDT, and the topic is resumes. Our guest co-host is Jessica Silverstein, Principal of Attorney's Counsel and an expert on attorney resumes and interview assessments. You can follow Jessica on Twitter @AttysCounsel.

If you missed the August #LawJobChat with Richard Russeth, General Counsel of Leprino Foods, you missed a fantastic discussion. Click here to read the summary and access the transcript. Thank you, Richard!

Something Different: Typography for Lawyers
For your dose of something different this month, check out this website just for lawyers. Thanks to my college friend @nwilliams for bringing this resource to my attention.

As always, I welcome any questions and comments.

Amanda
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IN THIS ISSUE
New Associate Toolbox
Something Different Archive
About Us
Where's Amanda?

8/28: Tulsa, OK
University of Tulsa School of Law

9/7: Dallas, TX
SMUDedman School of Law

9/9: Houston, TX
South Texas College of Law

9/21: Austin, TX
State Bar of Texas webcast for new lawyers

9/25-10/2: New York
St. John's Law School, Cardozo Law, Law Firm

10/4-10/8: Massachusetts
Law Firm

10/11-10/14: Louisiana
Loyola Law, IWIRC

10/26-10/28: Phoenix
ASU Law

11/3: San Antonio, TX
St. Mary's Law School
Brevity
New Associate Toolbox
by Amanda C. Ellis, Esq.

"But, they didn't teach us that in law school ..."

"I wish I had known that when I began practicing ..."

I often hear the above reactions from many mid-level and senior associates as they progress in their careers and realize which tools actually help them advance--either within the firm or to a position in another firm or organization.

Since many recent law school graduates begin new jobs this fall, I thought it was worth sharing ten tools that associates eventually discover are essential to their career advancement--either advancing within their firms or moving to another firm, corporation, or organization. By learning about these tools now, at the beginning of your legal career, hopefully you'll avoid the two reactions above when you are ready to advance to the next level in your legal career.

  • BigLaw Associate Expiration Dates. Earlier this year, I compared an associate's life in BigLaw to a professional football player's life in the NFL--both must end. The BigLaw expiration date does not mean your career cannot continue in BigLaw; rather, it just means that associates should know what is required to continue their career in BigLaw and when they are most marketable if they wish to leave BigLaw. Click here to read more about the expiration dates in BigLaw and steps you can take to plan accordingly.

  • First-Year Plan. Networking for your first client or next position begins in your first year of practice--if you add the appropriate connections to your professional network. Click here to read about the First-Year Plan discussed in my book that helps first year law students and associates identify and meet the appropriate contacts during their first 33 months of law school or practice.
  • Practice Area. Not all practice areas are created equally. Certain practice areas do not allow for flexible schedules. Talk to lawyers in a variety of practice areas so you can make an informed decision when choosing your practice area.
  • Support Staff. The paralegals and legal assistants working with you will know more than you--especially with respect to court and firm procedures. Learn from them. Be courteous to them.

  • Resume Addendum. Begin tracking your experience with the cases/matters you handle during your first year of practice. Track your experience in a Word document. Don't worry about formatting at this point. Focus on the details of your experience (without revealing confidential information). For example, note the client's industry, nature of dispute, dollar amount at stake, successful results, etc. This document will become your resume addendum when you apply and interview for positions throughout your career. You must update this document regularly.
  • LinkedIn InMail. Click here to read how to accept InMail on LinkedIn. You must accept InMail if you want recruiters and potential employers to find and communicate with you on LinkedIn. Reporters also use the InMail feature to obtain information from attorneys for articles.

  • Reading List. Mike Maslanka, the managing partner of Ford & Harrison in Dallas, wrote an interesting Facebook status update this summer about publications new associates should read as part of their business/professional development. He suggested the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Harvard Business Review.

    I agree with Mike's suggestions, and I would also add Fast Company, a suggestion by a partner at my first law firm and a publication I continue to read today.

    At a minimum, follow these publications on Twitter. You can skim the tweets for articles and topics even if you don't have time to read the publications from cover to cover. The publications' Twitter handles include:
    1. @nytimes
    2. @wsj
    3. @HarvardBiz
    4. @FastCompany

  • Writing Sample. You will be asked to provide writing samples throughout your professional career. Publishing articles is one way to build a portfolio you can share with potential employers or clients. Click here to read about where you can publish, what to write and how to fit publishing into your schedule.

  • Leadership. Assume a leadership role in a professional or civic organization. Lead a committee or volunteer to plan an event. Choose some level of leadership that allows you to work with others. Leading others in a group effort is one of the best ways to get to know people, and connections you make can serve as referrals for new clients or future jobs.


  • Mentor. While many firms assign mentors to new associates, I encourage you to find at least one mentor outside your firm as well. You can find mentors in your existing professional network or you may find a mentor by connecting with new legal professionals on social networking sites like Twitter.

Finally, I leave you with this New York Times editorial by John Grisham regarding his career path. Remember that your first position is a stepping stone along your career path. Embrace the opportunities that exist in the position and allow them to guide you.
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ABOUT US
HeadshotAmanda Ellis Legal Search was founded by Amanda C. Ellis, a former practicing bankruptcy attorney and an accomplished attorney recruiter. Amanda was previously with Special Counsel, the largest provider of legal staffing services to corporate legal departments and law firms nationwide, where she was the top producer for direct hire attorney placements. Amanda formed Amanda Ellis Legal Search to implement a focused approach to legal recruiting. Amanda Ellis Legal Search focuses on the placement of bankruptcy attorneys in law firms nationwide and, as of January 2010, on the placement of all attorneys in Dallas, Texas.
Inspired by the idea of doing something different or new each month in 2009, Amanda Ellis Legal Search launched Something Different in January 2009. The monthly newsletter outlines a new or different service or resource available to legal professionals in each issue. The newsletter often covers topics on social networking (still new and different to many attorneys) and how attorneys can incorporate social networking in their job searches or business development.

In addition to writing about social networking in Something Different, Amanda frequently speaks to law schools and law firms about incorporating social networking in job searches and business development. In 2009, Amanda created The 6Ps of the Big 3™: Using Social Networking Sites in Your Job Searchand presented the program to lawyers, law firm recruiters and law students in California, Texas, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey and New York. Amanda is finalizing two books based on The 6Ps of the Big 3™and scheduled for release in 2010.

Contact Amanda:
www.aellislegal.com
214.361.0070
© 2009 Amanda Ellis Legal Search.
This material may not be reproduced, republished or redistributed in whole or in part
without the expressed written permission of Amanda Ellis Legal Search.