Interview tips for lawyers — part 1

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We’ve recently received some requests for interview tips for attorneys; and we aim to please!  (Check back next week for anther round of interview tips.)  And now, without further ado, several tips that are sure to help you reach your goal — a second interview! 

1)  Let them know why you are interested in their firm. Make it clear that you aren’t looking for any port in the storm and that you are being highly selective about the opportunities you are choosing to interview for.  If you are only meeting one firm for a specific position and where not even actively looking until Swan contacted you, then be sure to convey that.

Firms want to know why you are leaving your current position.  You must be consistent with your answer and you must keep it positive.

Firms may ask you where else you are interviewing.  Keep it vague; you can say something like: “firms similar to yours that have a biotech component to their corporate group.”  Again, you want to enforce the perception that you are being extremely selective and that you will only move for the right fit.

2)  Ask them what they need. Why are they hiring right now?  New client?  New case? How long have they been looking?

3)  Discuss three solid examples of your work. They may or may not ask for specific examples, but you can take charge and lay them out.  What you discuss should dovetail with your resume and cover letter.  Be sure to review both of those documents beforehand.

Knowing what you want to discuss in advance is also a wonderful way to stay relaxed during your interview!

4) Don’t be afraid to discuss a difficult issue that you had and how you resolved it. You want them to see you as a problem solver and someone who remains calm under pressure while getting the job done.

Stay tuned for even more interview tips!  If you need any additional help, please do not hesitate to contact us. We’re attorneys, too!

Checklist for the all-important client meeting

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If you have a meeting with a prospective client, you know that the stakes are high and your anxiety level is even higher.  It’s completely normal to be nervous, but you can do some things that help you overcome your fears and (hopefully) land the new client.

1.       Practice, practice, practice. Speak with a trusted friend, a colleague or a mentor and ask him or her to pretend to be the client.  Set up a fake interview and video tape it.  Once you’re done with the interview, ask your friend for his/her opinion and watch the video. You’ll be able to dissect what you did right and what you did wrong.  Those things that didn’t go as planned can be adjusted for the real thing.

2.       Talk to the mirror. You can’t see your facial expressions when you talk, and these are crucial to any face-to-face meeting.  Stand in the mirror and talk about the same things you’ll discuss in the meeting.  Notice how your face moves and adjust as necessary.  Remember, people do business with people they like, so you want to look friendly, confident and approachable.

3.       Do your research. This step cannot be emphasized enough.  Find out everything you can about your prospective client.  Look online and talk to people who may know him/her.   Know as much about the client as possible – not just about work, but about interests, hobbies, family.  One of the most important things about the meeting is to connect and build trust.  Knowing a little bit about the potential client and connecting on common ground is crucial.

4.       Prepare you questions and your topics. Take some time to think about the things you want to ask and say.  You definitely don’t need to stick with a script, but just having an idea of the topics you’ll discuss will make you feel more confident.

5.       Come prepared for a “yes.” This is so important in any client meeting – be prepared for a “yes.”  Therefore, if all new clients must sign a contract, bring the contract.  If your new clients need to approve a proposal, bring the proposal.  When a client says yes, you want to make that a quick, seamless process for them.

Now you’re ready to conquer the world!  Or, at least the prospective client meeting.  Good luck!  Need more tips?  Contact us!  We’re attorneys helping attorneys, and we’d love to help you.

Making sure you’re on the right side of the widening pay gap at big law

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Many of you know exactly what we’re talking about – the noticeable pay gap widening among partners at large firms.  Since the economic downturn, the trend has become even more apparent.  Firms are trimming everywhere they can and paying the “star” lawyers even more.  Why?  They need the business.  Law firms don’t run solely on reputation and law school pedigrees.  They need clients to be successful.  It’s clear that they are making sure that lawyers who bring in clients make as much money as necessary to make them stay.

So, the key is to be one of the attorneys who can bring the clients.  It’s absolutely critical that, as a partner, you are bringing cases and as an associate you are building the foundation to generate revenue.  Do you have a book of business?  If not, it’s time you get to work.  We recommend reading our earlier blog series about how to bring business.

We want to hear from you, in the trenches.  Do you see this trend at your own firm?  What are you doing to bring more business to the firm?

What are law firms looking for in an attorney?

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It appears that the legal market is finally turning around. We’ve been seeing some progress for a few months, but things really started picking up since the beginning of the year.  If you’re an attorney searching for a job, you’re in luck!  However, the question remains – what are firms searching for in an associate and a partner?

To be sure, there are still more attorneys available than attorney positions and the market is highly competitive.  Firms are choosy about attorneys and look for specific traits along with experience.  Do any of these sound like you?

For associates

Strong work ethic and intellectual curiosity;

Loyalty and desire to go the extra mile;

Excellent communication skills;

Team player

For partners

Practice area expertise;

Superb reputation;

Business generation skills;

Team player

If you have these traits, you definitely should show prospective employers just as you want to demonstrate your legal expertise.  Be sure you include examples of these traits in your cover letter.  To show intellectual curiosity and dedication, you may want to say something like “I worked in my last position for more than four years.  During that time, I worked tirelessly to learn all I could about tax law.  As a result, my knowledge of tax expands beyond code – I now understand how tax law affects a company from the top down.”

Of course, it’s always a good idea to let firms know of any business you bring to the table.  This is extremely important for partners, and very helpful for associates, as well.  Be specific regarding what type of cases you could bring to the firm and list the ways you plan to continue to generate more business in the future.

Any other questions?  Contact us!  We’re attorneys helping attorneys and we are happy to help lead the way to a great new position!

A how-to: Setting career goals for attorneys

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You’ve known since you were a kid how important it is to have goals.  So far, you’ve done a great job with achieving goals – law school, the bar and the practice of law aren’t easy tasks and you’ve done them brilliantly.  Now, it may seem that you’re in a bit of a rut with your career goals.  What’s next?  Unfortunately, I can’t tell you exactly what your next goals should be – only you can decide that.  However, I can give you a little advice as to how to make sure  your goals “stick.”

1.       Be specific.  When you make a goal, be sure it’s very specific.  You definitely don’t want to make a goal to “make a lot of money in the next five years.”  You need to be specific.  How much money do you want to make?  How do you want to make the money?  A goal like “I want to make $1,000,000 by selling my vacation home and bringing two patent cases by January 2016” is a much better way to state your goal.

2.       Be realistic.  You obviously want to make your goal a stretch, but you want to make it a realistic stretch.  Something like “I want to buy my own island in the Caribbean by 2012” may not be a realistic goal for a 2nd year associate who has no other assets.  However, “I want to buy my own island in the Caribbean by 2031” may be more realistic.

3.       Put a specific date on your goal.  It’s very important to give yourself a time line when you’re making goals.  Without due dates, none of us would get very far. (Now you know why courts have due dates for motions!)

4.       Write it down!!  This is by far the most important tip (and the easiest) when making goals.  If your goals are written, you are much more likely to remember them and achieve them.

More questions about setting your career goals?  Contact us!  We’d love to help.