RIP RBG. She Left Us Good Advice

Ruth Bader Ginsburg has departed this world, but left words to guide us. She wrote “advice to the living” a few years ago for the New York Times: Be a little deaf. “I have employed it as well in every workplace, including the Supreme Court. When a thoughtless or unkind word is spoken, best tune […]
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Hot Practice Areas & Industries that Have Changed over 10 Years 

I’ve been recruiting in-house lawyers for over 10 years. The most requested practice area, then and now, is commercial, i.e., negotiating and drafting agreements. Companies always need deals to be closed, both inbound (licensing) and outbound (sales), so it’s easy to justify hiring commercial lawyers, in contrast to other legal needs that ebb and flow. […]
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5 Changes in Legal Recruiting over the Last 10 Years

I’ve been recruiting lawyers for in-house jobs 10+ years. Some changes I’ve observed in recruiting: Employers increasingly give assessment tests as part of the interview process, e.g., a short contract or scenario for finalists to review and comment on. While the test can be painful for interviewees, it does make the hiring process fairer. Employers […]
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Essential Trait for Job Search (& You Already Have It!)

What you need to succeed at work is something you already have: grit! My former Harvard classmate and now Penn professor/MacArthur grant winner Angela Duckworth has found that grit is a significant predictor of success. The ability to work hard and maintain focus for prolonged periods is key, even more so than pure intelligence. Why […]
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Mentorship at All Levels!

Legal veterans, reach out and help the next generation, e.g., with hbcu20x20 or Pay it Forward. And I’m so impressed that young legal leaders are already mentoring others! I list their resources below. Nyssa Chopra, a tech lawyer with a background in diplomacy and human rights, puts out a bi-weekly “Mentor in Law” newsletter aimed at “law students, recent […]
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Hustle!

Yes, times are bad. Your career may take some detours, but don’t give up! In fact, graduates in the Great Recession who hustled were able to get back on track once the economy turned up. Here are a couple recent LinkedIn posts who underscore this point. A 2010 George Mason law grad tells the story […]
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How to Explain a Gap Due to COVID

If you are a COVID casualty and are concerned how employers will view a layoff or stall in career progression, it’ll be ok. Employers are usually pretty understanding of economic conditions wreaking havoc on people’s careers. That’s what I saw for the Great Recession and Dot Bomb. Here’s what to say about what happened: Explain […]
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3 Things Employees Vulnerable to Layoff Should Do

COVID has stalled the domestic and global economy, resulting in mass layoffs everywhere, but women and people of color have been hit the hardest. The Harvard Business Review and LinkedIn’s GetHired column report: March unemployment figures show overall unemployment increased by 26%, but that number is an eye-popping 64% for Asian Americans and 36% for LatinX. Also, […]
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