How to Handle Rejection

On May 3, 2019

Hundreds of successful lawyers have told me that their careers zigzagged and that there is no straight line to the top. How you deal with inevitable rejection can set you apart. Do you get beaten down, or do you figure out what you do best and who has a need for that? Wharton professor Adam […]

Career Management, Career Tips, GC, Inhouse

5 Ways to Get that Top GC Job!

On April 21, 2019

The Recorder sat down with top Bay Area GCs to find out how they landed that #1 job. A distillation below: Impress your clients. Airbus Silicon Valley Robert Keele got the job after serving as outside counsel. (In my opinion, joining a client is the easiest way to go in-house. You know the company, and […]

Career Tips, Presentation, Women & Minorities

How to Be Assertive at Work & Not Alienate Anyone!

On March 22, 2019

I like this (very long) New York Times piece on how to be assertive without alienating anyone, especially in the workplace. Below are 5 points I have distilled, complete with helpful sample language: Be brief but gracious when saying no. An example of how to stand up for yourself and not tear anyone down: “I […]

Career Management, Career Tips, Mentors

Getting Sponsors (Who Will Change Your Career)

On March 1, 2019

Whenever I meet a lawyer, I hear how they got to where they are. Superstars? They always have a great backer (sponsor), who advised them, championed for them, and smoothed the way. How do you get sponsors? I like this article from Fast Company. The main points: Identify who could be your sponsor. Carla Harris […]

Career Management, Career Tips, Compensation, Presentation

5 Things You Should Have Ready in Your Career Toolkit at All Times!

On January 3, 2019

Happy new year! It’s time to take stock of your career. At a minimum, these five essential items should be in your toolbox (as set forth in this recent Forbes article): Strong base resume. The article notes it’s hard to build an effective resume at a moment’s notice. All lawyers should have a base resume […]

Career Management, Career Tips, Change

Get Ahead of a Recession!

On December 19, 2018

The American Lawyer recently reported that demand for legal services in 2018 set records, but that a “reckoning” may await us. Indeed, a majority of economists polled by the Wall Street Journal foresee a recession by 2020, and CFOs polled by Duke’s business school believe it’ll come even sooner. We lawyers are trained to mitigate […]

Career Tips

Successful Lawyers All Share This in Common

On December 3, 2018

Successful lawyers all have benefited from mentors. I encourage you to find these people so important to your career. This TED article identifies five kinds: Subject matter expert. This leader in your space can comment on trends as well as your skill set and ideas. Your work champion. This person can advocate for you and also […]

Career Management, Career Tips, Change, Departure, Women & Minorities

5 Take-Aways from ACC Facebook Career Advancement Talk (Aug. 20, 2018)

On September 3, 2018

If you were shut out of the sold-out ACC career advancement talk at Facebook featuring Zynga CLO Phuong Phillips, Facebook DGC Paul Grewal, and Chevron Chief IP Counsel Nicholas Leach, here are 5 pieces of advice from these senior legal execs: At the beginning of your career, take on as much work as you can, […]

Career Management, Career Tips, Interview, Presentation

Ghosting by Candidates: Sign of an Overheated Economy

On August 26, 2018

I read this LinkedIn article about job seekers ghosting prospective employers. Usually, it’s the employer who disappears in the interview process, but in overheated times like these, candidates are starting to ghost employers and recruiters, I’m guessing because passively ghosting is the easiest thing to do in the short run. But (really, need I say […]

Career Management, Career Tips, Interview

How to Get Considered For Manager Roles When You’ve Never Managed Before: 5 Tips

On August 17, 2018

As you climb the corporate ladder and aspire to be a manager, you may notice these senior management jobs are rare and require applicants to already be managers. How can you be considered for a management role when you’ve never had direct reports? Five tips below. Work for a company that is growing quickly. You can then […]

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