This is How to Get a Job at a Small Firm

April 22nd, 2013 → 3:40 pm @ Ari Kaplan

I spoke with Samantha Williams, the Director of Employer Relations at Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, where she focuses primarily on small firm outreach and employer development. Williams is the co-author (with Linda Calvert Hanson) of Small Firms, Big Opportunity (LawyerAvenue Press, 2012), which provides readers with practical steps to identify where jobs are, how to get hired, and how to succeed in the new legal economy.

Williams shared tips on why law students and recent graduates should be focusing on smaller firms as potential employers, the best resources for those seeking employment with small firms, and the single most important concept to be aware of when looking for job opportunities with small firms.

Learn how to get started by listening to our interview below:

ari kaplan &ari kaplan advisors &Blog &careers &employment &ghostwriter &ghostwriting &job interviewing &jobs &law firm &law school &law students &law-related &lawyers &legal education &legal ghostwriter &legal industry &legal practice &professional services &reinventing professional services &Reinvention &small law firms

Reinventing Legal Training

April 4th, 2013 → 1:06 pm @ Ari Kaplan

I spoke with Desiree Moore, an attorney and the founder of Greenhorn Legal & Greenhorn Bold. Moore is also the author of: Thrive – A New Lawyer’s Guide to Law Firm Practice (American Bar Association, 2012).

We discussed her venture providing what she describes as “the foundational information law students and lawyers need,” her motivation for writing Thrive, and the launch of her on-demand practical skills training series, which focuses on professionalism, time management, communication, networking, and marketing, among other core competencies.

Listen to our interview below:

ari kaplan &ari kaplan advisors &Blog &employment &ghostwriter &ghostwriting &incremental innovation &innovation &law firm &law school &law students &law-related &lawyers &legal education &legal ghostwriter &legal industry &legal practice &leveraging technology &marketing &reinventing professional services &Reinvention &Students &writing

The Naked Constitution: What the Founders Said and Why It Still Matters

January 14th, 2013 → 4:32 pm @ Ari Kaplan

I spoke with Adam Freedman, author of The Naked Constitution: What the Founders Said and Why It Still Matters (Broadside Books, 2012) and The Party of the First Part: The Curious World of Legalese (Henry Holt and Co., 2007), as well as the host of the Legal Lad: Quick and Dirty Tips for a More Lawful Life.

We discussed his career as a lawyer/writer, how his views on constitutional interpretation would affect modern politics, and the advantages of holding an amending convention.

Listen to our interview below:

ari kaplan &ari kaplan advisors &Blog &careers &constitutional interpretation &getting published &ghostwriter &ghostwriting &law school &law students &law-related &lawyers &legal education &legal industry &legal practice &professional services &reinventing professional services &Reinvention &writing

Reinventing Law School Life

November 5th, 2012 → 7:15 am @ Ari Kaplan

Over the summer, I had the privilege of contributing to a summer associate series for Bloomberg Law. One of the other participants with whom I had the opportunity to collaborate is Alison Monahan, the founder of The Girl’s Guide to Law School, and the co-founder of the Bar Exam Toolbox and the Law School Toolbox.  We discussed the genesis of the Girl’s Guide, advice on law school exam preparation, and ways that law students can balance academics with health and wellness, among other topics. Listen to our interview below:

And, of course, you can watch the summer associate series to which Alison and I both contributed here:

ari kaplan &ari kaplan advisors &Blog &getting published &ghostwriter &ghostwriting &innovation &law school &law students &law-related &lawyers &legal education &legal practice &professional services &reinventing professional services &Reinvention &social media &Students

The Power of a Routine for Professionals

September 24th, 2012 → 4:36 pm @ Ari Kaplan

Seth Godin’s recent blog post – The Simple Power of One a Day – captures the essence of how professionals can generate momentum from incremental innovation.  He highlights that there are at least 200 working days a year and we can commit to completing a single marketing task on each one of them, including:

ari kaplan &Blog &ghostwriter &ghostwriting &incremental innovation &law firm &law school &legal industry &marketing &momentum &Networking &reinventing professional services &Reinvention

Redefining Online Education

July 6th, 2012 → 8:31 am @ Ari Kaplan

“Learning inspires change,” says David Schnurman, the president and CEO of Lawline.com, a leading provider of online continuing legal education that is transforming the way professionals educate themselves on the web.  In a discussion about the company’s new Lawline 2.0 initiative, which is making the site’s entire archive of over a thousand hours of programming free, Schnurman notes that “Lawline’s mission has always been to change the way people learn and since we are transitioning from a service-based economy to a knowledge-based economy, we are helping our audience make that change more seamlessly.”

In addition to providing CLE accreditation services in 43 states (including for this course), Lawline.com also offers CFP programs for those in financial services, and CPE courses for those in accounting, among other fields. A self-described “lifelong learner,” Schnurman wanted to give others the opportunity to actively engage with technology to enhance the learning experience.  Lawline 2.0 allows viewers to take “smart” notes that automatically form reference-like outlines, record five-minute course summaries for future use, and dynamically share their newly acquired expertise.

Listen to our interview below:

ari kaplan &CLE &david schnurman &ghostwriter &ghostwriting &higher education &incremental innovation &law firm &law firm associations &law firm profitability &law practice management &law school &law students &law-related &lawyers &legal and compliance &legal education &legal industry &Legal Technology &leveraging technology &reinventing professional services &Reinvention &small law firms &solo practice &writing

Reinvention Through Storytelling

June 14th, 2012 → 7:15 am @ Ari Kaplan

I read this story on the home page of a Chicago law firm and thought it was a great introduction to the culture of the organization:

In 1944, during World War II, Chicagoan Arthur Goldberg was deployed on a mission to North Africa for the Office of Strategic Services, a predecessor to the CIA. He knew that his old friend, Carl Devoe, was stationed in Cairo also doing intelligence work. Goldberg contacted Devoe, and the two men agreed to meet in Casablanca during Goldberg’s layover there. Soon after they met, there was a blackout in the city. Undeterred, Devoe and Goldberg went to the roof of a nearby building, sat down near the edge of a parapet and stared out into the darkness. They began to talk about their future-if they managed to live through the war. Before the night was over, the two men had agreed to start a law firm.

Storytelling really engages the reader and encourages you to learn more.  I had the honor of interviewing famed author, Seth Godin, a few years ago for an article on this topic.  Among other points of great advice, he noted:

The best way to be remarkable is to do something worth talking about, not to do something because you are panicked or to show off, but do something unique, insightful, helpful and over-the-top brave.  The beauty of the legal profession is everyone is an entrepreneur …  All of the successful ones didn’t get there by following instructions.  They got there by doing stuff they believed in and doing it in a way that people talked about.

Listen to our 4-minute interview below:

ari kaplan &Blog &branding &careers &digital marketing &ghostwriter &ghostwriting &incremental innovation &law firm &law school &law students &law-related &lawyers &legal industry &legal practice &personal branding &reinventing professional services &Reinvention &writing

Lessons From Three Decades in One Profession

April 4th, 2012 → 3:03 pm @ Ari Kaplan

I recently read “10 Lessons From 30 Years in the Law” by Mike Maslanka, the managing partner for the Dallas office of Constangy, Brooks & Smith and the author of Work Matters, a popular blog focused on labor and employment issues.  Mike happens to be a lawyer, but his advice is just as relevant for accountants, architects, financial planners, and any other individuals who provide professional services.  His ten lessons include:

• Get the Facts
• Stay in the Moment
• Show, Don’t Tell
• The Law is a Grind
• Express Gratitude
• Trust Actions
• Hierarchy Kills
• Do Not Fight the Frame
• Be Gracious
• Recognize the Limits of Control

You can read his full discussion in the Texas Lawyer here.

ari kaplan &articles &Blog &careers &constangy &employment &ghostwriter &ghostwriting &jobs &law firm &law practice management &law school &law students &law-related &lawyers &legal industry &legal practice &reinventing professional services &Reinvention

Reinventing the School Year

February 3rd, 2012 → 7:11 am @ Ari Kaplan

I read this post 10 Big Reasons We Need to Reinvent the School Year from Online Colleges and it resonated with me because of my research and recent article – Applying the Alternative Fee Model to Law School Tuition, which has generated some additional discussion.  The Online Colleges staff writers conclude that “the school year that worked for students decades ago simply isn’t practical for today’s students” and propose altering the school year because, among other reasons:

Flexibility in the length of high school could help students better prepare for college.

The reasons behind the creation of summer vacation don’t really apply to modern life.

Students often simply don’t have time to learn everything they need in a school year.

Year-round school can also impact students’ overall health and well-being.

This discussion is taking place across the educational spectrum as technology continues to transform the manner in which we deliver information.

ari kaplan &Blog &college &law school &law students &reinventing professional services &Reinvention &Students

Applying the Alternative Fee Model to Law School Tuition

January 12th, 2012 → 8:50 am @ Ari Kaplan

In my column for the National Law Journal online today, I note that the time has come to talk more openly about the cost of a legal education and I don’t mean cheaper, I mean different.

I have been studying the industry for years.  I released my report: The Evolution of the Legal Profession: A Conversation with the Legal Community’s Thought Leaders on the Front Lines of an Industry in Transition (underwritten by DiscoverReady) in 2010 and have addressed law students at almost 50 law schools worldwide since the release of my first book, The Opportunity Maker in 2008.

My conclusion: 2012 can be the year to implement a positive shift in the logistics of legal education. The legal academic community has jump-started this discussion by beginning to implement changes to the curriculum, practical training initiatives, and greater transparency in reporting employment statistics.

Read the column here.

alternative fees &ari kaplan &articles &Blog &fixed fees &law firm &law school &law students &lawyers &legal education &legal industry &legal practice &Legal Technology &reinventing professional services &Reinvention &Students &tuition