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:

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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:

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Disrupting Legal in Six Minute Increments

March 21st, 2013 → 7:33 pm @ Ari Kaplan

I spoke with Matt Homann and JoAnna Forshee, producers of the annual LexThink.1 legal innovation conference, which is being held in Chicago on Wednesday April 3rd on the eve of the ABA Techshow. Homann is the well-known founder of LexThink, a legal innovation consultancy, as well as the creator of the popular [non] billable hour blog. Forshee is the CEO of InsideLegal, which she describes as “the insider’s guide to doing business in legal technology.”

Homann noted that LexThink.1 started 4 years ago as Ignite Law. Participants have 6 minutes (as in one-tenth of an hour of billable time) and 20 slides, which rotate every 18 seconds, to convey their ideas on this year’s theme -  disruption. Prior sessions focused on the future of law, the future of legal tech, and client service. (I had the privilege of participating in the inaugural event in 2010, with a session called: What I Learned About the Future of Legal Marketing From Playing Wii Bowling With a 4 1/2-year old.)

Ten speakers selected by “more than one thousand votes cast” online will cover a variety of topics ranging from Big Data or Big Brother (Eric Hunter) and Don’t Do What You’re Good At (Jay Shepherd) to Knowing the Unknowns (Roe Frazer) and LegalZoom is Eating Legal’s Lunch (Mark Britton).  The only participant, who has appeared in all four productions is Will Hornsby, who will be discussing Gaming the System: Are lawyers ready to game-up?

Forshee notes that speakers typically rate the difficulty of the experience at about an eight on a ten-point scale and Homann suggests that in addition to practice, participants should focus on their transitions to get comfortable telling a story in equal segments.

Those interested in following the sessions on Twitter can search for the Hashtag: #lexthink.

Listen to our extended interview below:

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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:

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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:

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Seven Ways to Reinvent Your Use of LinkedIn

July 25th, 2012 → 7:25 am @ Ari Kaplan

Most professionals could gain more value from LinkedIn and here are seven simple techniques for reinventing the way you use the social network:

1. Provide updates.
2. Study status updates and share resources.
3. Get to know those you know.
4. Study the people looking for you.
5. Explain why you are connecting.
6. Send a follow-up note after connecting.
7. View profiles to get profile views.

I discuss these points in greater detail in my recent column here, and ultimately conclude that technology has made it much easier to add context to what was otherwise a cold call or e-mail just a few years ago. Take advantage of that new level of familiarity. LinkedIn makes networking universally accessible, since it is both practical and strategic without requiring you to be bold or outgoing.

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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:

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Advocating for Avvocating

April 19th, 2012 → 7:10 am @ Ari Kaplan

I will be speaking at the Avvocating Conference in Seattle on May 4th and had the chance to speak with Avvo‘s CEO and Founder, Mark Britton.  We discussed the genesis of the event and what attendees can expect. Listen to our interview below:

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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.

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