#LawJobChat

#LawJobChat / Practice — 8 Comments
26
Jul 12

Legal Careers + Olympics: #LawJobChat No. 16

Our July 2012 #LawJobChat is tonight, Thursday, July 26, at 9pm EDT.  Since the July chat falls on the night before the opening ceremonies of the 2012 Olympics, we’re focusing the chat on legal careers tied to the Olympics, such as:

In this chat, we’ll explore the roles of the lawyers outlined above, including their daily tasks and career paths.  Our guests for the July chat include several prominent sports lawyers who are active on Twitter, including @DavidCohenEsq, @LauraJeffords, and @Sports_BKLawyer.

Click here or here for details on how to participate in a Twitter Chat.  As always, I’ll post the #LawJobChat transcript following the live chat.

#LawJobChat — 4 Comments
4
Jul 12

Hot Practice Area: Healthcare Fraud & Compliance

#LawJobChat No. 15 focused on careers in health law.   Health lawyers Matt Fisher (@matt_r_fisher), Julie Meadows-Keefe (@esq140) and Arianne Callendar (@HealthLawPro) contributed to the informative discussion.  You can read the chat transcript, but here some key takeaways:

  • You don’t need a science degree to be a successful health lawyer.  However, accounting and computer science backgrounds can help—especially in the compliance field.
  • Compliance is huge!!  With the focus on containing healthcare costs, there’s an increased focus on fraud and abuse.  There are increased obligations on providers such as reporting/returning overpayments, reduced false claims act standards and mandatory compliance.
  • You can find compliance jobs in law firms, consulting firms and companies.
  • Laws that keep health lawyers busy include ACA, HIPAA, Stark Law (civil), and Anti-Kickback Statutes (criminal)

The next #LawJobChat is scheduled for Thursday, July 26, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.  Contact me if there’s a topic you’d like to discuss.

#LawJobChat / Performance — 1 Comment
27
Jun 12

Careers in Health Law – #LawJobChat No. 15

Our June 2012 #LawJobChat is this Thursday, June 28, at 9pm EDT.  Since the June chat falls on the day of the expected SCOTUS decision on the Affordable Care Act, we’re focusing the chat on careers in health law.  We are looking for health law attorneys to participate in the chat and address some of the following topics:

  • What does “health law” encompass?
  • How easy/difficult it is to switch practice areas as a lateral associate and enter the health law field?
  • Where can you work in this field if you don’t want to work in a law firm setting?
  • How easy/difficult is it to work in a corporate legal department?
  • Is prior business experience helpful?
  • Recommended resources/blogs for students interested in this practice area
  • Recommended courses in law school
  • Recommended summer clerkship/internship
  • Are there certain sub-specialties of health law that are better for lawyers interested in a flexible schedule?
  • Impact of the SCOTUS decision on careers in health law

Click here or here for details on how to participate in a Twitter Chat.  As always, I’ll post the #LawJobChat transcript following the live chat.

#LawJobChat / Performance — No Comments
5
Jun 12

I Wish I’d Known That: Career Advice for New Law School Graduates (#LawJobChat No. 14)

#LawJobChat returned last week, and we focused on career advice for new law school graduates.  You can read the transcript of the chat, and I’ve outlined some tips shared during the chat.

  • When balancing studying for bar and searching for a job, give priority to bar prep.  You can carve out time for both activities in June but focus only on bar prep in July.
  • Law practice is 100x more adversarial than portrayed in law school.
  • Learning does not end at law school graduation – you still have a lot to learn.
  • A successful lawyer is 50% intellect, 50% salesman; you have to make rain before you can make partner!
  • If you decide to practice in multiple states during your career, remember that CA, FL, DE, MD and NJ have state specific bar exam requirements.   You may also want to refer to the Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements.

The next #LawJobChat is scheduled for Thursday, June 28, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.  Contact me if there’s a topic you’d like to discuss.

#LawJobChat — 3 Comments
30
Jul 11

Tax Law is Sexy (#LawJobChat No. 13)

“Tax law is sexy,” tweeted @kebmurphy while promoting the 13th #LawJobChat which we held on Thursday, July 28, 2011.  I discovered during this chat that there is some truth in @kebmurphy’s statement.  Our guest tax lawyers (@atexastaxlawyer, @taxgirl, and @SoFlaEstatePlan) and one former tax laywer(@kebmurphy) shared three reasons why tax law is so “excitingly appealing” and “glamorous.”

  1. Tax lawyers have control over their practices. If you want to work in BigLaw, the tax group is probably a good choice if you want to maintain some balance and avoid all-nighters and emergencies.  If you decide you don’t like working for someone else, tax law is also an area in which a lawyer can practice in a solo or small firm setting.  Many tax lawyers in a solo or small firm setting continue to work on hot matters such as offshore compliance.
  2. Most tax lawyers are not pure tax geeks. Many tax lawyers keep their practices exciting by touching on a variety of transactional practices, such as real estate, business transactions, cross-border transactions and estate planning, rather than focusing on one specific aspect such as state and local tax.  You tend to see the pure tax geeks who focus on one specialty in the larger firms.
  3. Inexperienced tax lawyers may increase their demand with LLM or CPA. An LLM may help market new tax lawyers who don’t have an accounting or finance background. But, an LLM is not as helpful if you have significant experience.  A CPA may help tax lawyers who handle significant compliance matters.

How can you enter the field of tax law?  Our guests shared the following ideas:

  • If you are still in law school, take every tax course offered in law school.
  • Network with tax lawyers through bar associations and alumni groups.
  • Volunteer with VITA.
  • Show a genuine interest in tax law.  Your interest is more important than your experience.  Don’t ask academic questions, but share details that show your interest in tax law.
  • Read the following blogs:

Finally, click here to read the entire transcript of #LawJobChat No. 13.

#LawJobChat — No Comments
27
Jul 11

Careers in Tax Law (#LawJobChat No. 13)

Several law students have tweeted questions over the last few months about careers in tax law, so our July 2011 #LawJobChat will focus on this career path.  Join #LawJobChat this Thursday, July 28, at 9pm EDT as we explore the various roles of tax lawyers, such as representing clients before state and local taxing authorities, advising corporations or partnerships, representing high net-worth individuals, and more.  In addition to participants’ questions, we’ll explore the following:

  • Do you need an LL.M?  C.P.A?
  • How easy/difficult it is to switch practice areas as a lateral associate and enter the tax field?
  • Where can you work in this field if you don’t want to work in a law firm setting?
  • How easy/difficult is it to work in a corporate legal department?
  • Is prior accounting or business experience helpful?
  • Recommended resources/blogs for students interested in this practice area
  • Recommended courses in law school
  • Recommended summer clerkship/internship
  • Are there certain sub-specialties of tax law that are better for lawyers interested in a flexible schedule?

Our guest co-hosts for this chat have worked in a variety of settings ranging from positions at the IRS to corporate legal departments to solo practice.  Our guests  include:

Click here for details on how to participate in a Twitter Chat.  As always, I’ll post the #LawJobChat transcript following the live chat.

#LawJobChat / Performance — 1 Comment
1
Jul 11

Raising Your Profile to Get Hired (#LawJobChat No. 12)

It’s no secret that raising your profile through speaking, writing, blogging and other activities leads to new career opportunities.  Jack Whittington, a May 2011 graduate of The University of Tulsa College of Law, explains in this post how an employer already knew about him before he interviewed because the employer had read his blogs.

During our June 2011 #LawJobChat, @arikaplan @adriandayton and @cordellparvin shared their thoughts on how law students and associates can raise their profiles.  You can read the entire transcript of #LawJobChat No. 12, and I’ve also summarized some highlights below.

Writing

  • Select topic that addresses a timely client problem, opportunity or change
  • Submit articles to industry association publications
  • Submit articles to law school alumni magazine
  • Attend events that reporters and editors are attending – for example, @adriandayton met an editor for the National Law Journal at an ALM business development event
  • Review editorial calendars which tell you what editors are looking for and when (BONUS: @arikaplan will send #lawjobchat participants copies of his 2011 editorial calendars – tweet to him if you are interested)

Blogging

  • Must be consistent – post at least once a week (more if you have something to say that clients care about)
  • Short (250-500 words), short paragraphs, bullet points or lists
  • Follow @copyblogger or @problogger for additional ideas on blogging
  • Collaborate – guest blog or offer clients opportunity to post on your blog
  • Interview industry leaders to use as content for article or blog post  – @arikaplan interviewed the CEO of @thebighandtweet for @lawdotcom guest blog post and @thebighandtweet ended up sponsoring @arikaplan’s 12-city book tour

Speaking

  • Contact local bar association – have speaking topic/idea in mind and explain who you are, why you’re qualified, and the relevance of the topic/idea
  • If your practice is industry focused, get to know the executives of the industry association so they can recommend you for speaking opportunities
  • Speaking to other lawyers (bar association events) may be a waste of time; may want to focus on speaking to your clients (for example, contractors if you are a construction lawyer) — exception:  your practice generates significant business from referrals by other attorneys
  • Hold something back and let participants know you’ll send it to them after the event
#LawJobChat — No Comments
27
May 11

Open Discussion on Career Paths (#LawJobChat No. 11)

Our May 2011 #LawJobChat was an open discussion rather than a discussion led by a guest on a specific career topic.  The discussion flowed from debating certain career paths to searching in specific markets to finding a mentor.  You can read the entire transcript of #LawJobChat No. 11, and I’ve summarized some highlights below.

Second Tier of Associates in BigLaw

Our discussion began with reactions to a recent New York Times article that outlined the second (low-paid) tier of associates some large firms recently added.   Concerns included:

  • Potential resentment
  • Potential billing issues
  • Difference in status too huge to sustain

Overall, however, participants thought that viable non-partner track options should exist in large firms—just not the two-tiered system described in the article.

For some humor, one participant shared the following rebuttal to the NYT article:  Temp Hides Fun, Fulfilling Office From Rest of Office.

Small and Midsize Firms

There are many opportunities in small and midsize firms as well as small and middle markets; one participant noted that recent grads should look in markets without law schools.  One law firm attorney recruiting manager tweeted that her firm has “loads of lateral openings.”

Solo Path

Several participants discussed going solo.  Other participants expressed concern.  I think the overall feeling was that solo practice is a viable option if you find a mentor, collaborate with others (including online) to avoid isolation, and enjoy business development.

Save the Date: Our next (and 12th!!) #LawJobChat is Thursday, June 30, at 9pm EDT.

#LawJobChat / Performance — No Comments
24
Apr 11

Tapping Alumni Networks in Your Job Search (#LawJobChat No. 10)

How can you connect with alumni from your law school without looking like you are just fishing for information?  How can former colleagues from your non-legal career help in your legal job search?  Can your law firm alumni network help in your search for an in-house legal job?

Join #LawJobChat this Tuesday, April 26 at 9 p.m. EDT for answers to these questions and more about tapping alumni networks in your job search.  Our guest co-host is Kelly Hoey, a client relationship and business development advisor who previously served as the Global Manager for Alumni Programmes at White & Case.

Join #LawJobChat on Tuesday to tweet your own questions to Kelly.  Or, email your questions to me in advance (amanda@aellislegal.com), and I’ll tweet them during the chat.

Click here for details about how to participate in a Twitter Chat.  As always, I’ll post the #LawJobChat transcript following the live chat.

#LawJobChat / Performance / The 6Ps of the BIG 3 Book — No Comments
16
Mar 11

Twitter Chats to Calendar

As my regular readers know, Melissa Sachs and I launched #LawJobChat last June.  In the last few months, other chats for legal professionals have surfaced.  The following list contains the legal chats I recommend law students and lawyers calendar.  The list also contains some chats that aren’t specifically for legal professionals but helpful nonetheless.

Chat

Date/Time

Moderators

Description

Recent Transcript
#LawJobChat Last Thursday

9pm Eastern

 @aellislegal

@mjsq

 Twitter chat focused on attorney/lawyer job search questions and career paths.  Chat includes guest co-host each month to discuss specific career path. 2/24/11 Transcript
#lawschoolchat Sundays

9pm Eastern

 @brihoffman

@j2_whittington

@t10nbaum

 A conversation for law school students and potential students regarding the issues, concerns, and rigors of law school life and beyond. 3/13/11 Transcript
#legalchat Fridays

11am Eastern

 @dannymjohnson Weekly chat for lawyers and legal professionals touching on everything from technology to social media and the death of billable hours. 3/11/11 Transcript
#LinkedInChat Tuesdays

8pm Eastern

 @LinkedInExpert A chat focused on the various uses of LinkedIn 3/15/11 Transcript
#blogchat Sundays

10pm Eastern

 @MackCollier If you are looking to start a blog or improve your current blog, this chat is for you! 3/13/11 Transcript

For a complete listing of the 300+ chats available on Twitter, please click here.

To learn about the benefits of participating in a chat and how you can participate, click here.

Finally, if you have a copy of my book, Twitter chats are discussed on pages 231-232.

← Older Entries