CounseltoCounsel Blog

CareerJournal.Com offers some great tips on responding to “extreme” questions in an interview (e.g. questions like: “What would your last manager say is your biggest shortcoming?”)

The author emphasizes the importance of being prepared for these questions but highly discourages text book answers like “I work too hard.” He suggests that you should come up in advance with three or more career success stories and two or more stories that had less than favorable outcomes but were learning experiences. He also provides some good language for connecting the interviewer’s question to you answer.

There is a link in the article to some challenging questions you might face. For more materials on interviewing, I have an article of my own which includes more basic interviewing questions.

The debate over leverage in law firms continues. Clearly, figuring out the appropriate associate to partner ratio is a delicate balancing act. With too few associates per partner, you do not have the capacity to handle large deals and litigation matters and your profitability suffers because you can not capture as much work. If your ratios are too high, you run the risk that associates will be underutilized when work slows down.

That is all from the firm’s perspective. But from a career perspective, there is also a balance. Bigger firms tend to have access to more complex work. Working at a large firm is more likely to give you good training. But as you get more senior, the lack of room in partnership ranks can be problematic for your career. While this may not be an issue when you are a junior associate, it is certainly something to start considering by your fourth or fifth year in practice.

More salary increases.

It is very flatering to have a partner invite you to join him or her after she has decided to move to another firm. But it is important to do your own due dilligence about the firm and carefully consider the impact on your own career. In many cases, it will probably make sense to make the change. But sometimes your interests are not perfectly alligned with the partner. Career Journal talks about this issue in a general way (i.e. without referencing law firms per se.) But the advice is perfectly applicable.

Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Nicholson Graham has announced a new “balanced hours” program to promote the use of alternative work arrangements at the firm. It’s obviously too early to tell how it will work. But the firm has actually appointed someone to help lawyers come up with proprosals for reduced hours. Sounds promising.

The WSJ reported today (sub. req.) that California continues to have one of the lowest bar passage rates in the country. In 2004, only 44% of the test takers passed. The passage rate is even lower for those licensed in other states who take do not take the multistate. (Reportedly 28%.) The article focused on the fact that the former Dean of Stanford Law School, a constitutional scholar, just failed. Moral of the story is that you better plan on studying hard if you plan to relocate to California and take the bar exam there. Sounds like she didn’t!

I disagree with a number of the assertions in this article; but the basic premise is sound. December is a good time to keep your search moving forward because fewer candidates are actively looking. Also, you will have more momentum going into the new year.

Leaders of the top 200 firms are very optimistic about 2006. According to the Amercian Lawyer 89% feel this way. Litigation is expected to remain the number one practice area. Other interesting statistics are cited as well.

Like other members of the bar, I enjoy reading the results of these surveys. But query how useful are they? If you are having a bad year, does it help to know that other firms are feeling optimistic? If you are having a good year, maybe you feel more comfortable with lateral hiring knowing that other firms are experiencing the same optimism. Anyway, it makes for good cocktail chat.

Instant messaging is a very convenient way to quickly exchange information in real time without having to dial a telephone. But like e-mail, employees use this medium at their own risk. And employers who don’t pay attention to IM usage or set up clear policies about usage may find themselves in the same hot water that e-mail has brought.

Here is the link on CareerJournal.com.