Legal.io Newsletter - May 7, 2021
Published weekly on Friday, the Legal.io Newsletter covers the latest in legal, talent & tech.
Published weekly on Friday, the Legal.io Newsletter covers the latest in legal, talent & tech.
Published weekly on Friday, the Legal.io Newsletter covers the latest in legal, talent & tech.
Our in-house professional community lists some of their go-to lists of agreements.
Published weekly on Friday, the Legal.io Newsletter covers the latest in legal, talent & tech.
Our in-house professional community weighed the pros and cons of working exclusively in-office after the pandemic.
Published weekly on Friday, the Legal.io Newsletter covers the latest in legal, talent & tech.
An anonymous In-house Fishbowl community member received an offer from a company and then received a counter-offer from their current employer. Here's what the community said.
Published weekly on Friday, the Legal.io Newsletter covers the latest in legal, talent & tech.
Our anonymous In-house Fishbowl community members recently discussed the move when transitioning from BigLaw to in-house position without having been in their position for at least five years. Here is a list of the responses from others ...
In the past decade, the role of the “Legal Operations Professional” has gained in prominence in legal departments of large and small companies alike. We look at what's behind the term.
As in-house legal professionals weigh their career options, one common question is whether to choose a specific area of specialization or to remain a generalist.
General Counsel want to provide as much value as possible to the businesses they serve, but what responsibilities in particular are seen as crucial by their employers?
Many attorneys end up accepting pay cuts when taking an in-house position. How do they look back on these decisions?
Commercial counsel play an essential role for businesses by advising them on their transactions with customers, as well as with other businesses. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the working life of commercial counsel.
Businesses looking to bring new tech products to fruition require the expertise of Product Counsel. This role combines commercial contract, regulatory, privacy, intellectual property, and consumer protection and is becoming increasingly ...
If you are looking for the next big thing, find yourself out of work, or simply are looking for a less permanent legal position, you might try looking into temporary staffing agencies or programs. Before you do, however, let’s go over so...
Some of us dislike our job. Others are happy enough with it. But still other people love what they do to earn their bread. What is it that people get from a job that enables them to derive joy from it? Of course, the answer is different ...
Cover letters are key tools for showing a potential employer who you are and why you’d be a good fit for the firm where you want to work. But how can you make yours stand out and give firms an outstanding first impression? Let’s look at ...
We all know the feeling. You’ve breezily agreed to a deadline which seemed to be a comfortable distance away at the time. But the crunch date is approaching at 100 miles per hour and you don’t have the work done – you’re going to miss th...
The majority of recruitment nowadays takes place online. But how can you use your online presence to attract the employees you need to grow your firm? The biggest law firms are likely already doing this – but if you’re a small or medium-...
‘ERG’ is a term that is increasingly heard in the workplace - an Employee Resource Group.
Building a diverse workforce is a key objective for firms to keep in mind in their recruitment strategies. And firms where remote working is common have a number of advantages in achieving this target. How so? Let’s have a look at some w...
All businesses should be guided by data, and law firms or legal departments are no different. Of course, there will never be a substitute for wise and experience-driven decision-making – but taking these decisions against the background ...
Often, legal ops teams and vendors do not conceptualize their relationship as a partnership. Rather, they often think of their interaction simply as a business transaction between a service provider and a consumer. But there are a num...
Everyone has faced a not-so-great interview experience. You put all your time and effort into this interview only for it to not go in your favor. So how do you react and what’s the next step? In this article, we’ll go over a few tips to ...
Due to COVID-19, many professionals are having to work from home, or are looking for remote positions. For those of us who thrive on human interaction, working in this manner can be a challenge. Here are some tips on how to handle a r...
If you’re trying to advance your career within your firm and you’re thinking about management, there’s a lot to consider. Being a people manager is an entirely different set of skills from any other job within a firm even if you’re worki...
Did you know that hunter-gatherers need to work for only around 20 hours per week to feed themselves? That was the norm throughout most of human history, but when human beings first discovered agriculture and began living in settled comm...
Career profiles on online platforms such as LinkedIn can play a role in helping you find a new job – whether you’re currently without one, or you’re in work but are looking to move to the next stage. But there are a number of mistakes th...
The Welsh novelist and political theorist Raymond Williams wrote that “Culture is one of the two or three most complicated words in the English language”. Indeed, the word has many different meanings, which are subtly different yet inter...
It’s well-known that the average salary for women lags behind the average salary for men in almost every industrialized country, despite the practically universal presence of laws requiring equal pay for equal work. One of the most preva...
So, you’ve decided to move on to a new job. Hopefully, this is an exciting time in which you’re looking forward to a fresh start and planning what to do with all your new opportunities. But your old job isn’t quite done. Don’t forget...
In post-Obama America, many caucasian people assumed racial issues were decidedly behind us. With the recent collective upheaval, this has been proven untrue. In this article, I’ll outline some ideas on how best to prepare a comforta...
Hands have been shaken on your job offer (most likely by email) and arrangements have been set. Now it’s time for the job to begin. Perhaps you feel yourself transported back to the first day of elementary school as you put on your smart...
Asking for a promotion is no easy task. You might be struggling to find the right moment, and you might be worried that you’ll come across as arrogant or self-serving. But if you’re looking to get ahead in your career, then you’re going ...
If you were let go from your last job, you may be struggling with how you’re going to explain this to future employers. But staff being let go is a fairly ordinary event – it’s not going to disqualify you from ever getting a job again. W...
A human being is not a houseplant. Yes, both entities need water, nutrition, sunlight, and continuous gaseous exchange, but a human being has a number of additional requirements in order to flourish. One of those is finding a sense of me...
‘Burnout’ has become an increasingly widely used term to describe a state of extreme exhaustion due to work – whether it’s physical, mental or emotional. Significant research has gone into understanding the causes, effects, and treatment...
When life is getting us down, often the last thing we feel like doing is logging on to our computer and finishing that report that’s due for today. If we are dealing with difficult emotions from our personal life, concentration and motiv...
Imposter Syndrome (also called Imposter Phenomenon and Fraud Syndrome) is a pattern of thinking whereby a person persistently discounts their own accomplishments, feels that they are not good enough to be in their current position, and w...
We choose our friends, but we don't often choose our colleagues. In offices, we spend a large proportion of our waking lives with people with whom we may not have much in common, and it’s natural for disagreements to arise. When they...
Behavioral questions are an increasingly common focus of job interviews. Let’s take a look at how to approach questions of this type, as well as 20 examples of common behavioral questions to get you ready for your next interview.
If you’ve spent time out of work, the resulting gap on your resumé can feel like a yawning chasm. But if you handle it right, this needn’t be the case. The most common reasons for taking time out are parenthood, illness, being laid of...
If networking is not your favorite business necessity, then you're not alone. If you’re about to propel yourself into a room or video chat full of strangers, then help is at hand. Read through our list of top tips to get you through.
Since the start of the pandemic, more people than ever before are working remotely. Some find the move away from the office a wonderful change when it comes to boosting their productivity. Others rely on being in a social space to keep t...
Full-time workers spend around 2,000 hours per year on their job – not including commuting and late evenings in the office. If your current position is not doing it for you, it’s natural to start daydreaming about more inspiring things. ...
We all wish we could be more productive. But what are the keys to highly productive people’s success? Well, there are certain behaviors they all have in common – here’s a rundown of the habits the most efficient and effective people share!
The team that wins the championship isn’t always the one with the best individual players – it’s the one that successfully blends those players into a cohesive unit. And the same applies to law firms – your firm’s lawyers might individua...
You open your inbox to see an unread message. It’s good news: the subject line reads ‘Offer of Employment’! But alas, the sender is not quite who you were most hoping to hear from. Your first choice - Dream Firm - are apparently still po...
Many people think they need their resumé to be peppered with illustrious, big-name firms in order to stand out. The irony, though, is that simply having worked for a company with an office in every global financial center doesn’t actuall...
As a hiring manager, you know finding the right person for each position is an arduous task that involves a considerable amount of work even before you post the role. After pinning down the particulars of the role you and your company ar...
Legal Operations is a growing field, creating opportunities for an increasing number of talented individuals from a range of disciplines. Do you have what it takes to join this cutting edge department? Let’s take a look at the skills you...
A company’s mission statement is its declaration of where it wants to go – that means that all its activities should be geared towards helping it get there. As a Tuareg clansman in the Sahara reads the stars and the sand dunes to help hi...
Ah, the team meeting – it’s one of those sacred office rituals, its contours familiar to workers across the country. We gather up our notepads, head to the breakout room, listen to people making a series of loosely connected points with ...
A look into the legal job market, and how COVID-19 has affected job prospects for individuals seeking work, based on data from The US Bureau of labor statistics, Indeed, LinkedIn, and the Legal.io Community.
Remote working was already steadily on the rise before the coronavirus pandemic, but working from home is now more prevalent than ever. Many managers might think that the increase in home working makes it more difficult to stay engaged w...
Every May since 1949 has been designated Mental Health Awareness Month in the US. But for people with mental health problems, their condition isn’t limited to one-twelfth of the calendar. Unfortunately, many employers have little or no s...
Looking for a new job can be an arduous process for anyone. Introverts might find the process particularly taxing due to the energy it takes to network, get in touch with firms, and interview. To help focus your effort, here are four str...
A large portion of today’s workforce consists of millennials (those born between 1980-2000). This generation has defined a modified set of employer standards as they are differently-motivated in the workplace. So how do you keep your mil...
As a legal team lead, you’re probably used to the idea of motivating your team members. This can take many forms; team get-togethers, quarterly bonuses, and even simple self-motivation. No matter your efforts, you can still run into team...
Whether it’s professional or personal growth, finding a mentor can be a great idea! Mentors are great for creating a map for your long-term success. They are likely more senior in theirs and can share their experiences and knowledge. ...
More and more industries are moving towards allowing for remote work. Professionals feel more productive and comfortable working in their chosen environments, which conventional offices cannot provide. Being steeped in tradition, the...
Recruiting the right employees is of high value to any company. An effective strategy to upscale in the legal industry invariably includes recruitment efforts and every company needs to take steps to ensure their recruiting and onboardin...
Reddit consists of a huge number of communities that host vivid discussion on a wide variety of topics. Here are twenty subreddits frequented by legal professionals, and those interested in the law.
When interviewing for your dream job, it can feel counterintuitive to not answer every question asked of you. However, some seemingly innocuous questions are actually quite inappropriate (and sometimes illegal) when asked during a job in...
Responsibilities of Legal Operations roles include a myriad of tasks that can be overwhelming for a new recruit. It can be difficult to understand what to tackle in your first month on the job. In this article, we will go over suggestion...
All lawyers have experienced some type of setback in their careers. Clients pay us for a desired outcome, but that outcome isn’t entirely up to us. So, although you cannot 100% control your success rate, you can control how you deal with...
Health is a hot topic in the legal industry. More and more Biglaw firms are paying attention (and company resources) to help inspire their attorneys to live healthier lifestyles. Although health is a broad concept in the modern workplace...
As remote positions grow in the legal industry, it's important to understand what is appropriate and beneficial in a business video chat.
Remote work is becoming more common among progressive legal technology companies. Although generally conservative, the legal industry has seen an increase in remote positions in general. Although this is not yet the norm in the legal ind...
No matter where you are in your career path, your professional habits could always use an overhaul. Your habits in the workplace can influence your success both now and in your future roles. Positive habits can help you build and maintai...
Legal Operations is a fairly recent addition to the legal industry, and, as a department tasked with managing and streamlining the efforts of in-house counsel, they have their work cut out for them. Although there are many options for Le...
Excellent leaders understand when and when not to act on what they hear
You can nail that legal interview with a little bit of preparation!
Companies are starting to adopt policies of inclusivity and diversity, because they know these qualities will not only benefit their employees, but their business as a whole. In this article, we will talk about how to be the best ally in...
In the past decade, job seekers have changed their standards for what makes a company and a position desirable. It’s no longer just about the salary, healthcare and career growth alone; culture and wellbeing benefits are becoming a fixtu...
Open-ended interview questions can be difficult to manage in job interviews. Aside from your legal expertise, employers need to know you have all the necessary skills and mindset to thrive in your position. Here is a list of common behav...
With the current uncertain legal landscape, a lot of attorneys and other legal professionals are seeking employment together. Take a look at the several different resources available online to help you pick up your career.
Soft skill sets aren’t the main topic of conversation in a job interview, but they make up a large part of any position in the legal industry (and account for a large part of a hiring decision). If you are looking to shift your career or...
With stronger cloud tools, improved security, and wider connectivity - there isn't any reason why law firms cannot adopt sensible remote work policies.
Remote employees and contractors have long been touted as the future of work, and this trend is only accelerating under current circumstances. Many legal departments now have experience with, or are at least exploring, the benefits of hi...
Almost 75% of millennials say a “work-from-home” or “work remotely” policy is important.
These four tactics can help you create better work-life balance habits this year.
A look at how much lawyers make in every US state, based on statistics by the Bureau of Labor.
As of July 2019, these are the 10 largest US law firms by number of lawyers.
Stephanie Corey is General Partner and Co-Founder at UpLevel Ops. Stephanie discusses cross-pollination across the legal operations ecosystem.
One of the issues facing today's legal marketplace is the complete lack of price transparency. The Legal.io pricing tool shows hourly rate and salary data on a range of practice areas and markets.
Each month we're doing a general counsel spotlight on some of the most innovative and forward thinking minds in the industry.
The internet is full of opportunities for distraction, and sometimes it is important to put in place some processes to ensure you keep control over your time. These are my 3 favorite plugins to stay focussed and on task.
Although no clients will neatly fit into each of the four categories outlined below, it helps to recognize patterns in behavior and motivation.
When working with people everyday, forming a bond is natural. In this article we’ll address how best to approach a coworkers’ stress.
Managing a clients’ expectations can be hard, but it’s necessary. In this article, we will go over things to consider when managing client expectations.
In this article, we will go over behaviors, expectations and other aspects your clients share when looking for a lawyer online.
Modernizing your practice can be daunting and overwhelming, so this article will address key ways in which you can update your digital presence.
A peak inside how the best attorneys handle negative online reviews
With modern society comes modern audiences - learn how to stay ahead!
Tips and tricks for balancing your personal and professional life
A case study on Zappos and how to set your firm out from the competition.
Goal setting for entrepreneurial law firms and attorneys
We are excited to announce the launch of our free repository of legal playbooks, checklists, documents and templates.
Negotiation skills are useful in a personal and a business context. This guide provides helpful tips on what to think and prepare for before and during a negotiation.
Starting a business requires many steps, and takes hard work and dedication. This guide covers ten things you should think about to increase your chances of success.
If you are starting a business, it’s important to understand your federal, state, and local tax requirements.
An overview of the licenses and permits needed to start a business.
A guide to when and why to form a corporate entity, selecting the right corporate form, and other things to think about when creating a legal entity.
In the digital age, your website is the modern equivalent of a business card.
Training is often an important part of advancing in a career or being skilled at a job.
The opportunities are endless for outsourcing tasks to a virtual assistant.
Going into business with a partner can be a great way to work. Two heads are often better than one.