Gary I. Smith, Jr.’s Post

Discover the latest trends in summer associate recruiting led by Stanford and Yale Law!  Stay ahead in the legal industry with insights from top-tier institutions. Read more! https://lnkd.in/djZcVQmj #LegalRecruitment #LawSchool #SummerAssociates #LegalTrends #LawFirms

New lawyers and summer associates should try to expose themselves to as many practice areas as they can. Finding a niche is important, but you need to know what area suits you first. And that comes from seeing as much as you can. Even new lawyers who have to hang out their own shingles can associate with more experienced counsel to see how it’s done in an unfamiliar area of law without stumbling through. And at a larger firm, you can always advocate to work with someone in an unfamiliar area who you can learn from. But at a certain point the real benefit can come from focusing — that’s when you really begin to add value for clients. And it’s best if the choice of specialty is born of exposure to a broad range of experiences rather than chance. #lawstudents

If you are looking for a basic primer or simply a quick refresher, check out my article in USLAW's Summer Edition

Check out this Q&A I conducted with Laureen Seeger '86, who's had quite an impressive career and has shown incredibly generous support of future Badger lawyers. Check it out below.

A very, very timely initiative.

I have been thinking about this... what advice do you give to F-1 LLMs aside from "Good luck" ? A few F-1 LLM students have asked to have zoom meetings with me to pick my brain for job strategies. I'm always happy to help. I don't have definitive answers - only my experience in things that I've tried and failed or had a modicum of success in. The F-1 Job search as an LLM seems insurmountable. I mean I'm not some academic giving others a view of how things might be. I'm actually down here in the trenches, searching for opportunities, trying to find a position that I'm interested in and that will pay the bills. I know that there are some F-1 LLM success stories there, but when I look at my own situation as someone who is US-educated, doesn't need a visa, speaks perfect English, graduated with good grades, is reasonably good at legal writing, networking, interviewing and job hunting; as someone who has an established base, family support, relatives that are attorneys and judges and as someone who holds a job in the judiciary - and I'm still struggling - how the hell are these F-1 LLMs going to get their foot in the door and keep that door wedged open until they get a job with visa sponsorship? It's just really, really hard. I feel for them. There must be an easier way.

Had a blast conducting on-campus screeners for University of California, Los Angeles - School of Law, USC Gould School of Law, & The George Washington University Law School last week! Many students were curious about how to distinguish several big law firms, and here are my top three takeaways: 💡 Internal promotions to partnership. Home-grown partners (i.e., promotion through the ranks from associate to partner) indicate that a firm gives their associates the substantive skills and investment necessary to build their own practice and book of business. 💡 Retention & longevity of careers. A good culture and collegiality are nice in theory, but hard to substantiate. Look for firms where people stay long term and continue to develop as proxies for a supportive and sustainable work environment. 💡 Substantive skills development. Figure out what types of opportunities and training the firm will provide during your first few years. A key to finding professional fulfillment is the opportunity to develop substantive skills, and not all firms approach this the same way. #biglaw #interviewtips #oci #lawyer #lawstudents

🏫 Join us for our LLM Virtual Event and learn more about the Brooklyn Law School, as well as other distinguished universities in attendance! 🌎🌍Don't wait any longer and reserve your spot today! https://lnkd.in/gWUcXE-T .⁠ #InternationalLaw #LegalScholar #JuristLife #LLMGraduate #LegalResearch

Discover the crucial role of family education in shaping the career paths of law school graduates in our new blog post by Associate Editor Rebecca Schmit. 🎓 Explore the disparities and find ways to build a more inclusive future. Read it now at ustlawjournal.blog ✨

1Ls: This is the real deal. Check out Lateral Hub's love virtual programs below. (And if you're starting a new business, use Albert Tawil as a guide. Former BigLaw lawyer living the dream, one great idea at a time -- lots of them.) #1ls #lawstudents #lawyers #lawyerjobs