Joseph Brazil Keeping Your Legal Career on Track

Joseph Brazil Keeping Your Legal Career on Track January 21, 2010 NYC Bar Association

Background § Partner in Bank Finance group of White & Case’s NY office § Section representative to Career Development and Recruiting Committee WHITE & CASE 2

Topics for Discussion § Adjusting to New Economy – NY Times Article § Taking Control of Your Career § Why do it § How to do it § Resources § Identifying and utilizing resources available to you WHITE & CASE 3

Taking Stock § Why did you decide to become a lawyer? § Has practicing been what you thought it would be? § Where did you think your career would be at this stage in your life? § What obstacles have you encountered? What opportunities have you been presented with? § Do you have career goals? What are they and what are you doing regularly to pursue these goals? § How much time do you spend on a monthly basis doing something to further your career? WHITE & CASE 4

New Economy/New Times § Legal community experiencing significant change § Need to change with the times and be strategic and smart about what you are doing § Following along blindly no longer works § Two key things: § Educate and prepare yourself § Develop a strategy and goals and hold yourself accountable § Remember: It is not reasonable to expect others to spend time on your career development if you will not do it for yourself. WHITE & CASE 5

Developing a Career Strategy and Goals What you CAN’T control: * Economy * Your employer’s business decisions * To a certain degree, whether or not you are let go What you CAN control: * Setting, evaluating and modifying your professional goals * Educating yourself and gaining substantive knowledge * Playing to your strengths and managing your weaknesses * Quality of your work * Situational awareness and professionalism * Degree to which you identify and seize opportunities WHITE & CASE 6

Getting Started – The “College” Approach § Internal Resources § Colleagues at firm/employer § Professional development staff/human resources § Library – access to written materials § Evaluations and self-assessments (more later) § Training programs § Intranet § Knowledge banks § Announcements regarding new deals/cases and resolved and closed matters § Alumni website WHITE & CASE 7

Getting Started § External Resources § Family, friends and neighbors § Bar associations § Alumni networks (both academic and former employers) § Career coaches/counselors § CLE events § Trade events § Clients WHITE & CASE 8

Identify and Seize Opportunities § Do not always expect something in return – money, billable hours etc. Take advantage of an opportunity because you may meet someone new, gain visibility, learn something and somehow further your career. § Be objective and take advantage of opportunities regardless of what others may think. § Be open and whenever possible take a chance. You never know where it may lead. WHITE & CASE 9

Maximizing Law Firm Experience § Be a good “firm citizen” § Do good work and treat people with respect § Be responsive § Have a good attitude § Volunteer to help out and demonstrate willingness to learn § Do not bad mouth firm and/or colleagues § Take your role seriously and do what you are asked to do when you are asked to do it. Meet and respect deadlines. § Teach and mentor WHITE & CASE 10

Maximizing Law Firm Experience – Evaluations and Feedback § Sole purpose of evaluation meeting is to talk about you and your career development. This is a conversation about YOU so be prepared to talk the majority of the time. § Get a copy of the evaluation form and understand your firm’s evaluation process § Prepare, prepare § § § Review deals/cases worked on Note achievements and classes attended Complete self-evaluations Meet deadlines and review junior attorneys if asked to do so Come prepared like it is a job interview § Ask questions. Get specific. Identify your developmental needs and ask reviewers what resources are available to help you. Hold them accountable in a professional manner. WHITE & CASE 11

Maximizing Law Firm Experience – Evaluations and Feedback § Handling Feedback § All Good – Be happy and proud but you always have something you could be better at so probe deeper and get evaluators to discuss with you. § Mixed/Neutral – Figure out what you need to improve on and discuss next steps. § Negative – Do not get defensive or angry. Appropriate to ask for time to think about the comments and come back to them within a week. Take time to reflect on comments and figure out what happened – could be a matter of perception, miscommunication etc. Own your mistakes and discuss ways to move forward. Follow-up if you say you are going to do so. WHITE & CASE 12