InhouseBlog.com » Careers http://www.inhouseblog.com In-House Counsel News and Jobs Since 2005 Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:54:48 +0000 en hourly 1 Difficult boss? Challenges for in-house counselhttp://www.inhouseblog.com/difficult_boss/ http://www.inhouseblog.com/difficult_boss/#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:54:48 +0000 Editors http://www.inhouseblog.com/?p=23628 It's no secret that bosses can be difficult people. So why would in-house counsel think they are immune from having one? On the flip side, if you supervise others, have you ever been surprised to learn that your direct reports consider you to be difficult (and you don’t)?Being “difficult” can be in the eye of the beholder, with many shades and meanings. It can be good for direct reports and the organization, when change requires a forceful approach. When a supervising attorney is a "bad boss," it can have disastrous consequences.If you're a difficult boss, consider these strategies and reminders:Control your difficult side.Make sure you're in control of your difficult side. It’s one thing to be tough and demanding, to get the best out of your team. But if you have a difficult nature that results from bad habits, you have work to do on improving your own competencies.Be comfortable with your responsibilities.At times, being a tough boss comes with the territory. As leadership authors Hill and Lineback write, it takes “courage to make hard decisions or take tough actions, such as giving difficult feedback, denying a promotion to someone who's good but not good enough, . . . or even laying off people when the economy goes bad.”The First Requirement for Becoming a Great Boss.Candor helps.So while there is no need to apologize (although it might help), be as candid as you can with your team or impacted direct reports. They should appreciate your explanation and openness about the company’s problems, the demands of your job, or a personal issue. Then watch themrise to the occasion.Be clear.If your toughness is directed at changing the competencies of a direct report, make sure you have been clear as to what you're trying to accomplish. Change management is an art-form for which there are few short cuts. If you're at the point that you need to be difficult, your direct report should understand how serious this is. If you’re being passively aggressive because you don’t have the patience for change management, you’re unlikely to succeed.Be "perfectly assertive."With a little fine-tuning, you may be able to turn your difficult nature into the desired competency of assertiveness.As Bob Sutton writes:"Being just assertive enough, while not easy for any boss, is one of the most important features of a good one. . . . the best bosses get the balance right on any given day, and in myriad interactions with their followers, peers, and own bosses."The Delicate Art of Being Perfectly Assertive.It may be you.And then there’s the possibility that your difficult behavior is known to everyone but you. Paraphrasing Bob Sutton, you may have "aflawed and incomplete understanding of what it feels like to work for [you]."12 Things Good Bosses Believe.Seek (and be open to) feedback. Hopefully, your organization or direct reports will have the courage to give you feedback, and you'll be open to it. If you've just received this feedback in a 360 evaluation, take a deep breath and handle it well.Bouncing Back from a Negative 360-Degree Review.If you're not getting that feedback, you may "need courage just to seek" it "and even more to digest and take action based on it."The First Requirement for Becoming a Great Boss. Another good read on this topic isSeeing Yourself as Others See You.You may have some homework to do, but taming your difficult self will go a long way toward your being the best atLeadingInHouse.smThis summary was prepared by Perry Cone and posted at LeadingInHouse.com.Legal Notice and Disclaimer

InhouseBlog.com

]]>

Are you a difficult boss? Or do you have one? Read on at LeadingInhouse:

It’s no secret that bosses can be difficult people. So why would in-house counsel think they are immune from having one? On the flip side, if you supervise others, have you ever been surprised to learn that your direct reports consider you to be difficult (and you don’t)? Being “difficult” can be in the eye of the beholder, with many shades and meanings. It can be good for direct reports and the organization, when change requires a forceful approach. When a supervising attorney is a “bad boss,” it can have disastrous consequences.

[via: Difficult boss? Challenges for in-house counsel at LeadingInhouse]

Like this post? Subscribe to InhouseBlog's FREE weekly email newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time.

InhouseBlog.com

]]> http://www.inhouseblog.com/difficult_boss/feed/ 0 BlackRock GC Robert Connolly announces retirementhttp://www.inhouseblog.com/robert_connolly/ http://www.inhouseblog.com/robert_connolly/#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:47:17 +0000 Editors http://www.inhouseblog.com/?p=23504 A new day will soon dawn for the legal department at BlackRock Inc. News broke yesterday that General Counsel Robert Connolly is retiring after 15 years at the money management firm.

InhouseBlog.com

]]>

A new day will soon dawn for the legal department at BlackRock Inc. News broke yesterday that General Counsel Robert Connolly is retiring after 15 years at the money management firm.

[via: BlackRock GC announces retirement at InsideCounsel]

Like this post? Subscribe to InhouseBlog's FREE weekly email newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time.

InhouseBlog.com

]]> http://www.inhouseblog.com/robert_connolly/feed/ 0 NBCUniversal Media’s Richard Cotton is a GC in the Limelighthttp://www.inhouseblog.com/richard_cotton/ http://www.inhouseblog.com/richard_cotton/#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:02:24 +0000 Editors http://www.inhouseblog.com/?p=23131 Richard Cotton, the executive vice president and general counsel of NBCUniversal Media, LLC, doesn't mind being the focus of attention.

InhouseBlog.com

]]>

Richard Cotton, the executive vice president and general counsel of NBCUniversal Media, LLC, doesn’t mind being the focus of attention.

[via: NBCUniversal Media's Richard Cotton is a GC in the Limelight at CorpCounsel]

Like this post? Subscribe to InhouseBlog's FREE weekly email newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time.

InhouseBlog.com

]]> http://www.inhouseblog.com/richard_cotton/feed/ 0 Glen Nager, Jones Day Partner, to Lead U.S. Golf Assocationhttp://www.inhouseblog.com/glen_nager/ http://www.inhouseblog.com/glen_nager/#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:30:52 +0000 Editors http://www.inhouseblog.com/?p=23128 After helping usher in new rules of the game, appellate lawyer Glen Nager will assume the presidency Saturday of golf's North American governing body

InhouseBlog.com

]]>

After helping usher in new rules of the game, appellate lawyer Glen Nager will assume the presidency of golf’s North American governing body.

[via: Clubhouse Lawyer: Jones Day Partner to Lead U.S. Golf Assocation at the American Lawyer]

Like this post? Subscribe to InhouseBlog's FREE weekly email newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time.

InhouseBlog.com

]]> http://www.inhouseblog.com/glen_nager/feed/ 0 Molson Coors merges chief people, legal officers with Samuel Walker to take on combined rolehttp://www.inhouseblog.com/samuel_walker/ http://www.inhouseblog.com/samuel_walker/#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:30:15 +0000 Editors http://www.inhouseblog.com/?p=23036 Sometimes mergers are not about law departments or law firms, they happen within positions at companies: Molson Coors has combined the chief legal officer and chief people officer roles, with Ralph Hargrow set to leave the brewer. Samuel Walker, the current chief legal officer, will assume the expanded role of chief people and legal officer, [...]

InhouseBlog.com

]]>

Sometimes mergers are not about law departments or law firms, they happen within positions at companies:

Molson Coors has combined the chief legal officer and chief people officer roles, with Ralph Hargrow set to leave the brewer. Samuel Walker, the current chief legal officer, will assume the expanded role of chief people and legal officer, the North American brewer announced earlier this week.

[via Molson Coors merges chief people, legal officer.]

Like this post? Subscribe to InhouseBlog's FREE weekly email newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time.

InhouseBlog.com

]]> http://www.inhouseblog.com/samuel_walker/feed/ 0 Help is Available for Lawyers with Addiction Issueshttp://www.inhouseblog.com/lawyers_with_addiction/ http://www.inhouseblog.com/lawyers_with_addiction/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:30:03 +0000 Editors http://www.inhouseblog.com/?p=22777 Lawyers have a tough job to do, and some try to alleviate the stress with mood-altering activities. Done to excess or illegally, that can make their situation much worse, as demonstrated by the criminal cases of at least two attorneys in the news this past week concerning their alleged activities. But help is available to lawyers who may have issues with excessive drinking, drug use and other addictions, such as gambling. (One recovered attorney told an ABA Journal reporter several years ago that he formerly looked for cases that would be tried at courthouses near his favorite casino.) In addition…

InhouseBlog.com

]]>

Help is available to lawyers with addiction issues. If you need help or know someone who does, seek it out:

Lawyers have a tough job to do, and some try to alleviate the stress with mood-altering activities. Done to excess or illegally, that can make their situation much worse, as demonstrated by the criminal cases of at least two attorneys in the news this past week concerning their alleged activities.

[via: Help is Available for Lawyers with Addiction Issues at the ABA Journal]

Like this post? Subscribe to InhouseBlog's FREE weekly email newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time.

InhouseBlog.com

]]> http://www.inhouseblog.com/lawyers_with_addiction/feed/ 0 Women Partners on the Rise at BigLawhttp://www.inhouseblog.com/women_partners-2/ http://www.inhouseblog.com/women_partners-2/#comments Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:29:37 +0000 Editors http://www.inhouseblog.com/?p=22310 About a third of the lawyers who obtained BigLaw partnership promotions so far this year are women, though several firms fell well below the average. The American Lawyer tallied the percentages. So far, 97 of the nation’s top 200 law firms have announced 973 partner promotions for 2012. Twenty of the firms promoted partnership classes made up of at least 50 percent women, while 13 promoted no women. The legal publication's analysis showed that the average path to partnership was 10½ years. While most lawyers took the traditional path, rising through the associate ranks, "anecdotal evidence suggests that ... many…

InhouseBlog.com

]]>

More women partners at Biglaw – but are they at the firms you are working with?

About a third of the lawyers who obtained BigLaw partnership promotions so far this year are women, though several firms fell well below the average.

[via: About a Third of Newly Promoted BigLaw Partners Are Women at the ABA Journal]

Like this post? Subscribe to InhouseBlog's FREE weekly email newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time.

InhouseBlog.com

]]> http://www.inhouseblog.com/women_partners-2/feed/ 0 Chipsters, a group for women lawyers who are IP chief counselhttp://www.inhouseblog.com/chipsters/ http://www.inhouseblog.com/chipsters/#comments Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:05:17 +0000 Editors http://www.inhouseblog.com/?p=22203 In 2005, a group of in-house counsel coalesced, all women, all the top intellectual property lawyers in their respective companies. They cleverly called themselves Chipsters – CHiefIP lawyers – and they have continued to meet. The lawyers worked or still...

InhouseBlog.com

]]>

Female IP Chief Counsel unite – in a group called Chipsters:

In 2005, a group of in-house counsel coalesced, all women, all the top intellectual property lawyers in their respective companies. They cleverly called themselves Chipsters – ChiefIP lawyers – and they have continued to meet.

[via: Chipsters, a group for women lawyers who are IP chief counsel at the Law Department Management Blog]

Like this post? Subscribe to InhouseBlog's FREE weekly email newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time.

InhouseBlog.com

]]> http://www.inhouseblog.com/chipsters/feed/ 0 Personal development plans for in-house counselhttp://www.inhouseblog.com/personal_development_plans/ http://www.inhouseblog.com/personal_development_plans/#comments Tue, 17 Jan 2012 11:13:13 +0000 Editors http://www.inhouseblog.com/?p=22181 You've had your annual performance review, so now what?  It's time to work on your personal development plan , for those aspects of you  (your "competencies") that you want to improve . Your plan also articulates how you're going to change yourself, your time-frames for doing so, the means to measure your success, and your support network. If you were not provided with a template and task list, I suggest that you take the initiative and make them up. If this is your first time working with a development plan, this post provides some pointers about my five recommended components   -  the what, the how, the when, measurement, and support from others: What.  The what is those personal competencies that you want to improve. "Competencies" are usually "soft skills" (e.g., improve relationships with clients, increase sense of urgency), but they also could be technical (e.g., become department expert in bankruptcy law). Your task list usually comes from the feedback you receive in your performance review. See "Room for Improvement" and "Hate Surprises" under my last post,  Performance review 101 for in-house counsel – how to “receive” your review . Your boss may provide you with suggestions, or you may need to comb your review for subtly expressed areas of concern. How.   Your plan should clearly articulate action items, those behavioral changes you're expecting of yourself.  For example, if your what is to "be more concise with written opinions," your how  might be to "devote more time to editing memos and ask for review by another member of law department."  If your what is "improve relationship with Vice President of Marketing," your how  might be "more frequent contact with VP, invite VP for lunch, drop by VP's office for coffee once a week." When.  Your plan should set realistic time-frames, reflecting both priorities and ease or difficulty of accomplishment. For example, being more concise with written opinions is something you can initiate immediately and incorporate into your habits within 60 days. A more difficult task (improving relationships) could be a long-term process (six months or more). If your list is short, no reason not to start on everything now. If your list is long, then you should phase it in over the year, with the first quarter focused on low-hanging fruit and priorities. Measurement.  Measure is critically important, although often a challenge to describe. Absent a measurement, it may be difficult for you to demonstrate that you have progressed, especially if there is a disconnect between you and your boss about a particular competency. For example, if your boss wants you to improve your relationship with the VP of Marketing, and you think the relationship is good, then get consensus on what that improved relationship looks like. In this example, the measurement might be as simple as "Monthly, remind boss to ask VP whether relationship is improving." If VP says "no," then you're not making progress. Support.   Although your plan is very personal, you are more likely to succeed if you engage the support of others.  Key support usually comes from your boss, who should be coaching you and providing periodic feedback on your progress.  But also consider including peers and others as appropriate.  In the "concise writing" example, you may want to inform select peers (or your direct reports) that you're working on this issue and ask them to give you feedback ("good job," "still needs shortening") to help reinforce your positive development.  Peer/team support may not be appropriate for particularly sensitive tasks (e.g., improving relations with VP Marketing). Resources.  In many respects, a personal development plan borrows elements from self-help plans and business-focused "SMART" goals. You may want to review these resources for additional thoughts on the subject: Goal Setting Workshop + simple habits and goals tracker, coach (iTunes) .  Yes, there even an "app for that." Creating S.M.A.R.T. Goals (topachievement.com) . SMART criteria (wikipedia.org) . Setting Smart Management Goals (Dummies.com) . This summary was prepared by Perry Cone and posted at LeadingInHouse.com . Legal Notice and Disclaimer

InhouseBlog.com

]]>

Yet another insightful piece from LeadingInhouse – it’s time to work on your personal development plan:

You’ve had your annual performance review, so now what?  It’s time to work on your personal development plan, for those aspects of you (your “competencies”) that you want to improve. Your plan also articulates how you’re going to change yourself, your time-frames for doing so, the means to measure your success, and your support network. If you were not provided with a template and task list, I suggest that you take the initiative and make them up.

[via: Personal development plans for in-house counsel - performance review 201 at LeadingInhouse]

Like this post? Subscribe to InhouseBlog's FREE weekly email newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time.

InhouseBlog.com

]]> http://www.inhouseblog.com/personal_development_plans/feed/ 0 Things to Consider Before Going In-Househttp://www.inhouseblog.com/going_in-house/ http://www.inhouseblog.com/going_in-house/#comments Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:42:39 +0000 Editors http://www.inhouseblog.com/?p=22047 Before you make the jump to go in-house , remember that each in-house opportunity is unique and will present different advantages and challenges. As a former in-house attorney who worked for a well-respected investment management company for almost six years, Lateral Link Director Gloria Cannon believes there are several things you should consider in evaluating each in-house opportunity. They revolve around three primary topics: job responsibilities/duties, compensation, and lifestyle…. Responsibilities First, it is important to understand the company management’s expectations of their in-house legal department. In other words, do the business people consider in-house lawyers to be a necessary evil, or valued and important members of the management team? This viewpoint will be critical in determining the type of matters you will work on and the level of responsibilities you will be given as an in-house attorney. If the company typically retains outside counsel for the high-profile or complicated deals, and relies upon their in-house counsel to handle the more mundane compliance and human resources matters for which it is not cost-effective to use outside counsel, your responsibilities may not be as challenging or interesting as the deals you worked on in private practice. Alternatively, the company may want to give its in-house legal department as much hands-on responsibility on as many deals as possible in order to manage costs and operate within budget constraints. The bottom line is that the role of an in-house attorney depends greatly upon the management and/or General Counsel’s views regarding the expected responsibilities of the in-house legal team. Every company’s approach will be very different, and may also differ with each change in upper management. In addition, while attorneys in private practice typically specialize in one specific practice area, in-house attorneys generally handle matters in a large variety of practice areas that may differ from their private practice expertise. The specific areas of law will be based upon the company’s industry, and will also include other areas generally handled by most in-house attorneys. For example, I was a bankruptcy/restructuring attorney in private practice. However, as an in-house attorney for an investment management company, I regularly worked on matters involving fund formation, private equity, broker/dealer, securities, tax, ERISA, labor and employment, litigation, bankruptcy, and corporate governance matters. Prior to going in-house, I had virtually no experience in any of these practice areas other than bankruptcy. My experience is not unique in that an in-house attorney typically becomes a “jack of all trades.” Compensation Second, compensation for in-house attorneys is not necessarily comparable to law firm salaries. There is no single standard of compensation for in-house attorneys similar to the lock-step compensation structure found at most law firms. Compensation structures also vary greatly between companies, as well as industries. Thus, it is imperative that you fully understand all aspects of the particular compensation structure you are considering. You will most likely have to negotiate compensation in unfamiliar territory because there will be no standard market salary to use for comparison purposes. In addition, there are very few in-house opportunities with salaries similar to today’s Biglaw salaries. Thus, the likelihood that an in-house opportunity will have the same guaranteed salary as a law firm salary is pretty small, unless you are working for a private equity company, investment bank, or you are the General Counsel. In addition, while public companies may provide appealing stock options, the likelihood of reaping significant benefits depends on many factors out of your control, such as market fluctuations. Lifestyle Lastly, a general misconception about going in-house is that you will gain a better lifestyle because you will not be working as many hours in order to meet your minimum billing requirement. While your hours as an in-house attorney may be more predictable, the time spent in the office is extremely fast-paced, and often much more frenetic on a consistent and daily basis. One reason for this is that instead of being one of many attorneys staffed on one or two deals, an in-house attorney typically handles as many as 20 to 30 different deals independently and simultaneously. In addition, in-house attorneys typically do not have the assistance of junior associates or a team of paralegals because there is no hierarchy of associates similar to the law firm structure. In addition, there is no longer a buffer (such as a partner) between an in-house attorney and his or her “clients” — i.e., the business people within the company — to control deal flow or allocation of responsibilities. There is also no word processing department, fax department, team of paralegals, or other support staff to assist on deals. As a result, while an in-house attorney’s hours may be more predictable and not require working on weekends, it is typically not the easier, laid-back, stress-free practice that is generally envisioned to be the case for in-house lawyers. Feel free to contact any of the recruiting professionals at Lateral Link about law firm and in-house job opportunities. For additional career tips, check out the Career Center , powered by Lateral Link .

InhouseBlog.com

]]>

Some thoughts on going in-house from a recent post at AboveTheLaw – applicable whether you are making the leap for the first time or moving between in-house positions:

Before you make the jump to go in-house, remember that each in-house opportunity is unique and will present different advantages and challenges. As a former in-house attorney who worked for a well-respected investment management company for almost six years, Lateral Link Director Gloria Cannon believes there are several things you should consider in evaluating each in-house opportunity. They revolve around three primary topics: job responsibilities/duties, compensation, and lifestyle…

[via: Career Center: Look Before You Leap — Things to Consider Before Going In-House at Above The Law]

Like this post? Subscribe to InhouseBlog's FREE weekly email newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time.

InhouseBlog.com

]]> http://www.inhouseblog.com/going_in-house/feed/ 0 International In-House Counsel Salarieshttp://www.inhouseblog.com/international_in-house_counsel_salaries/ http://www.inhouseblog.com/international_in-house_counsel_salaries/#comments Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:52:43 +0000 Editors http://www.inhouseblog.com/?p=21942 To the extent lawyers are based outside the country of a law department’s main group of lawyers, an awkward circumlocution for “internationally-based” lawyers, general counsel have a harder time knowing what to pay them. Data from local markets is much...

InhouseBlog.com

]]>

A lot of stats are available about in-house counsel salaries in the United States – but what about international in-house counsel salaries? Do some searches on Rees Morrison’s Law Department Management Blog to find the details.

To the extent lawyers are based outside the country of a law department’s main group of lawyers, an awkward circumlocution for “internationally-based” lawyers, general counsel have a harder time knowing what to pay them.

[via: Compensation of non-U.S. in-house lawyers at the Law Department Management Blog]

Like this post? Subscribe to InhouseBlog's FREE weekly email newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time.

InhouseBlog.com

]]> http://www.inhouseblog.com/international_in-house_counsel_salaries/feed/ 0 Paul Vance Fired from Position as General Counsel of the Jacksonville Jaguarshttp://www.inhouseblog.com/paul_vance/ http://www.inhouseblog.com/paul_vance/#comments Tue, 10 Jan 2012 08:47:51 +0000 Editors http://www.inhouseblog.com/?p=21823 He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. It’s playoff time in the National Football League. Fun times. This year’s playoffs are more intense than usual, since Tim Tebow is probably the only conservative that can truly challenge Obama this fall. I’m a Tim Tebow convert. Sure, if Tim Tebow were black, he’d be a back-up tight end, but that’s not a reason to hate on Tebow. He wins football games. What more do you want from him? There aren’t a lot of elite quarterbacks in the NFL. Tebow’s not elite, but he wins games. Wouldn’t you rather roll the dice with the Tebow show than going with the practiced mediocrity of Kevin Kolb, or Colt McCoy, or David Garrard? I honestly think that Tebow gets a lot of hate because so many people passed on Tebow to go with guys like that. Jacksonville did. Tebow is a God in Florida (I mean, Tebow threw for 316 prophetic yards last night, so I do not rule out the possibility that he’s a God everywhere), and he was sitting there in the draft when Jacksonville was starting David Garrard and they passed on him. Now, the Jacksonville Jaguars have a new owner. Coincidence? In fairness, the Jaguars seem to be a terribly run organization. Even the Jags’ lawyers can’t get it together. The new owner removed the team’s general counsel for something that looks like an unforgivable error for a lawyer to make…. ESPN reports that the Jaguars might owe seven assistant coaches a whole extra year of salary because of a mistake in the coaches’ contracts. Paul Vance, the general counsel and senior vice president of football operations for the Jacksonville Jaguars, appears to have lost his job because of the mistake. If the seven assistants have to be paid for another year, it could cost the team $3.5 to $4 million. But I bet Vance’s problem isn’t just about the money. Instead it’s the incompetence of making the mistake in the first place: The seven assistants had signed extensions in 2010 and the club believed it was for two years that would expire at the end of the 2011 season. However, the applicable clause in dispute states, “shall terminate on the later of January 31, 2012 or the day after the Jaguars’ last football game of the 2012 season and playoffs…” Consequently, the assistant coaches want to be compensated for the 2012 season, especially if they remain unemployed. Those coaches’ specific names have not been confirmed. Vance, who was dismissed Sunday as the team’s senior vice president of football operations and general counsel, called it an incorrect reference and that it “should have read the 2011 NFL season.” Vance termed it an error and “there was no intent on your part or our part of the club to establish a contract for the 2012 season,” according to a correspondence acquired by ESPN that was sent to the coaches. Shahid Khan bought the Jaguars for $660 million and took on the team’s $110 million in debt. I don’t think that an extra $4 million is going to break him. And it’s possible that Vance was let go for his performance as VP of football operations instead of his general counsel brain fart. But really, whether it’s drafting Tyson Alualu over Tim Tebow , or figuring out when the season ends, the Jacksonville organization needs some more basic competence. Sources: Jags, Paul Vance to part ways [ESPN]

InhouseBlog.com

]]>

Things are tough for the Jacksonville Jaguars, and tougher still for Paul Vance, their former general counsel:

The new owner removed the team’s general counsel for something that looks like an unforgivable error for a lawyer to make…. ESPN reports that the Jaguars might owe seven assistant coaches a whole extra year of salary because of a mistake in the coaches’ contracts. Paul Vance, the general counsel and senior vice president of football operations for the Jacksonville Jaguars, appears to have lost his job because of the mistake. If the seven assistants have to be paid for another year, it could cost the team $3.5 to $4 million.

[via: How to Get Fired From Your Job as General Counsel to an NFL Team at Above The Law]

Like this post? Subscribe to InhouseBlog's FREE weekly email newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time.

InhouseBlog.com

]]> http://www.inhouseblog.com/paul_vance/feed/ 0 New Year, New In-House Counsel Jobs Aboundhttp://www.inhouseblog.com/new_in-house_counsel_jobs/ http://www.inhouseblog.com/new_in-house_counsel_jobs/#comments Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:33:25 +0000 Editors http://www.inhouseblog.com/?p=21792 If you are in the market for a new in-house counsel job in this New Year, check out January 2012′s featured in-house counsel jobs courtesy of GoInhouse.com. Like this post? Subscribe to InhouseBlog's FREE weekly email newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time.

InhouseBlog.com

]]>

If you are in the market for a new in-house counsel job in this New Year, check out January 2012′s featured in-house counsel jobs courtesy of GoInhouse.com.

Like this post? Subscribe to InhouseBlog's FREE weekly email newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time.

InhouseBlog.com

]]> http://www.inhouseblog.com/new_in-house_counsel_jobs/feed/ 0 Tom Gerke in as H&R Block Inc. GChttp://www.inhouseblog.com/tom_gerke/ http://www.inhouseblog.com/tom_gerke/#comments Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:23:45 +0000 Editors http://www.inhouseblog.com/?p=21763 Just as the new year's tax season officially opens, H&R Block Inc. has announced the appointment of Tom Gerke as its new general counsel and senior vice president.

InhouseBlog.com

]]>

Just as the new year’s tax season officially opens, H&R Block Inc. has announced the appointment of Tom Gerke as its new general counsel and senior vice president.

[via: Moves: Tom Gerke in as H&R Block Inc. GC at CorpCounsel]

Like this post? Subscribe to InhouseBlog's FREE weekly email newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time.

InhouseBlog.com

]]> http://www.inhouseblog.com/tom_gerke/feed/ 0 Survey: General Counsel Wish For More Proactive Role at Corporations in 2012http://www.inhouseblog.com/general_counsel_role/ http://www.inhouseblog.com/general_counsel_role/#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2012 11:05:14 +0000 Editors http://www.inhouseblog.com/?p=21551 As they ring in 2012, one big resolution for General Counsel is cracking the corporate perception that legal departments are roadblocks rather than facilitators of commercial opportunities. Being invited too late to the party by corporate officers to deal with business matters effectively was the number one complaint cited among 53 percent of chief legal officers in a survey conducted by Corporate Counsel with its research arm, ALM Legal Intelligence, of 107 general counsel and some of their deputies at U.S. companies. Although global economic risks were identified as concerns for GCs in the New Year, the majority of respondents…

InhouseBlog.com

]]>

General counsel, be heard in 2012!

As they ring in 2012, one big resolution for General Counsel is cracking the corporate perception that legal departments are roadblocks rather than facilitators of commercial opportunities. Being invited too late to the party by corporate officers to deal with business matters effectively was the number one complaint cited among 53 percent of chief legal officers in a survey conducted by Corporate Counsel…

[via: Survey: General Counsel Wish For More Proactive Role at Corporations in 2012 at the ABA Journal]

Like this post? Subscribe to InhouseBlog's FREE weekly email newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time.

InhouseBlog.com

]]> http://www.inhouseblog.com/general_counsel_role/feed/ 0 MIPS Technologies’ General Counsel Does Big Work with a Small In-house Teamhttp://www.inhouseblog.com/mips_general_counsel/ http://www.inhouseblog.com/mips_general_counsel/#comments Thu, 05 Jan 2012 10:21:26 +0000 Editors http://www.inhouseblog.com/?p=21268 A brief taste of in-house work in 1995 led to Gail Shulman's 12-year career at MIPS Technologies, culminating in her promotion to general counsel in 2009.

InhouseBlog.com

]]>

A brief taste of in-house work in 1995 led to Gail Shulman’s 12-year career at MIPS Technologies, culminating in her promotion to general counsel in 2009.

[via: MIPS Technologies' GC Does Big Work with a Small In-house Team at CorpCounsel]

Like this post? Subscribe to InhouseBlog's FREE weekly email newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time.

InhouseBlog.com

]]> http://www.inhouseblog.com/mips_general_counsel/feed/ 0 31 Percent of Lawyers Surveyed Expect to Make Legal Hires in the Next Three Monthshttp://www.inhouseblog.com/legal_hiring/ http://www.inhouseblog.com/legal_hiring/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 10:45:45 +0000 Editors http://www.inhouseblog.com/?p=21510 A survey of 200 lawyers at law firms and corporations found that 31 percent expect to hire legal personnel in the first quarter of the year. The survey by Robert Half Legal shows an increase in expected legal hiring over the last quarter, when 25 percent of the respondents expected to add legal jobs, the Washington Post reports. The respondents indicated they are most likely to hire lawyers (88 percent), paralegals (39 percent) and legal secretaries (35 percent), according to a press release. The areas with the highest expected growth are bankruptcy, foreclosure, litigation, and labor and employment. Law firms…

InhouseBlog.com

]]>

31 percent may not sound like much when it comes to legal hiring trends, but it is an improvement over last quarter and hopefully an upward trend that will continue through 2012:

A survey of 200 lawyers at law firms and corporations found that 31 percent expect to hire legal personnel in the first quarter of the year. The survey by Robert Half Legal shows an increase in expected legal hiring over the last quarter, when 25 percent of the respondents expected to add legal jobs…

[via: 31 Percent of Lawyers Surveyed Expect to Make Legal Hires in the Next Three Months at the ABA Journal]

Like this post? Subscribe to InhouseBlog's FREE weekly email newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time.

InhouseBlog.com

]]> http://www.inhouseblog.com/legal_hiring/feed/ 0 Performance reviews 101 for in-house counselhttp://www.inhouseblog.com/performance_reviews/ http://www.inhouseblog.com/performance_reviews/#comments Tue, 03 Jan 2012 08:53:35 +0000 Editors http://www.inhouseblog.com/?p=21438 Hate them or love them, performance reviews are a potent reminder that in-house counsel are corporate employees – mere mortals – and not just lawyers.  Assuming a review coming up soon, here is some advice for the recipient (laced with a few thoughts for the writers). 1.   Good feedback makes us feel good. Even the most humble enjoy a little positive feedback now and then.  A good source is your annual performance review.  If you know you are due some, but not getting enough, you may want to gently remind your boss about how important feedback is to his/her team. The Mighty Pen – Four Reasons to Write Positive Feedback Down (Kevin Eikenberry) . 2.  Room for improvement. It may not be the biggest room in our house, but we all have “room” for improvement. If it’s not on your written review, ask for it verbally.  Make sure you understand what’s at the bottom of it (your boss’s perceptions and implications, and your understanding of yourself).  If you struggle with accepting criticism and negative feedback, then a suggested reading is 7 Effective Ways to Deal With Criticism (Tejvan Pettinger) . 3.  Hate Surprises. Hopefully there are no surprises and you’re in agreement with everything that's said.  If you’re hearing a negative for the first time, it suggests there may be a communications gap.  Either your boss is not providing you with needed feedback during the year, or you’re not listening to it.  Avoid future surprises by having the courage to make this “communications gap” a discussion topic in your review or post-review conversations. 4.  Minimize importance of self-appraisal. If you’ve been given the opportunity to provide a self-appraisal, great.  But don’t give it more importance than it deserves. Their best use is in providing a list of accomplishments that your boss may have forgotten. See Self-appraisals for in-house counsel – there ought to be a law against that . 5.  Have a good conversation .   Come prepared with a short list of questions that you would like answered, just in case topics important to you are not covered.  Also be prepared with some observations about your boss, in case your boss asks you to provide feedback.  And as time allows, look for a segue to change the agenda from the formal review to a more open-ended conversation.    See Performance review? Don't miss an opportunity for a good conversation . For those who write performance reviews, in addition to the reverse side of the thoughts above, here are some additional resources on the subject: Delivering an Effective Performance Review (Rebecca Knight) 10 Ways to Screw up a Performance Appraisal (Dan McCarthy) . 10 Opinions on Performance Reviews (Dan McCarthy) . How to Have More Productive Performance Appraisals (LeadershipNow.com) . This summary was prepared by Perry Cone and posted at www. LeadingInHouse.com / Legal Notice and Disclaimer

InhouseBlog.com

]]>

Another insightful piece from LeadingInhouse – this time on the important topic of how to receive your performance review:

Hate them or love them, performance reviews are a potent reminder that in-house counsel are corporate employees – mere mortals – and not just lawyers.  Assuming a review coming up soon, here is some advice for the recipient (laced with a few thoughts for the writers).

[via: Performance review 101 for in-house counsel – how to “receive” your review at LeadingInhouse]

Like this post? Subscribe to InhouseBlog's FREE weekly email newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time.

InhouseBlog.com

]]> http://www.inhouseblog.com/performance_reviews/feed/ 0 10 pieces of advice from Eric Esperne, a seasoned in-house lawyerhttp://www.inhouseblog.com/eric_esperne/ http://www.inhouseblog.com/eric_esperne/#comments Mon, 19 Dec 2011 14:05:30 +0000 Editors http://www.inhouseblog.com/?p=20860 My career has not followed the well-trodden path of many lawyers who have gone from law school to law firm to in-house.

InhouseBlog.com

]]>

Eric Esperne is counsel for Dell Healthcare & Life Sciences. He has not followed the well-trodden path of many lawyers who have gone from law school to law firm to in-house.

[via: 10 pieces of advice from a seasoned in-house lawyer at InsideCounsel]

Like this post? Subscribe to InhouseBlog's FREE weekly email newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time.

InhouseBlog.com

]]> http://www.inhouseblog.com/eric_esperne/feed/ 0 Michael Holston, HP’s General Counsel Steps Downhttp://www.inhouseblog.com/michael_holston/ http://www.inhouseblog.com/michael_holston/#comments Wed, 14 Dec 2011 09:45:50 +0000 Editors http://www.inhouseblog.com/?p=20628 Hewlett-Packard Co. announced yesterday that Michael Holston, executive vice president, general counsel and secretary, will leave the information technology company to pursue other opportunities.

InhouseBlog.com

]]>

Amid other turbulence at HP, its GC is stepping down:

Hewlett-Packard Co. announced yesterday that Michael Holston, executive vice president, general counsel and secretary, will leave the information technology company to pursue other opportunities.

[via: HP's GC steps down at InsideCounsel]

Like this post? Subscribe to InhouseBlog's FREE weekly email newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time.

InhouseBlog.com

]]> http://www.inhouseblog.com/michael_holston/feed/ 0 Starbucks GC Paula Boggs retires to work on Obama campaignhttp://www.inhouseblog.com/paula_boggs/ http://www.inhouseblog.com/paula_boggs/#comments Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:10:28 +0000 Editors http://www.inhouseblog.com/?p=20418 Paula Boggs, Starbuck’s GC, is retiring to work on Obama’s campaign – an endeavor that will certainly require many Venti Frappucinos: Starbucks general counsel and secretary Paula Boggs will retire April 2 to join President Obama’s re-election campaign. She has been at the coffee company since 2002. Boggs will be based in Seattle and Santa [...]

InhouseBlog.com

]]>

Paula Boggs, Starbuck’s GC, is retiring to work on Obama’s campaign – an endeavor that will certainly require many Venti Frappucinos:

Starbucks general counsel and secretary Paula Boggs will retire April 2 to join President Obama’s re-election campaign. She has been at the coffee company since 2002. Boggs will be based in Seattle and Santa Fe and work for the campaign in communities across the country. In 2010, Obama appointed Boggs to the White House Council for Community Solutions, which has worked on community-developed solutions to youth development, education and employment.

[via Business & Technology | Starbucks general counsel retires to work on Obama campaign | Seattle Times Newspaper.]

Like this post? Subscribe to InhouseBlog's FREE weekly email newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time.

InhouseBlog.com

]]> http://www.inhouseblog.com/paula_boggs/feed/ 0 100 Legal Jobs Added in Novemberhttp://www.inhouseblog.com/legal_jobs-2/ http://www.inhouseblog.com/legal_jobs-2/#comments Mon, 05 Dec 2011 09:15:44 +0000 Editors http://www.inhouseblog.com/?p=19984 According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics employment report released today, the legal sector added 100 jobs in November,Am Law Daily reports. The profession also added 400 jobs in October. The Am Law Daily cautions that the recent small increases don’t offset jobs lost in more recent months, and overall, the profession suffered a net loss of 1,000 jobs in 2011. Also, according to the report, the legal profession is down 3,100 jobs since November 2010. Overall, the country’s jobless rate is 8.6 percent, according to the report. Previously this year, the number has been reported as 9 percent. The…

InhouseBlog.com

]]>

The legal jobs picture continues to look murky (and for recent graduates perhaps bleak). Hopefully 2012 will see a turnaround:

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics employment report released today, the legal sector added 100 jobs in November,Am Law Daily reports. The profession also added 400 jobs in October. The Am Law Daily cautions that the recent small increases don’t offset jobs lost in more recent months, and overall, the profession suffered a net loss of 1,000 jobs in 2011.

[via: 100 Legal Jobs Added in November, According to BLS Stats at the ABA Journal]

Like this post? Subscribe to InhouseBlog's FREE weekly email newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time.

InhouseBlog.com

]]> http://www.inhouseblog.com/legal_jobs-2/feed/ 0 12 noteworthy in-house career moveshttp://www.inhouseblog.com/in-house_career_moves/ http://www.inhouseblog.com/in-house_career_moves/#comments Mon, 28 Nov 2011 11:49:42 +0000 Editors http://www.inhouseblog.com/?p=19488 Charting some of the most recent GC and in-house appointments

InhouseBlog.com

]]>

Charting some of the most recent GC and in-house career appointments.

[via: 12 noteworthy in-house career moves at InsideCounsel]

Like this post? Subscribe to InhouseBlog's FREE weekly email newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time.

InhouseBlog.com

]]> http://www.inhouseblog.com/in-house_career_moves/feed/ 0 Work-life balance for in-house counsel: a contrarian viewhttp://www.inhouseblog.com/work-life_balance/ http://www.inhouseblog.com/work-life_balance/#comments Mon, 28 Nov 2011 10:55:33 +0000 Editors http://www.inhouseblog.com/?p=19560 Every day another in-house counsel discovers the myth of work-life balance. And you are not alone: “The reality for many of us these days is that our professional lives bleed into our personal lives. . . . We check our emails in the evenings and weekends . We delay or miss family events because we can't leave the office.  And when we do, we take our communications devices with us so that we can stay connected to work.”  This realistic perspective on work (it describes my life) is from a recent post by consultant Ron Ashkenas, Work and Vacation Should Go Together (Sept. 2011).  While most consultants would advise you to seek “more balance” between work and life (see bullets below), Ron's approach in the post is somewhat contrarian:  “ Instead of pushing back or feeling resentful when work issues interrupt us, let's accept that interruptions are a part of life ; whether they are caused by children, friends, family dramas, broken pipes — or phone calls during our vacations”.  And, “Maybe we need to accept the fact that the sharp demarcation between work and home is a thing of the past , and that the new normal is a life that integrates home and work more seamlessly.”  I would concur with the wisdom of accepting the burdens that come with professional responsibilities, especially because acceptance has the added benefit of increasing your happiness factor.  See How to be more happy (or less unhappy) at your job as in-house counsel .  Nothwithstanding the benefits of accepting one's circumstances, being overworked and overstressed will eventually have an adverse impact on your success in   LeadingInHouse. sm   So do not stray too far from the more traditional approaches to work-life balance, the ones that push back (rather than embrace) the notion that work is life.  Here are few thoughts in that regard: “President Obama is not the only one having to decide whether to cut or modify vacation plans at a challenging moment. . . . Everyone needs down-time to renew, reenergize, and re-bond with family. Time away while accumulating new experiences can stimulate imagination and support innovation. In short, making the link between time off and time on can be broadly beneficial.”  Should Leaders Go on Vacation? (Harvard Business School professor and author Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Aug. 2011). “The digital devices we all now carry around are stunningly seductive and addictive, . . . are the means by which we get our work done, but they're also a form of digital crack.”  Take Back Control of Your Work (and Your Life) (author Tony Schwartz Mar. 2011). “However much you love your job, it is a mistake to define yourself too closely to your work.”  Detach Yourself from Your Work (executive coach Gill Corkindale, Jan. 2011). “How do you square working 60 hours a week with the desire to be a great spouse and parent?”  How to Stop Being a Victim of Your Own Life (Douglas R. Conant, recently retired President and CEO of the Campbell Soup Company, Jan. 2011). This summary was prepared by Perry Cone and posted at www. LeadingInHouse.com /   Legal Notice and Disclaimer

InhouseBlog.com

]]>

Is work-life balance on your holiday wish-list?

Every day another in-house counsel discovers the myth of work-life balance. And you are not alone: “The reality for many of us these days is that our professional lives bleed into our personal lives. . . . We check our emails in the evenings and weekends . We delay or miss family events because we can’t leave the office.  And when we do, we take our communications devices with us so that we can stay connected to work.”

[via: Work-life balance for in-house counsel: a contrarian view at LeadingInhouse]

Like this post? Subscribe to InhouseBlog's FREE weekly email newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time.

InhouseBlog.com

]]> http://www.inhouseblog.com/work-life_balance/feed/ 0 The South’s Richest General Counsel: GC Salaries Stagnate in 2010http://www.inhouseblog.com/general_counsel_salaries/ http://www.inhouseblog.com/general_counsel_salaries/#comments Tue, 22 Nov 2011 09:27:20 +0000 Editors http://www.inhouseblog.com/?p=19182 Average compensation packages for GCs in the southeastern U.S. total $1.15 million, but average base salaries are up less than 1 percent from 2009.

InhouseBlog.com

]]>

Average compensation packages for general counsel in the southeastern U.S. total $1.15 million, but average base salaries are up less than 1 percent from 2009.

[via: The South's Richest General Counsel: GC Salaries Stagnate in 2010 at CorpCounsel]

Like this post? Subscribe to InhouseBlog's FREE weekly email newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time.

InhouseBlog.com

]]> http://www.inhouseblog.com/general_counsel_salaries/feed/ 0 Featured In-house Counsel Jobs for February 2012http://www.inhouseblog.com/in-house_counsel_jobs/ http://www.inhouseblog.com/in-house_counsel_jobs/#comments Sun, 20 Nov 2011 14:59:56 +0000 Editors http://www.inhouseblog.com/?p=19198 Here are the latest featured in-house counsel jobs courtesy of GoInhouse.com (head over to the site to see the entire 600+ list of inhouse positions – from general counsel to assistant general counsel to staff attorney jobs). BigLaw job hunters should check out GoBigLaw.com for Biglaw jobs: General Counsel, Sr. Vice President – American Baptist [...]

InhouseBlog.com

]]>

Here are the latest featured in-house counsel jobs courtesy of GoInhouse.com (head over to the site to see the entire 600+ list of inhouse positions – from general counsel to assistant general counsel to staff attorney jobs). BigLaw job hunters should check out GoBigLaw.com for Biglaw jobs:

Like this post? Subscribe to InhouseBlog's FREE weekly email newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time.

InhouseBlog.com

]]> http://www.inhouseblog.com/in-house_counsel_jobs/feed/ 0 Misconduct Troubles Don’t Always Result in Ethics Sanctions for GCshttp://www.inhouseblog.com/ethics_sanctions_for_gcs/ http://www.inhouseblog.com/ethics_sanctions_for_gcs/#comments Wed, 16 Nov 2011 11:30:27 +0000 Law.com http://www.inhouseblog.com/?p=18837 General counsel who lost their jobs based on misconduct allegations don’t necessarily run into trouble with state disciplinary authorities. That’s the conclusion of Corporate Counsel, which examined the cases of three former top corporate lawyers. They include: • Howard Udell, former general counsel of Purdue Pharma, who was barred from health care work for 12 years after he pleaded guilty to a criminal misdemeanor based on the company’s marketing of Oxycontin. He is appealing a federal court ruling upholding the debarment by the Department of Health and Human Services. He is currently a solo practitioner; there is no public record…

InhouseBlog.com

]]>

General counsel who lost their jobs based on misconduct allegations don’t necessarily run into trouble with state disciplinary authorities. That’s the conclusion of Corporate Counsel, which examined the cases of three former top corporate lawyers.

[via: Misconduct Troubles Don’t Always Result in Ethics Sanctions for General Counsel at the ABA Journal]

Like this post? Subscribe to InhouseBlog's FREE weekly email newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time.

InhouseBlog.com

]]> http://www.inhouseblog.com/ethics_sanctions_for_gcs/feed/ 0 A Houston GC On Moving Legal Work In-House With New Hireshttp://www.inhouseblog.com/inhouse_counsel_hiring/ http://www.inhouseblog.com/inhouse_counsel_hiring/#comments Wed, 09 Nov 2011 11:55:03 +0000 Editors http://www.inhouseblog.com/?p=18497 Despite an uncertain economy that led to some attorney layoffs, the new top lawyer at McJunkin Red Man Corp. in Houston is doubling the size of his in-house legal department.

InhouseBlog.com

]]>

Despite an uncertain economy that led to some attorney layoffs, the new top lawyer at McJunkin Red Man Corp. in Houston is doubling the size of his in-house legal department through inhouse counsel hiring.

[via: A Houston GC On Moving Legal Work In-House With New Hires at CorpCounsel]

Like this post? Subscribe to InhouseBlog's FREE weekly email newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time.

InhouseBlog.com

]]> http://www.inhouseblog.com/inhouse_counsel_hiring/feed/ 0 400 Legal Jobs Added in October, Down 3,000 Over Past 12 Monthshttp://www.inhouseblog.com/legal_jobs/ http://www.inhouseblog.com/legal_jobs/#comments Mon, 07 Nov 2011 07:15:02 +0000 Editors http://www.inhouseblog.com/?p=18410 The modest rise follows two months of declines and comes amid an up-and-down year that has left the legal industry with substantially fewer positions than it had in October 2010.

InhouseBlog.com

]]>

A small bump in October does not hide the continued downward trend in the legal jobs market. If you are someone you know is looking for legal jobs, check out www.goinhouse.com and www.gobiglaw.com for inhouse positions or legal jobs at BigLaw firms.

[via: Legal Sector Added 400 Jobs in October, Down 3,000 Over Past 12 Months at the American Lawyer]

Like this post? Subscribe to InhouseBlog's FREE weekly email newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time.

InhouseBlog.com

]]> http://www.inhouseblog.com/legal_jobs/feed/ 0 Is the Legal Job Crisis Spreading to Canada?http://www.inhouseblog.com/legal_jobs_in_canada/ http://www.inhouseblog.com/legal_jobs_in_canada/#comments Fri, 04 Nov 2011 15:05:47 +0000 Editors http://www.inhouseblog.com/?p=18312 I recently received an email from an old friend asking for advice on behalf of a relative who is thinking about applying to law school. I was about to respond with a warning about the dangers of taking on massive student loans to get a degree that just might put you on the fast track to unemployment , but then I reread the email and noticed that the young woman in question is thinking about applying to law schools in Canada (she’s Canadian). O Canada! Their legal education system is different — and, by some accounts , better than ours. At least if you define “better” in terms of “better at getting law school graduates into legal jobs.” But could things up north be changing — for the worse, eh? That’s the suggestion of a recent article in the Toronto Globe & Mail : Meagan Williams, 30, has a seemingly impressive résumé for a budding lawyer: a law degree from University of Western Ontario, good grades, two summers in a “pretty coveted” position at her school’s legal clinic, experience at mock-trial competitions, and a master’s degree in politics. But despite her achievements, she was initially unable to secure one of the 10-month articling positions mandatory for all Canadian law-school graduates who wish to become fully fledged lawyers. And she was not alone. For those of you who don’t know all aboot it, “articling” constitutes an apprenticeship of sorts, where the articling student or clerk learns about the practice of law in a real-world work environment. In Canada, it’s required to become a member of the bar; in the United States, of course, we have no such requirement. An oversupply of lawyers? Don't blame Canada; historically they've regulated entry to the profession more rigorously. Some observers of the U.S. legal scene — e.g., myself, in a New York Times piec e — have argued that adding apprenticeship would benefit our legal education system. It would provide law school graduates with the practical training that employers sometimes complain they lack. And if it could replace part of the three-year law school curriculum, it could lower the cost of legal education: instead of spending (and paying for) a third year of classroom instruction, aspiring lawyers could work as apprentices, gaining practical experience and earning rather than paying out money. Maybe our system should become more like Canada’s. But is Canada thinking of making its system more like our own, in response to a shortage of articling positions? In what’s been called an “articling crisis,” 12 per cent of Ontario law school graduates were unable to get articling jobs in 2011, according to statistics from the Law Society of Upper Canada. A new task force is mulling a range of reforms, while some in the profession call for the creation of alternatives to mandatory articling, or even the scrapping of it all together. This strikes me as the wrong solution to a “problem” that might not even be a problem. If Canadian law students can’t find articling positions, perhaps there isn’t sufficient demand in the market for additional lawyers. The “solution” might be to mint fewer law students, not to get rid of a barrier to entry that is actually tied to market demand. Of course, one can’t help feeling bad for students like Meagan Williams who have difficulty finding articling posts: “I was definitely staring in the face of this huge barrier to doing what I want to do,” said Ms. Williams, who says she spent her third year looking for an articling post, even cold-calling small law firms across Ontario trying to convince them to take on an articling student. She has since attained one of the positions she had hoped for all along, at Ontario’s Ministry of the Attorney-General, starting next year. But while most of her classmates were already working at a law firm after graduation, Ms. Williams and many others like her remained in a kind of limbo, facing the prospect of being left with tens of thousands of dollars in debt, and with a law degree but no way to actually practise law. Worse, they faced competition for the next year’s articling positions from the new cohort of students coming up behind them. Two observations. First, Williams actually found a position — suggesting that this “crisis” may not be so grave. Second, if Canadians are worried about placing law students “in a kind of limbo,” in which they are “left with tens of thousands of dollars in debt, and with a law degree but no way to actually practise law,” it seems that they should not move to an American-style model, and they should not scrap the articling requirement. Instead, people thinking about law school in Canada should read articles like the Globe & Mail piece and think twice about going to law school. If they decide to forge ahead, despite the warnings, that’s one thing. But they shouldn’t think — as many U.S. law students do, sadly — that merely having finished law school entitles you to a job practicing law. That’s not the way the world works. Canadian law school administrators are — what a shock! — all in favor of scrapping the articling requirement: Lorne Sossin, the dean of Osgoode Hall Law School at York University, says he believes articling is invaluable, but opposes keeping it as a mandatory requirement for going on to practise law: “It shouldn’t be the bottleneck that keeps qualified graduates of law school from having a chance to contribute.” A “chance to contribute” to law school coffers. And just like the United States, Canada has more more law schools in the pipeline, despite the inability of all law school grads to find decent jobs: Some say the recent approval of a new law school at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, set to open next year, as well as the new law school at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, B.C., will only make the problem worse. But Chris Axworthy, dean of the new Thompson Rivers law school, argues the articling crisis is mostly a big-city phenomenon. Rural and aboriginal communities are actually underserved by the legal profession, he points out, and filling that need is part of his new school’s mission: “We will do what other law schools do, but we will also ensure the opportunity to work in a smaller community and a smaller firm is a real opportunity for students.” Launching new law schools to will serve underserved communities — where have we heard that before? It’s how new law schools in the United States try to justify themselves — even though it’s doubtful that their debt-saddled graduates will actually be able to afford to take public-interest jobs. Canadians: even though your health care legal education system has its critics , on the whole it’s pretty good . Why would you want to make it more like the broken model we have here in the U.S.? If you try to “reform” your system by getting rid of apprenticeship and end up instead with thousands of deeply indebted, unhappy law school graduates, you have only yourselves to blame . Law profession faces an ‘articling crisis’ [Toronto Globe & Mail] Earlier : Canada Has A Better System for Prescription Meds and Law Schools? Blame Canada — For Its Crappy Law Schools The Broken Law School Model: What Is To Be Done?

InhouseBlog.com

]]>

AboveTheLaw is reporting that the legal job crisis may be hitting Canada as well.

[via: Is the Legal Job Crisis Spreading to Canada? at Above The Law]

Like this post? Subscribe to InhouseBlog's FREE weekly email newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time.

InhouseBlog.com

]]> http://www.inhouseblog.com/legal_jobs_in_canada/feed/ 0