How to Be a Lawyer: The Path from Law School to Success
- 5h 51m
- Alex Paul, Jason Mendelson
- John Wiley & Sons (US)
- 2022
Transform your legal education into a successful and fulfilling legal career
In How to Be a Lawyer: The Path from Law School to Success, a team of veteran lawyers and entrepreneurs delivers an eye-opening discussion of how to translate your years of training and education into a running start in the world of practice. The book bridges the gap between law school and practice, whether you hope to be a big firm transactional attorney, a solo criminal lawyer, work for the government or any other legal profession. You’ll discover how you can use what you learned in law school and how you can develop the real skills you’ll need as you deal with clients and colleagues.
The authors explain what your professors won’t tell you in law school and what employers and clients will actually expect from you. You’ll also find:
- Case studies and guest chapters describing the transition to major areas of law and how it can and should affect your law school decision making
- Expert advice on making your first job a successful one
- Guidance on how to avoid the most common career pitfalls and client mistakes
- Unfiltered opinions from clients about what they really think about lawyers
An ideal resource for aspiring and current law students and early career lawyers, How to Be a Lawyer is the practical blueprint you need to build your legal career from scratch.
About the Author
Jason Mendelson (Boulder, CO) has been a lawyer, startup founder, venture capitalist, software engineer and musician. He currently works inside the Colorado Attorney General's office as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence. Jason was a venture capitalist, COO and general counsel for a multi-billion dollar venture fund for over 15 years and earned his stripes at the Silicon Valley-based law firm, Cooley LLP. Jason is on the board of the Leeds Business School at the University of Colorado. Jason holds a B.A. in Economics, and a J.D. from the University of Michigan. He has been an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado Law School for the past eleven years.
Alex Paul (Chicago, IL) is a lawyer and entrepreneur. He co-founded Giving Place, an online philanthropy platform and Wealthgate Trust Company and Family Office. He is of counsel and Boulder, CO office manager at Harrison & Held and has practiced as a corporate and trusts and estate lawyer for many years. Alex served as general outside counsel to Renaissance Learning as well. Alex clerked for the Wisconsin Supreme court after graduating with a J.D. from Northwestern University. He also has a B.A. in history from Lawrence University. Alex has also spent time at the SEC.
In this Book
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Why We Wrote This Book
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The Divide between Law School and Lawyering
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The Core Concepts of Lawyering
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Understanding the Importance of Law School Rankings on Your Future
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Classic Coursework (What is it Good For?)
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Choosing Proper Electives
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What Should You Get Out of Law School?
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Be a Fiduciary
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A Short Primer on Negotiations
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Preparing for the Job Hunt
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The Bar Exam
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You Got the Job—There is no Time for Rest
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The Fourteen Commandmentsfor New Lawyers (Okay, How about “Strong Suggestions”?)
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Common Mistakes New Lawyers Make That Limit Careers and Anger Clients
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Relationships, Difficult Personalities, and Being the Calmest Person in the Room
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Understanding Current Technology
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Words from the Wise
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What Clients Want
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Law School as a “Second Career”
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How to Be a Happy Lawyer
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What If You Don't Want to Be a Lawyer Anymore?
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Let's Sum up
