A New Beginning

When University of Miami School of Law Dean Patricia White issued a letter this summer asking accepted students to reconsider their reasons for going to law school, it was heralded for its boldness and feared for what it represented: the end of an era.

There has been an increasing volume of commentary on the law school experience since the recession began, but rather than continue to highlight the problems, this letter attempted to initiate a discussion of solutions. The dean notes that the administration's intention was genuine in that it asked prospective 1Ls to consider their choice of attending law school and offered them the option to defer their admission for one year to further reflect on their chosen path.

The same day the south Florida law school's letter was bringing reality to the law school-bound, San Francisco-based Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, founded in the 19th century, was giving a dose of the same with its revelation that the firm would be eliminating the lockstep model of law firm promotion that had been the foundation of large firm practice for decades.

In its place, the firm offered a multi-tiered system featuring a traditional partnership track, a custom track for those who may not aspire toward partnership, and a career associate track, which will be occupied by lawyers in specific roles at lower compensation than those in the other tracks. The plan includes three associate levels: associates, managing associates and senior associates, with standard requirements for promotion to the successive positions and compensation that will vary based on an individual's skill set and contribution.

The new approach is “about reengineering the way we deliver legal services to our clients and getting the right talent on the right task at the right cost,” says Laura Saklad, Orrick's Chief Lawyer Development Officer. It is also a response to the idea initially introduced by Deloitte's 'Mass Career Customization' program that “career progression is not a direct upward ladder, it is more like a lattice,” she says.

Perhaps the dean's message, coupled with the transformation of law firms like Orrick, is what prompted 32 individuals to accept the University of Miami's deferral offer, sweetened with a challenge to engage in 120 hours of public service in exchange for a guaranteed $5,000 scholarship and an increased chance to win a $75,000 scholarship upon enrollment. It could have also been the honesty with which White approached the class of 2012 in her letter stating, ” ' in these uncertain and challenging times the nature of the legal profession is in great flux. It is very difficult to predict what the employment landscape for young lawyers will be in May 2012 and thereafter.”

Expectations Have Changed

Although separate acts on opposite coasts, the two are directly related by more than just their date of release (July 1, 2009). They represent an effort by those producing lawyers and those employing them to proclaim that expectations have changed, and that law students must adjust their behavior accordingly. “Thinking of law school as an assured meal ticket or as simply a safe harbor in which to weather the economic storm is probably not appropriate in today's world, particularly given the substantial debt that law students typically incur in order to pay for their education,” notes White.

In this new beginning, law students will be free to draw on their natural talents and capabilities at the outset of their legal career rather than ten years into it. And, the contraction in the market is likely to create more options, like customized career tracks, for the next generation. “If law students thoughtfully consider their future, it may end up in a better outcome for them, especially in this market,” says Saklad.

This transformation at schools and firms is altering the nature of careers in the profession. “American law schools now produce more graduates than there are traditional lawyering positions,” says Meg Reuter, Assistant Dean for Career Planning at New York Law School. “There is more opportunity to secure an alternative legal job, which often can be better remunerated,” she adds.

Opportunity-Making

Opportunity-making is emerging as an essential element of success based on fundamental principles of thoughtful interaction. For that reason, it is incumbent on each student this fall to forge a unique footing along this path, and for those in the profession to support that reinvention.

Those who flourish tend to: 1) highlight an area that is most interesting to them; 2) identify the people with whom they want to associate; and 3) understand where key issues in their areas of interest proliferate. These factors give them a sense of direction. Students who take the time to craft this brief plan are not just looking for a job; they are architecting a career. It is a mindset that has been passed from senior partner down to junior associate, and must now be transferred from practitioner to pupil.

This self-reflection is essential in an era where employers are looking for more than a block of clay to mold. They are looking for an individual who already holds the foundation for many of the qualities that they are expecting a few years in the future. A new level of legal training is emerging, which shares responsibilities between the student, the school and the profession. “It is important for those of us in the business of educating people to make sure that people are understanding what we can promise and what we can't promise,” says Dean White.

For that reason, students (and their now-licensed alumni of the past few years) need to immediately begin developing the techniques that rainmakers have honed over their careers. The advantage for them will be that because they are making the investment earlier, their dividends could be much greater than that of their predecessors.

Creating Contacts

Networking is not just about meeting people at a cocktail party and collecting business cards. In order to combat the current consolidation, law students need to specifically identify and connect with those people with whom they would like to develop relationships. Many can start by harnessing the social media tools that they use for fun as a means of professional engagement, and they should not discount their ability to use those tools because prospective employers are earnestly trying to figure out ways to incorporate technology into their practices.

Focus Features

Unlike law students in the past who would take classes or CLE courses to demonstrate their interest in a particular subject, students today can distribute their views in a blog or via Twitter to gain a reputation as a resource. “Many people approach law school as a continuation of the liberal arts education, but the down economy is really offering students an opportunity to use their time in law school to be directed, which also requires them to be more exploratory about what is interesting to them,” says Reuter. She echoes Dean White's approach, noting that law schools need to channel their students into more self-reflection earlier than has been expected of law students in the past. “When you decide what type of lawyer you want to be, you will be more attractive to the employers at the kind of jobs you want,” she says.

The new era does not require an extensive contribution of time; it only requires a renewed sense of focus with the time you are already spending. It is a technique-driven era with new methods for distinguishing yourself. For instance, students who develop ways to use technology to profile members of the industry will create tangible demonstrations of their knowledge of the people and subjects, with which they should be familiar.

Network with Your Network's Network

Those who network exponentially will reach their potential much sooner than those who simply concentrate on one relationship at a time. While it is essential to build connections
individually, those who are most successful share their message broadly. For instance, Twitter users “tweet” to their direct followers, but the most successful participants in the conversation share content that is so valuable, it is routinely “retweeted” and shared more expansively.

Modern law students (and associates) must change their mindsets and begin thinking about how they can benefit their colleagues, clients and friends, which is the hallmark of the great opportunity makers. These individuals effortlessly position themselves so that when opportunity arises, they are the recipients because they are always seeking to create value for others, which yields exponentially greater rewards.

This positive shift will allow students and lawyers to be more creative in their pursuits, and to regularly add inspiration to their work. It will ultimately foster a more dynamic culture within the law that represents a fresh start for many and a new beginning for all.

Ari L. Kaplan, a member of this newsletter's Board of Editors, is the author of The Opportunity Maker (Thomson-West, 2008). He speaks at law schools, law firms and bar associations nationwide, and reveals the Five Ways to Find Opportunity in a Faltering Economy at www.AriKaplanAdvisors.com.

When University of Miami School of Law Dean Patricia White issued a letter this summer asking accepted students to reconsider their reasons for going to law school, it was heralded for its boldness and feared for what it represented: the end of an era.

There has been an increasing volume of commentary on the law school experience since the recession began, but rather than continue to highlight the problems, this letter attempted to initiate a discussion of solutions. The dean notes that the administration's intention was genuine in that it asked prospective 1Ls to consider their choice of attending law school and offered them the option to defer their admission for one year to further reflect on their chosen path.

The same day the south Florida law school's letter was bringing reality to the law school-bound, San Francisco-based Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, founded in the 19th century, was giving a dose of the same with its revelation that the firm would be eliminating the lockstep model of law firm promotion that had been the foundation of large firm practice for decades.

In its place, the firm offered a multi-tiered system featuring a traditional partnership track, a custom track for those who may not aspire toward partnership, and a career associate track, which will be occupied by lawyers in specific roles at lower compensation than those in the other tracks. The plan includes three associate levels: associates, managing associates and senior associates, with standard requirements for promotion to the successive positions and compensation that will vary based on an individual's skill set and contribution.

The new approach is “about reengineering the way we deliver legal services to our clients and getting the right talent on the right task at the right cost,” says Laura Saklad, Orrick's Chief Lawyer Development Officer. It is also a response to the idea initially introduced by Deloitte's 'Mass Career Customization' program that “career progression is not a direct upward ladder, it is more like a lattice,” she says.

Perhaps the dean's message, coupled with the transformation of law firms like Orrick, is what prompted 32 individuals to accept the University of Miami's deferral offer, sweetened with a challenge to engage in 120 hours of public service in exchange for a guaranteed $5,000 scholarship and an increased chance to win a $75,000 scholarship upon enrollment. It could have also been the honesty with which White approached the class of 2012 in her letter stating, ” ' in these uncertain and challenging times the nature of the legal profession is in great flux. It is very difficult to predict what the employment landscape for young lawyers will be in May 2012 and thereafter.”

Expectations Have Changed

Although separate acts on opposite coasts, the two are directly related by more than just their date of release (July 1, 2009). They represent an effort by those producing lawyers and those employing them to proclaim that expectations have changed, and that law students must adjust their behavior accordingly. “Thinking of law school as an assured meal ticket or as simply a safe harbor in which to weather the economic storm is probably not appropriate in today's world, particularly given the substantial debt that law students typically incur in order to pay for their education,” notes White.

In this new beginning, law students will be free to draw on their natural talents and capabilities at the outset of their legal career rather than ten years into it. And, the contraction in the market is likely to create more options, like customized career tracks, for the next generation. “If law students thoughtfully consider their future, it may end up in a better outcome for them, especially in this market,” says Saklad.

This transformation at schools and firms is altering the nature of careers in the profession. “American law schools now produce more graduates than there are traditional lawyering positions,” says Meg Reuter, Assistant Dean for Career Planning at New York Law School. “There is more opportunity to secure an alternative legal job, which often can be better remunerated,” she adds.

Opportunity-Making

Opportunity-making is emerging as an essential element of success based on fundamental principles of thoughtful interaction. For that reason, it is incumbent on each student this fall to forge a unique footing along this path, and for those in the profession to support that reinvention.

Those who flourish tend to: 1) highlight an area that is most interesting to them; 2) identify the people with whom they want to associate; and 3) understand where key issues in their areas of interest proliferate. These factors give them a sense of direction. Students who take the time to craft this brief plan are not just looking for a job; they are architecting a career. It is a mindset that has been passed from senior partner down to junior associate, and must now be transferred from practitioner to pupil.

This self-reflection is essential in an era where employers are looking for more than a block of clay to mold. They are looking for an individual who already holds the foundation for many of the qualities that they are expecting a few years in the future. A new level of legal training is emerging, which shares responsibilities between the student, the school and the profession. “It is important for those of us in the business of educating people to make sure that people are understanding what we can promise and what we can't promise,” says Dean White.

For that reason, students (and their now-licensed alumni of the past few years) need to immediately begin developing the techniques that rainmakers have honed over their careers. The advantage for them will be that because they are making the investment earlier, their dividends could be much greater than that of their predecessors.

Creating Contacts

Networking is not just about meeting people at a cocktail party and collecting business cards. In order to combat the current consolidation, law students need to specifically identify and connect with those people with whom they would like to develop relationships. Many can start by harnessing the social media tools that they use for fun as a means of professional engagement, and they should not discount their ability to use those tools because prospective employers are earnestly trying to figure out ways to incorporate technology into their practices.

Focus Features

Unlike law students in the past who would take classes or CLE courses to demonstrate their interest in a particular subject, students today can distribute their views in a blog or via Twitter to gain a reputation as a resource. “Many people approach law school as a continuation of the liberal arts education, but the down economy is really offering students an opportunity to use their time in law school to be directed, which also requires them to be more exploratory about what is interesting to them,” says Reuter. She echoes Dean White's approach, noting that law schools need to channel their students into more self-reflection earlier than has been expected of law students in the past. “When you decide what type of lawyer you want to be, you will be more attractive to the employers at the kind of jobs you want,” she says.

The new era does not require an extensive contribution of time; it only requires a renewed sense of focus with the time you are already spending. It is a technique-driven era with new methods for distinguishing yourself. For instance, students who develop ways to use technology to profile members of the industry will create tangible demonstrations of their knowledge of the people and subjects, with which they should be familiar.

Network with Your Network's Network

Those who network exponentially will reach their potential much sooner than those who simply concentrate on one relationship at a time. While it is essential to build connections
individually, those who are most successful share their message broadly. For instance, Twitter users “tweet” to their direct followers, but the most successful participants in the conversation share content that is so valuable, it is routinely “retweeted” and shared more expansively.

Modern law students (and associates) must change their mindsets and begin thinking about how they can benefit their colleagues, clients and friends, which is the hallmark of the great opportunity makers. These individuals effortlessly position themselves so that when opportunity arises, they are the recipients because they are always seeking to create value for others, which yields exponentially greater rewards.

This positive shift will allow students and lawyers to be more creative in their pursuits, and to regularly add inspiration to their work. It will ultimately foster a more dynamic culture within the law that represents a fresh start for many and a new beginning for all.

Ari L. Kaplan, a member of this newsletter's Board of Editors, is the author of The Opportunity Maker (Thomson-West, 2008). He speaks at law schools, law firms and bar associations nationwide, and reveals the Five Ways to Find Opportunity in a Faltering Economy at www.AriKaplanAdvisors.com.