Associate Attorney Schiller DuCanto amp Fleck LLP Adjunct Professor of Law DePaul University College of Law burkeshryahoocom Connecting Students with Lawyers Working with todays senior attorneys ID: 217375
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Shannon BurkeAssociate Attorney, Schiller DuCanto & Fleck LLPAdjunct Professor of Law, DePaul University College of Lawburkeshr@yahoo.com
Connecting Students with Lawyers: Working with today’s senior attorneysSlide2
What we will cover todayReminding students what senior attorneys expect.Discussing ways we can teach students how to meet and exceed those expectations.
Giving the students a confidence boost.Slide3
ExpectationsWhat to do at the first (and often only) meeting with the senior attorney
Bring a pen and paper
Understand the assignment
Repeat what you hear the senior attorney asking you to do (which may be different than what the attorney thinks s/he is asking you to do).
Learn the substantive goal of the assignment.
Learn how the senior attorney will use your assignment (ex: copy and paste your boilerplate language, have you find cases that support our argument or that the other side might use, make “out of the box” arguments, etc.).
Demonstrate client-cost awareness: How much time should you spent on the project?When is the assignment due? Request and/or obtain the required documentation (ex: if you are drafting the Response to the Motion for Summary Judgment, you will want to get a copy of the Motion for Summary Judgment).
What do senior attorneys expect of new(er) associates?Slide4
ExpectationsPerforming quality and cost-effective legal research Cases that are in your favor
Cases that need to be distinguished – and then distinguishing
them
Drafting basics
Include the question the senior attorney asked you to answer
Include a clear and precise answer
Then give the legal support Draft documents that need minimal substantive revisionsDraft documents that require NO grammatical revisions
What do senior attorneys expect of new(er) associates?Slide5
ExpectationsMany times, the senior partner will call the new(er) associate from court and need caselaw, statutes, or court rules – quickly!
Should you email the information as an attachment from Westlaw/Lexis?
Should you draft a short email with the one word/sentence answer?
Should you draft a lengthy explanation?
What do senior attorneys expect of new(er) associates?Slide6
ExpectationsOrally communicating your resultsRepeat what the senior attorney asked you to do.
Explain your research results (positive and negative
).
Clear, concise, precise
Following-up with the senior attorney
Before the assignment is due:
Clarify your assignmentExplain pitfalls, tangential issues that you found that may be relevant, etc.Be sure you are researching/drafting what is requiredAfter the assignment is due:Ask if you will need to draft a reply in support of your motion (or other similar document) so you can budget your time appropriately
What do senior attorneys expect of new(er) associates?Slide7
ExpectationsDisplaying “professionalism”In the office
At court
Bar association functions
Community involvement
Exchanges with clients
Formal writing
EmailsTexts
What do senior attorneys expect of new(er) associates?Slide8
Incorporating lessons into the classroomMock “initial” meetingOrally give students the assignment
Gentle critique
Hand out written assignment at the end of the meeting
Mock “presentation” meeting
Have your student orally present his or her research to you.
Have your students email you!
Different formatsGeneral, every day, professional interactionsShort emails (i.e., sending a partner an email while s/he is in court)Lengthier emails (i.e., thoroughly but concisely answering a question)Slide9
Something “extra” that new(er) associates bring Although the new(er) attorney has much to learn, s/he also has much to teach!Our students have grown up with home computers, the internet, email, texts…
Senior attorneys will want to capitalize on new(er) attorneys’ high comfort level with these technologies
Ex:
Firm website creation
Linked In
Twitter
FacebookBlogsArticlesShort videosOther forms of social media marketingSlide10
Shannon BurkeAssociate Attorney, Schiller DuCanto & Fleck LLPAdjunct Professor of Law, DePaul University College of Lawburkeshr@yahoo.com
Thank you!