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The Borneo Dilemma

I previously wrote about how Advocates for International Development (A4ID) had launched their Newly Qualified Lawyers' Programme, as one way in which firms show their Corporate Social Responsibility.

As Michael Smyth of Clifford Chance said in a feature I wrote for In-House Lawyer, “it is considered as part of the metrics for bonuses, and certainly it is a factor in determining the ‘A’ list for partnership”.

Smyth, (then), was concerned in case “the glamorous end of the work in terms of international pro bono supplants community based activity which is more attractive to the younger lawyer”.

There are those, like him, who feel that many lawyers doing voluntary work within the confines of their firm’s CSR policy can do good work at home; others, like A4ID, feel they should offer lawyers the chance to use their professional skills.

Doing good work abroad is good for NQs and firms alike

Every New Year starts with good resolutions. Lose weight, drink less, give up smoking, work smarter, as we try to make ourselves better people.

Some, however, may consider helping others as their challenge for 2010. There is no shortage of opportunities to do so; LawWorks, for example, thrives on such solicitors, and City law firms, like Clifford Chance, are recognised for their staff emphasis on corporate responsibility at home and abroad.

Newly qualified (NQ) lawyers in City firms may feel that they have little to offer here, facing as they do changing retention rates, salary freezes, and increased uncertainty.

Yet one initiative launched by Advocates for International Development (A4ID) in partnership with Challenges Worldwide (CWW), deserves attention from NQs. At a well-attended launch at CMS Cameron McKenna’s offices, delegates at the evening session heard about the launch of the Newly Qualified Lawyers' Programme.

A Christmas stocking-filler

Christmas is a time for giving; there’s always room for gifts that have one’s career in mind. There are relatively few books for assistant solicitors about how to succeed at the business of law, looking at the human side of progressing one’s career within a law firm. One book that does this is Juggling the Big 3 for Lawyers: Brand, Business, Leadership, by ex-lawyer, Jennifer Overhaus.

For a start, it illustrates its wisdom, not just by anecdotes drawn from Overhaus’s own career in US tech firms and a Magic Circle firm, but also from case studies drawn from business, politics, and the law, whilst the glossy text is also full of diagrams, cartoons, and graphs. Atypical stuff, perhaps, for those who have honed their career wisdom on Glanville Williams and Richard Susskind, but a surprisingly digestible read, after the Christmas turkey.  
 

Seasons greetings from totallylegal

We’re drawing close to the end of what has been a tough year for everyone – whether you’re a lawyer, legal executive, paralegal or are newly qualified. However, the people within our industry have always been largely resilient to adversity and open to challenges, and will continue to face them head-on in the New Year.

There’s lots to look forward to in 2010 – not least the prospect of finding your next high-flying legal role or identifying new career opportunities.

This blog is your platform to have your say, comment on news, and even write your own features. If you want to share your expertise and build your online profile, be sure to get in touch with our editorial team.

I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from everyone at totallylegal.

Claire Whisker
Director, totallylegal

Claire is a qualified barrister and solicitor. She has four years experience in the Commercial Litigation department with DLA Phillips Fox and a further two years in the Commercial Insurance department at Reynolds Porter Chamberlain. Claire joined totallylegal in 2002.

"I’m a Newly Qualified lawyer … please help!" (FREE bottle of bubbly for the best response)

There are so many Newly Qualified lawyers out there, yet so few jobs to match. Figures are continually growing; 2009 saw a dramatic rise in NQs and I am sure early 2010 will be no exception.

I imagine that 2009 and the first part of 2010 will not go down in history as the very best time to qualify as a lawyer – in particular, a lawyer who wishes to specialise in any field that was not in any way contentious. I’m thinking of commercial property, M&A…and when was the last Public listing?

The glass elevator effect

The proverbial ‘glass ceiling’ that prevents women from progressing to the top of their field has been widely scrutinised in legal circles. The profession has always provoked gender-related criticism, often with good reason: research suggests that only around 15 per cent of all partners at legal practices are women.

Evidently, the recession has enforced existing barriers, with demotions and redundancies the common subject of office gossip across law firms nationwide. Rumours surrounding the rate of female departures are circulating from within top firms including Allen & Overy, Bird & Bird and Clifford Chance. However, since HR departments are generally reluctant to comment on the exact number of redundancies (not least the gender breakdown), a grey area exists. It’s no surprise then that office sentiment is one of confusion and fear – especially if you are a woman.

Published by Google Inc

In the spirit of new blogs and in honour of the ongoing ‘to pay or not to pay’ debate surrounding online content, it got me thinking about the value of web publishing.

The law has undoubtedly encountered difficulties processing the concept of such publishing; namely, what counts as ‘published’ in the true sense? Does it solely apply to printed material represented by books, newspapers and journals?

Well, no, unless you’ve been living on a desert island for the past decade (and even that probably has Wi-Fi access). A publisher is a provider of written information to an audience; the internet has borne the largest global audience ever. No arguments there.

Consider Google Inc. With an estimated market cap at around $170 billion, it’s probably the most valuable portal to online content. But is it a publisher?

New trends for a new decade

Fireworks are standing by to signal the dawning of a new decade. It’s a time for both reflection and New Year’s resolutions. It’s also hopefully the start of a return to a more prosperous time for the whole of the legal profession.

It’s fair to say that 2009 has been a year of highs and lows. As a seasoned recruiter, the end of a year is time to predict what will be hot or indeed will be not so hot in 2010.

One key observation on this turbulent year is of the practitioner who could readily be identified as the client’s primary contact and key worker, and who became invaluable to the firm. This was certainly the person successfully surviving the dreaded 3Rs of the recession: restructuring, reorganisations and redundancies.

The risky business of blogging

A few years ago, there was a blogging boom. Bloggers caught on to the fact that, by placing a journal entry online, they would have an instant audience. The allure of self-publishing has since attracted many people to join the global blogosphere.

The blogosphere encompasses all kinds of blogs – personal, professional, business and themed. It’s a largely informal, casual and instantaneous environment. However, a blog is still a type of publication and therefore it still has all the legal implications, risks and potential liabilities that you would expect.

Welcome to the totallylegal blog

The legal profession is changing. The internet has breathed new life into what was once considered a predominantly bureaucratic job. Savvy lawyers are switching on to an international community of blogs, news feeds, social media, e-discovery, and even law journal e-zines.

Welcome to the new-look totallylegal – where we’ve taken inspiration from digital technology and used it to upgrade our technology platform to bring you our new blog.