Page 25 - FDCC - You're Hired!

You’re Hired! Job Hunting Advice For Law Students and Young Lawyers
Not Conducting Your Due Diligence
You have the burden and obligation to research the firms to which you apply. You don’t want to start at a firm and within a week or two realize you made the wrong decision accepting an offer from them. This happens too often. Candidates didn’t do their research and didn’t listen to their gut during their interviews and accepted jobs they never should have accepted. Use and rely upon all the resources at your disposal to conduct your due diligence. Research the firm via:
◗ Google
◗ Legal research search engines
◗ Firm’s website
◗ State Bar which lists history of the firm’s lawyer’s ethical violations
◗ Published opinions
◗ Published articles
◗ Online chat and message boards ◗ Blawgs
◗ Social Media
◗ Your network
Not Knowing What You Want
Before you send out your first e-mail, letter or resume, know what you want in a law firm. Interviewers who speak with young lawyers who don’t know what they want are generally left with a poor impression and pass on those candidates. Firms don’t typically hire candidates who don’t know what they want in terms of the type of firm they want to work for, the areas of practice they want to pursue and what their career goals are. Yes, I understand not everyone knows what they want to do. Yes, I know there are so many firms and practice areas and it’s hard to choose one type of firm or practice area over another. But firms don’t care that you have a lot choices and that it’s hard to choose. They want to know you’re focused on choosing them and their practice areas. Leave your doubts at the reception area.
©2020 Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel
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SECTION 04 JOB SEARCH MISTAKES