Employment Insider

The National LGBT Bar Association released a list of the Best Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Lawyers under the Age of 40. The LGBT Bar established this award to recognize young LGBT legal professionals who have distinguished themselves in their field and demonstrated a profound commitment to LGBT equality.

“We are incredibly proud of these forty individuals,” said D’Arcy Kemnitz, executive director of the National LGBT Bar Association. “Together, they represent the best and brightest young minds in the LGBT legal community.”

 Mirroring the rebounding economy, the ranks of women general counsel at Fortune 500 companies bounced back in the past year, according to a just-released survey by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association, Inc. (MCCA). Nine women joined the ranks of top general counsel over the last year, following a slight decline in the prior year.

On July 6, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued highly anticipated regulations, now called the Transport Rule, in its effort to limit air pollution and replace a controversial cap-and-trade provision for power plants. This new proposal followed other recent attempts by the EPA to regulate greenhouse gas and lead emissions, stirring up a legal practice area that had been relatively tame in the last decade.  

The nation’s largest law firms have long let prestige drive their hiring practices. But the recent economic woes — ripe with layoffs and lower billing rates — have awakened BigLaw to a new reality. And the result may be good news for law students outside of the traditional “elite” schools.

The recession that has ripped through the law firm world — resulting in massive layoffs, reduced summer classes and deferred start dates — may finally be bringings its hiring system to its need.

Legal hiring remains a bright spot in a transitional economic environment, as one-third (33 percent) of lawyers interviewed for The Robert Half Legal Hiring Index said they plan to add legal jobs in the third quarter. Just 2 percent of legal organizations plan staff cutbacks. The net 31 percent hiring increase is up five points from the previous quarter’s survey.

More than 92 percent of respondents to a recent study titled, “A Survey of Women Partners on Law Firm Compensation,” reported that revenue generation is the key factor for promotion to equity partner, especially in the forms of billable amounts collected, billable hours worked and new client origination.

Veta Richardson, executive director of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association, Inc. (MCCA), and Cynthia Calvert, co-director of the Project for Attorney Retention (PAR), discussed and unveiled the findings at the first Regional Summit for Women In-House Counsel.

I have a classmate who is doing something that I believe reflects an unprofessional image. Should I talk to my classmate about this?

The answer:

Much like building your network, building your book of business takes time and trust. For some new lawyers, focusing on getting new business can be a daunting task, but many firms and employers nowadays are looking for young lawyers to hit the ground running — particularly if you’re working for a smaller firm, where you may be expected to bring in work almost as soon as you start.

The following are some business development tips: 

First and foremost, it means recognizing that – particularly in “meager” economic times like these – it may take you longer to find a job, and that you’ll have to do plenty of legwork. Treating the job search like a job means you remain professional when contacting and meeting with potential employers, and it means you turn in professional resumes, cover letters and other supporting materials — just as if you were turning in written work product on the job.

The sheer number of bar associations and attorney trade associations can make you dizzy! Bar associations serve many different purposes, from continuing legal education to networking, from professional and business development opportunities to referrals. In many cases, you can become a student member of bar associations. First, though, you must be able to navigate your many choices. This list should help you get started: