Effective Email Strategies for Law Students and Lawyers

by Susanne Aronowitz, Member , NALP’s E-Professionalism and Social Networking work group. Susanne is the Associate Dean for Law Career Services and Alumni Relations at Golden Gate University School of Law.

WHY DO LAW STUDENTS NEED ADVICE ON USING EMAIL?

While most of you have been using email for as long as you can remember, communicating as a lawyer (or future lawyer) carries some unique obligations and responsibilities. Employers, clients, deans, faculty, and licensing agencies all have an interest in how you present yourself publicly. As a savvy legal  professional, using email effectively can help you cultivate a reputation for integrity and strong communication skills. Conversely, thoughtless blunders can damage not only your own reputation, but that of colleagues, co-workers, employers, and clients. By taking the same level of care with your  personal correspondence that you would with your motions and briefs, you can solidify your professional persona.

GETTING STARTED

As a new legal professional, it is worthwhile to take a moment to reconsider some of the email strategies you used in your pre-law school days.

_ First Impressions Count! Make sure that your email address supports a professional identity and  clearly identifies you. Smartlawyer@gmail.com might be an accurate description, but it does not help a prospective employer identify which smart lawyer you are. Similarly, addresses like partygirl@gmail.com do not support the professional brand that you have worked so hard to create. Try using a simple formulation that incorporates your first and last name.

_ Getting in the Last Word. If you utilize a signature block at the end of your message, keep it simple. At a minimum, include your name and phone number. If you choose to list your degree, do so accurately.   Verify whether your school awards a “Juris Doctor” or “Doctor of Jurisprudence.” Very few of you will be earning a “Juris Doctorate.” Listing your credentials inaccurately does not inspire confidence.

Think twice before adding a quote to the end of your signature block. This is not your high school  yearbook; consider whether you really want every employer, professor, and mentor to know “what a long, strange trip it’s been.” Similarly, if you choose to insert links to your blog, website, Facebook page, or Twitter feed, be fully prepared to have your correspondents follow them.

Directing new readers to your online content could be an excellent opportunity to build your “brand” or personal identity by showcasing your professional expertise, or an opportunity to harm your reputation if these communications are less than professional in tone and content.

_ Effective Email Management. Sometimes knowing when NOT to use email is the best email strategy. When dealing with sensitive subject matter or seeking significant amounts of information, it is time to abandon email in favor of face-to-face conversations or other strategies.

_ Start with the Conclusion. If you are asking your reader to do something, start the message with the request for action and then use the remainder of the message to explain why. If you put the request at the end, your recipient is likely to miss it. If your message is lengthy, summarize the contents of the message with a few bullet points at the beginning. 

ONLINE ETIQUETTE

There are a few basic rules of the road for effective email etiquette; these become particularly important to observe when communicating through email discussion lists and groups.

Demonstrating online etiquette will help you earn the good will of others while ignoring it could damage your reputation in a very public way.

_ To “cc” or Not to “cc”? Consider who needs to receive your message, and include them (and only them). Do not use “reply all” when a direct response to the sender is more appropriate. Similarly, if you are communicating via an email group or discussion list, do not clog up everyone’s inbox with a message that simply says “me too.”

_ Unintended Audiences. Be judicious about forwarding messages from others, but assume that your email messages will ALWAYS be forwarded. Once you hit “send” you lose control over the distribution of your message. If you do not want your message forwarded to your law school dean or law firm partner, do not send it. Many unwary law students have been surprised to see their email messages reprinted on a legal industry blog or on the front page of a legal newspaper.

_ What Are We Talking About? If you are carrying on a lengthy email conversation, be sure to change the subject line to match the content of the messages.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR LAW STUDENTS AND LAWYERS

You Are Not “Dear Abby.” As a member of the legal profession, you must take extra care with any information you offer—if it rises to the level of legal advice, you may have inadvertently created an attorney-client relationship with your correspondent.

Avoid providing legal advice via email, especially on email discussion lists and groups.

There Are No Secrets on Email. Email is inherently an insecure medium. Refrain from using email to communicate information that must remain confidential.

Do Not Use Work Email for Personal Use. Do not use your work email account for personal business. Your employer owns the email account and the information contained therein. Your use of a work email account will inadvertently create the impression that your employer has endorsed the message you are communicating. Many employers would consider using work email for personal business to be a misappropriation of company resources, especially if used for financial gain or political activity.

You Are Your Word. Bar associations and many employers conduct background checks to assess your character and fitness.

Any “bad behavior” in email is likely to find its way to the investigators and could derail your opportunities.

EMAIL AND YOUR JOB SEARCH

Tone Counts! When the only information a prospective employer knows about you is contained in the 50 words of your email message, those words take on extra importance. Having a professional-sounding email is as effective in creating a positive impression as wearing a business suit to a job interview.

Respond promptly to an employer’s requests for information. Make sure your tone is polite, your text is grammatically correct, and your thoughts are well-composed. Do not use emoticons, exclamation marks, ALL CAPS, and informal constructions.

Who? What? If you are submitting an application for a job via email, be sure that your email address clearly identifies who you are and that the subject line identifies the position you are seeking (e.g., “Application for Real Estate Associate”). If you are requesting an informational interview, use the subject line to identify your connection to the person (e.g., “Colleague of John Smith”).

Supporting Documents. When attaching your resume and other application materials, convert them to PDFs to preserve your careful formatting and to ensure that the recipient can open them. Provide the documents with logical names (e.g., “Mary Jones Resume”).

By using email in a thoughtful and strategic manner, you can use it as an effective tool to creating and maintaining your professional persona.

This is one of a series of E-Guides on E-Professionalism available from NALP at www.nalp.org/eguides.

Did You Know . . . .? Another Job Resource for BYU Alumni

You know that the BYU Law School Career Services Office posts job listings.  Did you know that the BYU Alumni Association also has job listings in areas you might be interested in?  Don't forget to include this job board as another resource in your job search.

http://alumni2.byu.edu/career-services/

http://alumni2.byu.edu/Sections/Placement/index.cfm?event=search_getSearchCriteria

How to be a good summer associate

http://www.nationaljurist.com/content/how-be-good-summer-associate

By Elizabeth Ewing

So you earned top grades, survived the interviews, and landed that coveted summer associate position. Now all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the expensive lunches, attend the after-work social events, and accompany the partners on that out of town trip, right?

Not so fast, cautions Aretha Blake, director of the Center for Professional Development at Charlotte School of Law. Many aspects of legal employment have changed in the face of economic hard times, and summer associate programs are also not exempt from cutbacks.

“I think this year programs are coming back, but they’re smaller than people have been used to,” Blake said. “Unlike in years past, students should not have an expectation that every summer associate will receive an offer for the next summer or a permanent job offer.”

Blake said firms projected for future needs when they determined the size of their summer classes, but they are more aware than ever of the need to bring in associates who will provide value to the clients with the basic skills necessary to become successful attorneys. Blake recommends associates think as if they are in a summer-long job interview, by showing they can be an asset to the firm long-term.

“Programs really are focused on student performance and preparedness, so students should be focused on good work product,” Blake said.

Blake’s tips for standing out include: pay attention to details, communicate well with supervisors, and make every interaction count, even with support staff.

When associates work on a project, they should research thoroughly, read, re-read, and proofread all work. It’s common sense, but the basics can be easy to overlook.

“No one expects perfection… but practicing law is a detail-oriented business and you want to show you’re conscientious and will do good work for future clients,” Blake said.

Research skills are another important tool for summer associates because many projects and assignments will be in complicated areas of law that associates may not be familiar with.

Blake said associates should be able to do background research to understand the area of law as well as the particular project at hand. This process may start with asking questions to clarify the assignment and the supervisor’s expectations.

“Be confident enough and assertive enough to be inquisitive,” Blake said. “Determine where you might go astray and ask questions to get back on track. That’s a skill that’s underutilized.”

Although firms are not wining and dining summer associates with the lavish perks of years past, these tips can help secure the most-sought after benefit of all, a permanent job offer.

Did You Know . . .?? Great Social Media & Electronic Communications Guides Available

NALP (The Association for Legal Career Professionals) has created some great guides on social networking and other electronic communications:

LinkedIn: Facebook for Lawyers

Facebook for Law Students: Making Friends (But Protecting Your Professional Reputation)

Twitter: An Online Cocktail Party

Effective Email Strategies for Law Students and Lawyers

Managing Your Digital Dirt

Selected Articles Related to Social Networking

Five Qualities to Make Yourself a Strong Candidate for International Public Interest Jobs

http://pslawnet.wordpress.com/2011/04/27/blogging-the-nalp-conference-five-qualities-to-make-yourself-a-strong-candidate-for-interenational-public-interest-jobs/

Highlights from the program called “Counseling for International Public Interest Careers” at the 2011 Annual NALP conference.

One of the panelists, Akua Akyea of Yale Law School, laid out five qualities that successful candidates for international public interest jobs typically possess:

1. Substantive Knowledge of International Legal Issues – sounds like a no-brainer, but it’s important for law students who wish to work in the international arena to figure out how they can soak in the most knowledge through classes, writing opportunities (journal, etc.), experiential learning opportunities, attending extracurricular lectures/programs, networking with faculty and practitioners, and of course, through summer work.
2. Demonstrated Commitment to Becoming an International Public Interest Advocate – this career path is not a backup plan. Aspiring international public interest lawyers should take advantage of every opportunity they can get to build their credentials. (See no. 1 above.) It’s one thing to tell a job interviewer that you’re committed; it’s another to show that you’re living out that commitment through your legal education.
3. Language Skills - when the PSLawNet Blog practiced in civil legal services, he often found himself regretting that he never developed anything even approaching a proficiency with a second language. (Some would say the PSLawNet Blog is still struggling enough with English.) In any case, possessing foreign language skills – or not - can make a break a candidate for an international public interest law job. It’s not too late to build skills. Look into foreign language offerings within your law school’s larger university system. Some students even take temporary leave to pursue language immersion courses – or do it during the summer.
4. International Travel Experience – in two words: “Go abroad!” Travel abroad – even for leisure – helps us to build awareness of different cultures, and it helps us to at least begin to understand what might be involved in integrating and working in a different culture.
5. Gain Relevant Work Experience – this will help you take care of tips 1 and 2, and at the same time you’ll figure out what kind of work setting is right for you, what areas of law/policy interest you, and where in the world you might like to work.

Short Term Housing: Finding a Place to Live for the Summer

http://www.beyondhearsay.com/2011/05/09/short-term-housing-finding-a-place-to-live-during-the-summer/

 

by Jonathan Bell

You are leaving town for the summer. As excited as you are to live in a different city for the next several months, you need to find a place to live. Worse, you need to look for a place while still in school and possibly without actually seeing it first. Thankfully, summer housing is common, and you should have plenty of options available to help you find a place.

 

The first resource you should utilize is your employer. Many employers actively check the classified ads for you or connect with property managers with popular local buildings to see if there are any housing opportunities for their summer interns. Some employers go one step further, and have rights of first refusal for properties available, whether publicly listed or not. Your employer wants your summer experience to be as pleasant for you as possible, so they are more likely than not going to be there to help. Take them up on it!

The second place to go would be to the national classified ads. Craigslist has seemingly taken over this market in recent years, and in more populated cities there will be hundreds of listings each day. Keep in mind that almost everyone in your position will also be checking these postings, which could make it somewhat competitive to get the exact place that you want from a different city. But hey, it’s still a great option and many have been extremely successful and satisfied after using it.

A third option is the specific city’s apartment rental services themselves. Most major towns have several locally based housing services available to help you find short or long term housing. In some cities there is a fee, while in others, it is free.

I never took a job outside Chicago during law school. When I moved, I visited the city directly to find a place, but supplemented my search by looking both at the national classifieds on Craigslist as well as a more local listing from a local service. Visiting your city directly may not be an option for many of you, as you are still in the midst of exams or getting ready to pack up your life and move for the summer.

Jonathan Bell is the founding Editor-In-Chief of Beyond Hearsay, and currently serves as the Social Media Manager for Kaplan PMBR. A reformed attorney, Jonathan spent a year practicing law in his hometown Chicago before moving out west.

Following Up When Networking

http://lawyerist.com/networking-follow-up/

by Randall Ryder

Whether you are networking as an attorney or networking as a law student, that skill is critical to your success as an attorney.

There are plenty of ways to enhance your networking skills, but here is an easy one: follow up.

Why it matters

The goal of networking is not to have a “one and done” conversation or meeting—the goal is to create lasting relationships. (Side note: using your smartphone during a networking meeting is the freeway to “one and done.”) If you are blessed with the charm and wit of a movie star, maybe you can establish that connection from one meeting. Although, if you have the charisma of a movie star, you are probably working in the wrong business.

For attorneys, following up and creating a relationship can be the difference between getting referrals and “that person I had lunch with once that does something I can’t remember.” For solos and small firms, all of those missed opportunities add up quickly.

For law students, it is especially critical. Many law students do not possess the initiative to meet with attorneys during law school for informational interviews. Of those students, many of them do not bother to follow up after that initial meeting (something I may have done during law school). Those are all missed opportunities. At the time, you might think there is no possible way someone could help down the road. Chances are, they probably can, you just don’t know it yet. Taking the time to follow up will create an impression and can help with your job search down the road.

How to get better at it

Sending a thank-you card is nice—it helps—but it does not create a relationship. If you talked about something during that initial meeting and said you would follow up on it—whether it was the name of a babysitter or the name of a case—make sure you follow through. Put a post-it note on your monitor, or whatever you do to actually get things done—but do it quickly after your initial meeting.

Put a reminder on your calendar for a few months down the road and go have lunch/coffee/drinks again. If you went to their office last time, ask them to come to your office, or vice-versa. If they asked about playing on your softball team, invite them to play on your team. Even if you just send an e-mail following up on a topic of conversation, you have taken more of a step than most people.

Networking is a skill, but you can get better at it, even if you aren’t a movie star.

Randall Ryder practices consumer rights law in Minnesota and is a publisher of Elder Parent Help. Follow him @randallryder.  cel reply

Big Ideas for Small Talk

http://www.attorneyatwork.com/articles/big-ideas-for-small-talk/

By Mary Ellen Sullivan

Some people are born schmoozers and like nothing more than to meet and mingle at professional events. For others, this is about as painful as watching a “Kardashians” marathon at gunpoint.

Top 10 Icebreakers

If you fall into the latter category—and most of us do to some extent—it pays to have a few tricks up your sleeve. Debra Fine, author of The Fine Art of Small Talk, offers her top 10 icebreakers. She suggests using them at those ubiquitous business/social occasions like fundraisers, association cocktail parties, conferences and dinners where you need to start a conversation with a colleague or potential client you don’t know well or would like to meet.

1.What is your connection to this event?

2.What keeps you busy outside of work?

3.Tell me about the organizations you are involved with.

4.How did you come up with this idea?

5.What got you interested in … ?

6.What do you attribute your success to?

7.Describe some of the challenges of your profession.

8.Describe your most important work experience ….

9.Bring me up to date.

10.Tell me about your family.

According to Fine, what all of these have in common is that they are personal, but not too personal. “Your goal is to build a business relationship,” she says, “while still getting to know more about a client or potential client. If you are talking to an existing client, they probably already know you are good at what you do, so you just want them to see you on a more human level.” It’s this connection that will most likely cause them to refer you to a friend or associate.

The other thing to note about these icebreakers is that they give control to the other person, allowing them to decide just how much information they are willing to share and where they want to set the parameters of the conversation. “Your job is to help the other person feel comfortable in what could be a potentially uncomfortable social situation,” says Fine. “You never want to put them on the spot.”

Conversation Killers

Putting people on the spot often results from asking a question to which you do not know the answer. “Unless the person is wearing a nametag that identifies their place of work, never ask ‘How is your job with XXX Enterprises?’” she says. “If they have lost their job, you will just make them feel bad, and you have just killed the conversation—and an opportunity to build a new business contact.” Here are some other conversation killers:

•Are you married? Do you have any kids? (If the answer is no, where do you go from there?)

•How is your husband/wife? (What if he or she left, took all the money, and won custody of the kids and the house?)

•Is that real? Are those real? (If you have to ask why these questions are inappropriate, perhaps you should leave the networking to someone else.)

You can find more conversational tips at Debra Fine’s website.

Mary Ellen Sullivan is a Chicago-based freelance writer who writes frequently about the arts, music, travel and women’s issues, with a specialty in health care for more than 27 years. She is the author of the best-selling book “Cows on Parade in Chicago,” several travel guides, and has been published in The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times, Woman’s Day, For Me, Vegetarian Times, Booklist and other publications.

Job Interviews: A Tale of Two Questions

http://www.attorneyatwork.com/articles/job-interviews-a-tale-of-two-questions/

By Wendy Werner

Really, there are only two kinds of questions in any job interview. Yes, you might be asked to respond to a hypothetical situation, to draw on a distant law school memory, or even be tested on how you handle stress by enduring a brutal attack on your credentials. But all questions will fall into either the “can” category, or the “will” category. Knowing this can help you better prepare for the interview, stay calm under pressure and, ultimately, respond to the employer’s concerns with ease.

First, Can You Do the Job?

The first set of questions is all about whether you can do the job: Background, education, skills and experience. Typically this is what the interviewer wants to get to first. It is also the case that if your resume did not indicate your “can-do” qualities, you probably would not have made it to the interview stage. At the interview, the employer will want more detail about your skill sets and previous experience. Before the interview, review the job description and make sure that you have scoured your resume—and your memory—for stories you can tell about your experiences to allay any fears about whether or not you have the background to do the job.

Second, Will You Do the Job?

Once you pass the experience test, you can be assured that the rest of the interview will be all about the “will” category. These questions are about motivation and interpersonal characteristics. Most employers have had at least one unfortunate experience of hiring an individual who had the right background but who did not execute. So once you have been vetted for experience, the employer will want to know more about whether you will get to the finish line on the tasks they now believe you can do. This is the part of the interview that will cover, for example, the number of hours you have billed in your current position, your ability to get along with coworkers, how you met deadlines, how you managed a difficult supervisor, and whether or not you return client phone calls in a timely fashion.

Now Listen

Knowing and understanding these two categories of questions can help you focus on how to answer them during the interview. Pay attention. Answering a skills question with a motivation response will leave the employer wondering if you have the proper background. Answering a motivation question with information on your latest CLE attendance may make the employer wonder about how you get along with people. Listening to the question carefully can help you sort between these two important categories.

Remember that employers enter the interview process with the same fears you do. One of your primary goals is to get to the next part of the selection process and not be eliminated. Conveying to the employer that, first, you have the skills to do the job and, second, you have the motivation to do it, will go a long way toward setting them at ease. And that’s how you get to the short list and serious consideration for joining the firm.

Wendy Werner is a career coach and practice management consultant for lawyers and professional services firms, as well as an award-winning photographer. She writes the Careers column for ABA Law Practice magazine, and is a frequent contributor to The St. Louis Lawyer and Law Practice Today. Wendy has a master’s degree in Personnel Administration and Counseling from Indiana University, and served as the Assistant Dean of Career Services at Saint Louis University School of Law.

Cool New Legal Resource on YouTube from FindLaw

http://blogs.findlaw.com/insider/2011/05/introducingfindlaws-new-scribd-page.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+FindlawNews-TopStories+%28FindLaw+News+-+Top+Stories%29

Conversation Tips for Networking Events

http://www.attorneyatwork.com/articles/how-to-behave-at-an-event/

By Mary Ellen Sullivan

Do you view networking as a necessary evil? Do you get tongue-tied at cocktail parties? Does making small talk at conferences rate somewhere between vacuuming the car and sitting in the front row of a heavy metal concert? Do we have some tips for you!

Debra Fine, author of The Fine Art of Small Talk, has a number of surefire recommendations for lawyers on how to start a conversation, keep it going, exit gracefully, and even atone for a faux pas or two.

Best opening lines. “What’s been going on since we last spoke?” and “What do you do outside of work?” ”Both are open-ended questions that are impossible to answer with a simple yes or no,” says Fine. “They also don’t put people on the spot, giving them a lot of leeway in terms of what they can choose to tell you.”

The key to being a good conversationalist. “Assume the burden of others’ discomfort,” she says. Good conversationalists forget about their own feelings—because let’s face it, we all feel a little awkward in these somewhat artificial social situations—and try to make everyone around them feel comfortable. This can include assuming the “host” role even if you are not actually the host. For example if you are at a table of strangers, look across the table and include everyone in the conversation.

What if you forget someone’s name? “Get over it!” Fine says. “You can’t be a good host if you forget names. So, simply say, ‘I’m terrible at names, please tell me yours and move on.” Don’t do what most tend to do in this situation—ignore them. “People will think you are a snob,” she says. “And that defeats the purpose of networking.”

How to subtly sell yourself in a social situation? Forget the elevator speech and instead use a single sentence that conveys an accomplishment or describes a project you are working on. ”Don’t brag, don’t complain,” Fine explains. “Simply say something like ‘I’ve just been retained by a new client who is trying to sell his business.” This gives them an indication of your experience and expertise, and can serve as a portal to more conversation.”

What never to do. Don’t answer a question with just a yes or no. Always respond with a complete sentence. If someone asks how you are, say “I’m great, I just got back from a really interesting conference/case/vacation/event.” “Or,” says Fine, “give them an answer that has nothing to do with work. Tell them you went to your daughter’s soccer game over the weekend. This makes you seem like a three-dimensional likeable human being, not just an attorney.”

Finally, how do you gracefully get out of a conversation? “This is one that everyone struggles with,” says Fine. “I recommend acknowledging what you heard and then waving the white flag that indicates the conversation is over. For example, “That trip sounds really interesting. Tell me your favorite part before I go.” This allows both of you to get out of it in a dignified manner. ”Another tactic is to ask for a referral. “You could say ‘I really need some advice, who do you know here who is in commercial real estate (or whatever topic you choose)?” This opens two options. The person can introduce you to someone else or, if they know no one who can help you, you can gracefully excuse yourself to find someone who can.”


Mary Ellen Sullivan is a Chicago-based freelance writer who writes frequently about the arts, music, travel and women’s issues, with a specialty in health care for more than 27 years. She is the author of the best-selling book “Cows on Parade in Chicago,” several travel guides, and has been published in The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times, Woman’s Day, For Me, Vegetarian Times, Booklist and other publications.