Modern Lawyer

Expert Analysis

• Supporting Associates Amid Pandemic's Mental Health Toll

  As junior associates increasingly report burnout, work-life conflict and loneliness during the pandemic, law firms should take tangible actions to reduce the stigma around seeking help, and to model desired well-being behaviors from the top down, say Stacey Whiteley at the New York State Bar Association and Robin Belleau at Kirkland.

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  Ask A Mentor: Should My Law Firm Take On An Apprentice?

  Mentoring a law student who is preparing for the bar exam without attending law school is an arduous process that is not for everyone, but there are also several benefits for law firms hosting apprenticeship programs, says Jessica Jackson, the lawyer guiding Kim Kardashian West's legal education.

• The Importance Of Client Engagement In Law Firm Innovation

  As clients increasingly want law firms to serve as innovation platforms, firms must understand that there is no one-size-fits-all approach — the key is a nimble innovation function focused on listening and knowledge sharing, says Mark Brennan at Hogan Lovells.

• The Unique Challenges Facing Women-Owned Law Firms

  In addition to establishing their brand from scratch, women who start their own law firms must overcome inherent bias against female lawyers and convince prospective clients to put aside big-firm preferences, says Joel Stern at the National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms.

• The Pursuit Of Wellness In BigLaw: Lessons From My Journey

  Jane Jeong at Cooley shares how grueling BigLaw schedules and her own perfectionism emotionally bankrupted her, and why attorneys struggling with burnout should consider making small changes to everyday habits.

• Why We Must Recruit And Advance More Black Prosecutors

  Black Americans make up a disproportionate percentage of the incarcerated population but are underrepresented among elected prosecutors, so the legal community — from law schools to prosecutor offices — must commit to addressing these disappointing demographics, says Erika Gilliam-Booker at the National Black Prosecutors Association.

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  Ask A Mentor: How Can Associates Deal With Overload?

  Young lawyers overwhelmed with a crushing workload must tackle the problem on two fronts — learning how to say no, and understanding how to break down projects into manageable parts, says Jay Harrington at Harrington Communications.

• A Scientific Path For Improving Diversity At Law Firms

  Law firms could combine industrial organizational psychology and machine learning to study prospective hires' analytical thinking, stress response and similar attributes — which could lead to recruiting from a more diverse candidate pool, say Ali Shahidi and Bess Sully at Sheppard Mullin.

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  Ask A Mentor: How Can Associates Seek More Assignments?

  In the first installment of Law360 Pulse's career advice guest column, Meela Gill at Weil offers insights on how associates can ask for meaningful work opportunities at their firms without sounding like they are begging. 

• Legal Sector Regulatory Reform Is Key To Closing Justice Gap

  In order to improve access to justice for those who cannot afford a lawyer, states should consider regulatory innovations, such as allowing new forms of law firm ownership and permitting nonlawyers to provide certain legal services, says Patricia Lee Refo, president of the American Bar Association.

• 7 Tips For Predeposition Meetings Under New Federal Rule

  Attorneys can use a new predeposition meet-and-confer obligation for federal litigation — taking effect Tuesday — to better understand and narrow the topics of planned testimony, and more clearly outline the scope of any discovery disputes, says James Wagstaffe at Wagstaffe von Loewenfeldt Busch.

• Guest Feature

  Mentorship Is Key To Fixing Drop-Off Of Women In Law

  It falls to senior male attorneys to recognize the crisis female attorneys face as the pandemic amplifies an already unequal system and to offer their knowledge, experience and counsel to build a better future for women in law, says James Meadows at Culhane Meadows.

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  Preparing The Next Generation Of Female Trial Lawyers

  To build the ranks of female trial attorneys, law firms must integrate them into every aspect of a case — from witness preparation to courtroom arguments — instead of relegating them to small roles, says Kalpana Srinivasan, co-managing partner at Susman Godfrey.

• Guest Feature

  5 Ways Firms Can Avoid Female Atty Exodus During Pandemic

  The pandemic's disproportionate impact on women presents law firms with a unique opportunity to devise innovative policies that will address the increasing home life demands female lawyers face and help retain them long after COVID-19 is over, say Roberta Liebenberg at Fine Kaplan and Stephanie Scharf at Scharf Banks.

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  Ideas For Closing BigLaw's Diversity Gap

  If enough law firms undertake some universal diversity best practices, such as connecting minority lawyers to key client relationships and establishing accountability for those charged with spearheading progress, the legal industry could look a lot different in the foreseeable future, says Frederick Nance, global managing partner at Squire Patton.