tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84283392607848257922024-02-08T11:51:48.145-08:00Law Student EthicsThe Center for Law Student Ethics and Professionalism was founded by two professors at the Massachusetts School of Law at Andover to provide a clearinghouse of information about issues of ethics and professionalism that specifically affect law students and recent law graduates, as well as to inspire dialogue about those issues among students, legal educators, and others.Ursula Furi-Perry, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08283755033302724741noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8428339260784825792.post-67038330380894775752009-11-01T14:49:00.001-08:002009-11-01T14:51:38.973-08:00Got a Job Interview? Better Prepare!Among other trends in this economy, The American Lawyer reports on changing interviewing and OCI techniques:<br /><br />"Law firms are also starting to take a more rigorous approach to their end of the recruiting process. "We're seeing better-prepared interviewers, more senior people" coming on campus, says Bruce Elvin, director of career and professional development at Duke University Law School. As for the interview itself, it's no longer about whether you like the same sports teams, at least not at places like Vinson & Elkins and McKenna Long & Aldridge. These firms are using behavioral interviewing techniques, in conjunction with law school rankings and grade point averages, to evaluate candidates. The idea behind behavioral interviewing -- used by consulting and other professional service firms for decades but fairly new to the legal industry -- is that the best predictor of future performance is past performance in specific situations. Interviewers are trained to ask questions such as "Tell me about a time when you had a setback and how you dealt with it," or "Give me an example of a time when you had to make a split-second decision." Vinson & Elkins hiring partner Thomas Leatherbury predicts that behavioral interviewing will be more common in the years to come. "It's much more substantive," he says. Even in traditional interviews, Elvin says, law students can and should adopt a behavioral focus: "Students can benefit themselves by talking about challenges they've overcome, decisions they've made. It shows you are taking ownership."<br /><br />The moral of THIS story? In light of all the law student competition for jobs, bring your "A game!" Read the <a href="http://www.law.com/jsp/law/careercenter/lawArticleCareerCenter.jsp?id=1202434302753&Has_the_Recession_Forever_Changed_Large_Law_Firms">full story here.</a>Ursula Furi-Perry, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08283755033302724741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8428339260784825792.post-20014670561578344152009-09-07T11:12:00.000-07:002009-09-07T11:16:18.507-07:00Surfin' for Bar Applicant InfoIt's not exactly a surprising development: one state bar association has formally announced that it will look at applicants' online profiles and conduct in determining whether to admit an applicant to the bar.<br /><br />"Among a growing number of employers and agencies surfing the Internet and accessing social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace to look for adverse information about applicants is at least one bar group that has just adopted a formal policy of doing so. At a recent meeting, the Florida Board of Bar Examiners voted to review applicants' social networking sites on a case-by-case basis, focusing on those who have demonstrated problem conduct in the past, reports the <a title="Florida Bar News" href="http://www.floridabar.org/DIVCOM/JN/JNNews01.nsf/8c9f13012b96736985256aa900624829/d288355844fc8c728525761900652232?OpenDocument" jquery1252347151631="28">Florida Bar News</a>." Source: <a href="http://www.abajournal.com/weekly/fla._bar_overseers_to_surf_social_sites_for_adverse_applicant_info">http://www.abajournal.com/weekly/fla._bar_overseers_to_surf_social_sites_for_adverse_applicant_info</a><br /><br />Just one more reason for law students and recent law grads to keep things professional online!Ursula Furi-Perry, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08283755033302724741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8428339260784825792.post-30951468481571010762009-08-24T19:15:00.000-07:002009-08-24T19:24:55.812-07:00Young Women Lawyers: Participate in a New Study by the Center for Law Student Ethics and Professionalism<p>There are quite a few recently published articles about women lawyers' apparent "queen bee complex," "vision issues," and various other titles depicting "cattiness" among women in the profession. For example: </p><p>“<a href="http://www.abajournal.com/news/why_women_leaders_get_a_bad_rap_queen_bee_jealousy_and_vision_thing">Why Women Lawyers Get a Bad Rep: ‘Queen Bee Jealousy’ and ‘Vision Thing,’</a>” </p><p>"<a href="http://www.law.com/jsp/ihc/PubArticleIHC.jsp?id=1202432803574">Have You Really Come a Long Way, Baby</a>?"</p><p><a href="http://www.abajournal.com/news/women_lawyers_feel_betrayed_when_female_bosses_arent_nurturing/%5C">“Women Lawyers Feel Betrayed When Female Bosses Aren’t Nurturing,” </a></p><p><a href="http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/what_women_lawyers_really_think_of_each_other/">"What Women Lawyers Really Think of Each Other"</a></p><p><a href="http://www.abajournal.com/news/are_professional_women_managers_sabotaging_those_who_follow/">“Are Professional Women Managers Sabotaging Those Who Follow?”</a></p><p>“<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/10/business/10women.html?_r=1">Backlash: Women Bullying Women at Work,”</a></p><p>In light of these articles, we were intrigued to find out what a potentially competitive or less-than-desirable attitude from other women may mean for new law grads and young lawyers who are looking for a connection to more experienced women lawyers in their workplaces. We're taking a closer look at women lawyers' formal and informal in-house mentoring opportunities--specifically, how women associates are faring when it comes to mentoring programs:<br /><br />Who is doing the in-house mentoring "on paper?" What about informally?<br />Is it working, per the associates' views?<br />What does mentoring mean to young women lawyers?<br />Do they tend to see in-house mentoring by other women as any different from being mentored by other women OUTSIDE of their firms or workplaces?<br />If it is true that -- at least to some extent -- women undermine each other's progress at the firm, then do mentees feel that they can truly trust their in-house mentors?<br />Or, are young women lawyers better off finding female mentors outside of the firm? And if the answer to the previous question rings true, then what does that mean for the effectiveness of women's in-house mentoring programs? Many employers are spending a whole lot of resources on these programs--but are they working? Are associates trusting the programs enough to fully take advantage of them?<br />And finally, if women lawyers DO feel more comfortable being mentored by other women outside of their firms, what does that say about the importance of mentoring programs (and in many states, the lack of programs) by outside organizations such as young lawyers' committees, bar associations, lawyers' help organizations, and the like? Should those programs be receiving increased focus and resources for maximum efficiency in the mentoring of young women lawyers?--under the premise that mentoring NOT done in-house may bring with it less competition? </p>Interested in participating? Let us know! We're looking for voices and perspectives from young women lawyers in all work environments and practice areas. Contact Ursula Furi-Perry, Esq, at ursula at mslaw.eduUrsula Furi-Perry, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08283755033302724741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8428339260784825792.post-41904688206862318472009-08-10T05:42:00.000-07:002009-08-10T05:56:16.906-07:00On Social Networking Sites? Careful of Your ConductJust one more reason lawyers and law students must watch their step when it comes to social networking sites: judges and potential employers are watching you!<br /><br />In a <a href="http://www.abajournal.com/weekly/facebooking_judge_catches_lawyers_in_lies_crossing_ethical_lines_abachicago">recent article, the ABA Journal </a>reports on a judge who "has seen lawyers on the verge of crossing, if not entirely crossing, ethical lines when they complain about clients and opposing counsel. And she admonished one family member who jeopardized her own tort case by bragging online about how much money she would get from a lawsuit...The judge's near-breathless accounts of questionable online activity by members of the bench and bar had many in the audience wondering whether Facebook, Twitter and their ilk are worth the headache."<br /><br />Another <a href="http://www.abajournal.com/weekly/biglaw_associate_googles_everyone_before_presenting_job_candidates_to_firm_">article</a> reports (yet again) that most law firms are checking out potential associates' online profiles before inviting them to interviews. As we've said before: the bottom line is that lawyers and law students must be mindful of their online conduct.Ursula Furi-Perry, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08283755033302724741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8428339260784825792.post-49523997585362846192009-07-11T11:55:00.001-07:002009-07-11T12:02:44.710-07:00Law Schools and the Legal Meltdown: An Interesting PostIn an <a href="http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2009/07/law-school-40-are-law-schools-relevant-to-the-future-of-law.html">interesting post </a>on the Legal Profession Blog, Indiana University School of Law professor Bill Hendrickson asks whether law schools and legal educators are both oblivious to the economic pressures faced by so many in the legal profession and don't consider themselves to be subject to the same pressures.<br /><br />"Frankly, amidst the meltdown of the entry-level lawyer job market, I am surprised by the lack of significant interest or attention by legal academics, at least as judged by blogosphere traffic. It is all-too-easy to assume that the market will rebound next year, or 2011 at the latest. To this I might ask, 'What is the basis for the optimism?' The salad days of 2004 to 2008 were driven by a Wall Street juggernaut that destroyed the U.S. investment banking industry, which was the historical client basis for the industry's most prestigious law firms," Hendrickson writes. "And here is a more pointed follow-up question, 'How much does the legal economy need to recover so that our students can to support their debt load?'"<br /><br />He continues: "It is one thing to acknowledge that we lack good answers--that part is forgivable. But it is quite another to ignore or minimize the problem because, quite frankly, it really does not affect us personally. All of this reminds me of my youth in Cleveland, Ohio during the 1970s and 80s. Lots of my friends' parents worked for General Motors, which offered high pay, amazing benefits, predictable hours, and long vacations. No one else seemed to have it so good. I remember thinking at the time that GM was both complacent and invincible. It turned out that I was only half right. So I worry about my own industry. Do I have the mindset of a GM employee circa 1979? God, I hope not."<br /><br />Read the entire post <a href="http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2009/07/law-school-40-are-law-schools-relevant-to-the-future-of-law.html">here.</a>Ursula Furi-Perry, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08283755033302724741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8428339260784825792.post-24937414907246431352009-05-31T17:33:00.000-07:002009-05-31T17:36:08.338-07:00New Lawyers, Hone Your Business Skills!Supervising lawyers see a need for new associates to have better business skills and writing skills, according to a recent<a href="http://www.abajournal.com/weekly/what_new_lawyers_need_to_know_business_emphasis_not_a_torture_system"> article in the ABA Journal online</a>.<br /><br />"Law graduates need a better understanding of law firm economics, better writing skills. more practical experience and more management training, according to a survey of practice chairs, hiring partners and recruiters," the article reads.<br /><br />"Respondents pointed out that new lawyers need to realize to realize a law firm is a business, the article says, “that it lives and dies on fees; that expenses have to be monitored; that their time has to be carefully tracked; that the latter is not some torture system devised for them alone, but part of the necessary running of a law firm."Ursula Furi-Perry, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08283755033302724741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8428339260784825792.post-49055396684599684272009-05-26T05:57:00.000-07:002009-05-26T05:59:30.878-07:00Article: 13 Job Hunt Tips for Recent Law GradsNeed help with your job hunt? <a href="http://www.collegerecruiter.com/career-counselors/2009/05/13_job_hunt_tips_for_recent_law_school_grads.php">This article,</a> featuring Ursula Furi-Perry's advice, offers 13 job hunt tips for recent law grads.Ursula Furi-Perry, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08283755033302724741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8428339260784825792.post-3232778930433132102009-05-25T10:33:00.001-07:002009-05-25T10:42:51.070-07:00Constructive Summer Plans for Law Students: Some IdeasTo add to the multitude of bad news facing legal professionals, some summer associate programs are being cut or downsized in 2010, reports a recent <a href="http://www.abajournal.com/weekly/some_2010_summer_associate_programs_are_being_axed_or_scaled_back">article in the ABA Journal</a>.<br /><br />Need to plan for your summer? Consider the following tips:<br /><br />* Plan ahead, and plan early! A more competitive market means you have to be more vigilant when it comes to landing a summer position--don't get lazy; don't wait until the last minute to find a job; and don't expect a job to fall into your lap.<br /><br />* Be ready to "pound the pavement." You may need to go back to basics when it comes to finding a summer job, including proactive job-searching and networking.<br /><br />* Don't put all of your eggs in the OCI basket: consider smaller firms and other employers for summer employment.<br /><br />* Consider an internship, externship, or law student clinic if paid employment doesn't work out. You will still add valuable practical experience to your resume, and you'll gain valuable insight into whatever job you take on.<br /><br />* If you absolutely cannot find employment or gain practical skills during the summer, don't waste the summer at the beach: do something constructive to further your legal education or experience, such as taking a summer course or studying abroad and gaining insight into a more global legal environment.Ursula Furi-Perry, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08283755033302724741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8428339260784825792.post-11458334847463181662009-05-19T10:12:00.000-07:002009-05-19T10:19:58.734-07:00Case of the Week, 5.18.09New lawyers, take note: while your supervisors have the responsibility to properly supervise your work, your ethics decisions are still your own--left for you to make!<br /><br />In one Kansas case, a staff attorney received a five-day suspension for declining to accept representation in a case, even after she explained to her supervisor that she had a conflict of interest which prevented her from taking the case--the subordinate, the superior claimed, refused to elaborate on her reasons for finding a conflict. When the subordinate attorney appealed her suspension, the Court of Appeals held that a subordinate attorney retains responsibility for her own ethics decisions and does not have to defer those decisions to a supervisor. <em>McCurdy v. Kansas Department of Transportation,</em> 898 P.2d 650 (1995).<br /><br />Of course, Rule 5.2 of the Model Rules of Professional Conduct also makes it clear that subordinate attorneys have ethical and professional responsibilities: read the full text of the rule <a href="http://www.abanet.org/cpr/mrpc/rule_5_2.html">here.</a>Ursula Furi-Perry, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08283755033302724741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8428339260784825792.post-90368009148000761722009-05-09T10:31:00.000-07:002009-05-17T17:32:56.841-07:00Case of the Week 5.11.09An applicant's financial issues -- and the applicant's failure to disclose those issues -- will trouble the bar examiners.<br /><br />An applicant was disqualified from reapplying for admission to the Florida bar for five years after he failed to disclose his divorce proceedings, failed to disclose that he attended a college to which he owed money, and failed to disclose that he was rejected for a loan due to delinquent credit. <em>Florida Board of Bar Examiners Re. R.L.W.,</em> 793 So. 2d 918 (Fla. 2001)The court noted, “this Court should focus not solely on the initial underlying conduct which R.L.W. failed to disclose or misrepresented…but on R.L.W.’s repeated and multiple failures to disclose that conduct to multiple Bar associations, and his engagement in conduct designed to further hide the truth.” <em>Id.,</em> at 926.Ursula Furi-Perry, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08283755033302724741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8428339260784825792.post-44104808055164978852009-05-02T11:22:00.000-07:002009-05-02T11:26:26.433-07:00Discussion Question 5.3.09Note: These periodic discussion questions are designed to inspire dialogue about law student ethics and professionalism, whether through in-class discussions, informal discussions, or in the form of comments online.<br /><br />What is the most difficult part of staying ethical and professional as a young lawyer?<br /><br />Is it...<br /><br />* Not being properly trained on issues of ethics and professionalism?<br />* Not knowing where to seek help and support with issues of ethics and professionalism?<br />* Not always being properly supervised or mentored on those issues or on practical questions?<br />* Dealing with the stress of time and money management in an increasingly stressful practice?Ursula Furi-Perry, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08283755033302724741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8428339260784825792.post-2951626926060738802009-05-02T11:19:00.000-07:002009-05-02T11:22:45.568-07:00Summer Associates Told to Get a Grip?There's no shortage of stories about summer associates getting out of control after a few months of wining and dining by firms. But according to a recent article, students are increasingly being told to lose their sense of entitlement.<br /><br />"As law firms adjust their programs, taking a no-frills approach, students need to adjust as well, law school career counselors say," <a href="http://www.abajournal.com/weekly/summer_associates_advised_to_lose_the_sense_of_entitlement">reports the ABA Journal.</a> "At a seminar at Stanford Law School, students were told to volunteer for work and to watch their etiquette, <a title="Forbes" href="http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/27/law-internship-associate-leadership-careers-summer.html" jquery1241288336586="28">Forbes</a> magazine reports. They also learned it’s not a good idea to be a no-show after signing up for social programs. And summer associates need to lose the attitude, says Susan Robinson, Stanford’s associate dean for career services."Ursula Furi-Perry, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08283755033302724741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8428339260784825792.post-27923953136479364622009-04-25T20:51:00.000-07:002009-04-25T20:58:48.841-07:00Changes to Come...And What They May Mean for New Law GradsChange is in the air.<br /><br />An <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/02/opinion/02thu4.html?_r=1">opinion piece in the New York Times </a>recently reported, "The economic downturn is hitting the legal world hard. American Lawyer is calling it “the fire this time” and warning that big firms may be hurtling toward “a paradigm-shifting, blood-in-the-suites” future."<br /><br />Still, the piece went on, "The silver lining, if there is one, is that the legal world may be inspired to draw blueprints for the 21st century."<br /><br />According to an <a href="http://www.abajournal.com/weekly/nyt_its_time_to_rethink_the_legal_profession">article in the ABA Journal</a> in which the Times article is referenced, three major areas of change are imminent:<br /><br />"• Compensation. The out-of-whack pay chasm in which BigLaw lawyers make $160,000 to start while state and local prosecutors start in the mid-to-upper $40,000s is likely to change, with high salaries being reined in. "One industry-watcher says it could fall as low as $100,000. And fewer firms will feel the need to pay the top salary," the Times notes.<br />• Tuition. Between 1990 and 2003, private law school educations costs rose at nearly three times the rate of consumer prices, with the average graduate now leaving with more than $80,000 in debt. Expect a correction on tuition and more law schools to follow Northwestern University's <a title="two-year law school model" href="http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/it_takes_two/" jquery1240717565932="29">two-year law school model</a>.<br />• Curriculum. There may also be pressure on law schools, because of the economic conditions, to retool "sometimes-aimless second and third years" of courses to be more practical in nature, with more emphasis on going into nonlegal careers."<br /><br />What's your take on the article? Do you agree that major changes are imminent in the legal profession and the way lawyers do business? If so, what does that all mean for recent law grads and current law students--in particular, in what ways will they have to adapt in order to navigate and thrive among these changes?Ursula Furi-Perry, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08283755033302724741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8428339260784825792.post-61471781602810542512009-04-20T08:17:00.000-07:002009-04-20T08:25:22.011-07:00No Training on My Dime (But How Will They Get Experience?)According to an <a href="http://www.philly.com/inquirer/business/20090413_Leveraging_the_law.html">article in the Philadelphia Inquirer</a>, clients at some large law firms are requesting that first-year associates not work on cases assigned to the firm. <br /><br />"Among the sea changes is a reluctance by a number of clients, or even an outright ban, as far having first-year associates work on their matters," says <a href="http://www.abajournal.com/weekly/some_clients_ban_1st-years_says_morgan_lewis_chair">an ABA Journal online article</a> citing to the Philadelphia Inquirer piece and to its original interview with Morgan Lewis Chair Francis Milone:<br /><br />"'It's a trend," he tells the newspaper. "We literally have some clients who are telling us they do not want us to put brand-new associates on their matters.'<br /><br />The problem is, at a starting salary of $160,000 a head for the firm's first-years, such client reluctance is making the new associates less useful to Morgan Lewis, he points out. "It's going to be harder to find things for new lawyers to do."Ursula Furi-Perry, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08283755033302724741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8428339260784825792.post-4750615554691978792009-04-13T07:13:00.000-07:002009-04-13T07:16:15.436-07:00Case of the Week 4/13/09Law student discipline cases center around many different issues, from plagiarism to academic dishonesty to improper conduct to failing to maintain a minimum grade point average requirement.<br /><br />In one case where a student was expelled for failing to maintain the minimum GPA required by her school, the court upheld the law school’s policy of counting both the first (failing) and second grade in calculating GPA. See <em>Johnson v. Sullivan</em>, 174 Mont. 491 (1977). The court paid particular attention to “this state’s ‘diploma privilege,’ [under which] graduates of the School of Law may be admitted to practice on motion; they are not necessarily required to take and pass the state’s bar examination. Graduation from the School of Law, therefore, virtually guarantees admission to practice. Ultimately, then, the object of measuring academic performance and allowing or precluding a law student’s continued study on the basis of that performance is to assure that graduates of the School of Law are qualified to enter practice.” <em>Id.,</em> at 495.Ursula Furi-Perry, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08283755033302724741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8428339260784825792.post-14296849802517345322009-04-09T09:57:00.000-07:002009-04-09T09:59:02.154-07:00Discussion Question 4/8/09Note: These periodic discussion questions are designed to inspire dialogue about law student ethics and professionalism, whether through in-class discussions, informal discussions, or in the form of comments online.<br /><br />Are law students who behave unethically or unprofessionally more likely to behave unethically or unprofessionally once they graduate? Is academic dishonesty related to unethical behavior on the job?Ursula Furi-Perry, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08283755033302724741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8428339260784825792.post-39342739142319474922009-03-30T04:58:00.000-07:002009-03-30T05:03:56.051-07:00Case of the Week 3/30/09The bar examiners may be concerned by an applicant's troubled personal relationships. <br /><br />Domestic relationships are a frequent pattern. In one case, when a law school applicant filed his application in 1979, he included a list of 21 criminal and disciplinary actions taken against him between 1958 and 1976, including a guilty plea to an assault and battery arising out of a domestic dispute, which he later mischaracterized on his bar application as a technical and minor assault. Years later, the student’s application to take the Iowa bar examination was denied. The court held, “we must recognize the seriousness of his long history of law violations and felony convictions, his assault and battery of [the victim,] and his failure to testify truthfully before this court…This testimony displays a callous and indifferent attitude toward an explosive personal confrontation.” <em>In re Patterson,</em> 439 N.W. 2d 165 (Iowa, 1989).Ursula Furi-Perry, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08283755033302724741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8428339260784825792.post-10095954138039605322009-03-30T04:49:00.000-07:002009-03-30T04:58:38.344-07:00Firm Mentoring--Not All Mentoring Created Equal?Lawyers' life coach and work-life balance guru <a href="http://lawyerslifecoach.com/">Ellen Ostrow, Ph.D.</a> has written an interesting new article in which she suggests that not all programs -- formal or informal -- are created equal when it comes to mentoring of young associates. <br /><br />In particular, Ostrow suggests that young women attorneys benefit most when they find a seasoned male attorney to mentor them and "sponsor" their rise up the ranks.<br /><br />In her article, "What Determines Women's Advancement to Equity Partnership" in the <a href="http://lawyerslifecoach.com/">Beyond the Billable Hour Newsletter</a>, Ostrow writes:<br /><br />"[Th]e most crucial ingredient for career advancement - especially for<br />a woman or minority attorney - is having an advocate: someone with power who will<br />watch the young attorney's back and campaign for her behind the scene.<br /><br />The mentee's career benefits when her mentor provides a junior attorney<br />access to his network, facilitates her participation in collaborative projects,<br />promotes her to others thereby augmenting her visibility and credibility, protects and champions her behind the scenes, provides challenging and highly noticeable work<br />assignments, brings her along on client meetings and ensures that she plays an active<br />role, and by association signals her legitimacy to decision-makers. A mentor like this functions as a sponsor. Unfortunately, in my experience, I've found few law firm<br />mentoring programs that focus on this critical role.<br /><br />Yet having a sponsor makes all the difference in enabling women to advance<br />to full equity partnership. Among the first questions I ask all the women law firm<br />attorneys I coach is, "Do you have a sponsor?" If the answer is "no" then, assuming<br />her goal is to advance, this becomes a top agenda item. Establishing mentoring<br />relationships with high-level, powerful insiders is essential for women pursuing career advancement in the legal profession.<br /><br />Studies of the relationship between mentoring and the career success of<br />women in professional service firms, and law firms in particular, suggest that a<br />senior male attorney is likely to most effectively fill this mentoring role. If<br />for no other reason than the fact that the overwhelming majority of law firm<br />partners and leaders are men, this is probably not very surprising. <br /><br />However, the gendered culture of law firms also influences the differential effects of male vs. female mentors for the careers of women attorneys. Success in most firms requires the ability to thrive in a highly competitive, aggressive, individualistic, "heroic" culture. Attributes stereotypically associated with masculine behavior are viewed as indicators of potential and "fit." Decision-makers always have imperfect information about candidates for advancement. In the absence of sufficient, objective information to allow for a rational means of discriminating among aspiring attorneys, having a powerful male mentor signals to the predominantly male leadership that a woman lawyer possesses those sought-after competencies and qualities typically associated with her male peers. In other words, a male sponsor may help a woman overcome implicit bias based upon gender stereotypes."<br /><br />What's your take on this article and your experience with mentoring? What facets of a mentoring program are most beneficial to women and minority associates? What should they look for in informal mentoring relationships?Ursula Furi-Perry, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08283755033302724741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8428339260784825792.post-86404153695157233402009-03-15T11:10:00.000-07:002009-03-15T11:15:22.568-07:00Case(s) of the Week 3/16/09Prior conduct may bar an applicant's admission to the bar, but the applicant can still offer evidence of rehabilitation to impress upon the bar examiners why he or she should be admitted.<br /><br />For example, an applicant who was previously denied admission to the Nebraska bar -- due to a prior sexual assault conviction for alleged misconduct involving the applicant’s underage niece, an inappropriate letter to another juvenile, and two arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol -- was granted admission six years later. The court held that the applicant presented sufficient evidence of rehabilitation, including: medical documentation that he has resolved his previous conditions; service in Iraq and in his community; and a substantial number of letters of support from those who knew him. <em>In re Hartmann</em> 276 Neb 775 (2008)<br /><br />By contrast, “making good” isn’t always sufficient evidence of rehabilitation in the eyes of the court. In one Massachusetts case, the court held, “A prior conviction is not an absolute bar to admission. We have stated that no offense is so grave as to preclude a showing of present moral fitness…The commission of a felony is, however, conclusive evidence of lack of good moral character at the time of the offense.” <em>In re Prager</em>, 422 Mass. 86 (1996). In that case, Prager was convicted of smuggling large quantities of marijuana and subsequently fled the country; he later returned and successfully complied with the terms of his probation. The court held, “seven years of a creditable work history, and compliance with the terms of a five-year probationary period, are insufficient to show good moral character when balanced against approximately sixteen years of marihuana use, international smuggling, and living as a fugitive.” <em>Id.,</em> at 100.Ursula Furi-Perry, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08283755033302724741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8428339260784825792.post-13122927927472637742009-03-15T11:04:00.000-07:002009-03-15T11:17:27.964-07:00Is Cheating Contagious?Academic dishonesty in law school is no small matter.<br /><br />As one author reports, "The concern and awareness about academic misconduct is not unwarranted. Integrity is a cornerstone of the legal profession and statistics concerning cheating are real. Surveys have shown that seventy percent of high school and college students admit to having engaged in some form of cheating, and that forty-five percent of law students admit to having cheated.” <em>See</em> Caroline P. Jacobson, <em>Academic Misconduct and Bar Admissions: A Proposal for a Revised Standard</em>, 20 Geo. J. Legal Ethics at 739 (2007).<br /><br />But is cheating among students contagious?<br /><br />According to <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/id/188953?GT1=43002">an article on Newsweek.com</a>, new research suggests some interesting conclusions:<br /><br />"The idea was to see how many of the students followed the cheater's example—to see if blatant dishonesty boosted cheating among students generally. And it did, dramatically. But the psychologists added another twist to the experiment: sometimes they had the actor wear the T shirt of a rival university, other times not. They wanted to see if the cheater's group identity—classmate or outsider—influenced the level of copycat cheating. That is, would students cheat more (or less) when they saw a rival cheat, as compared to seeing a compatriot cheat?<br /><br />The results were unambiguous. As reported in the March issue of Psychological Science, fellow classmates had much more influence than outsiders. Indeed, seeing a rival cheat actually lowered the level of overall cheating slightly—compared to students who simply cheated on their own initiative, without any prodding. These findings argue against the "cold calculation" theory of cheating. After all, if the students only weighed the can-I-get-away-with-it factor, then they would have been influenced equally by the successful cheating of both compatriot and outsider. And they weren't."Ursula Furi-Perry, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08283755033302724741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8428339260784825792.post-4836801702608615702009-03-15T10:59:00.000-07:002009-03-15T11:04:50.722-07:00Case of the Week 3/9/09Perhaps the most important rule to remember when it comes to character and fitness exams? Be honest! Full disclosure is of utmost importance to the bar examiners.<br /><br />For example, a 2009 Ohio applicant who had been convicted of speeding eight times, in addition to convictions for disorderly conduct and assault, was denied the chance to take the exam. <em>In re Acton</em>, 2009 WL 349793 The court learned that the applicant was cited for speeding four more times after he applied to take the exam, which he failed to disclose to the examiners—the Court did not buy the applicant’s explanation that he was “just forgetful” and had attention-deficit disorder. The court also noted that the applicant failed to disclose a default judgment for unpaid credit card debt in 2001.Ursula Furi-Perry, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08283755033302724741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8428339260784825792.post-39021460003882112152009-03-15T10:54:00.001-07:002009-03-15T10:58:43.722-07:00When Career Counselors Say It's Okay to Use Humor in Job Searches......this is likely NOT what they mean!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.abovethelaw.com">Above the Law </a>reports that an unemployed attorney took an unconventional approach to drafting a cover letter--using excerpts from nine other firms' form rejection letters sent to the applicant.<br /><br />On the Above the Law website, <a href="http://abovethelaw.com/2009/03/now_this_is_a_cover_letter.php">the letter reads</a>:<br /><br />"Your colleagues from other competitive firms have had a great deal to say about me; therefore, I would like to share with you some of their opinions. Alston & Bird writes, "your qualifications are impressive." Remarkably, Blank Rome makes an identical assertion. McKee Nelson also express this view but do not limit its opinion to my qualifications. Rather, it considers my "credentials and qualifications" to be "impressive." Chadbourne & Parke takes a different focus, indicating that my "background is impressive."<br /><br />Other firms convey similar opinions with a different focal point. Epstein, Becker & Green is "impressed" with "my credentials." According to King & Spalding, my "resume is impressive." Furthermore, Debevoise & Plimpton feels slightly more strongly, stating that they were "most impressed" with my resume. Uniquely commenting on both my background and credentials, Dow Lohnes indicates that they "were quite impressed." Cleverly using a more concise adjective-noun wording, Holland & Knight writes that I have an "impressive background." <br /><br />The <a href="http://www.abajournal.com/weekly/impressive_cover_letter_reportedly_bombs_at_bingham">ABA Journal reports</a> that the applicant received a tenth rejection within three days.Ursula Furi-Perry, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08283755033302724741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8428339260784825792.post-74519209798456330692009-03-02T06:29:00.000-08:002009-03-02T06:33:16.259-08:00Case of the Week 3/2/09Conduct during the bar examination matters to the examiners when assessing an applicant's character and fitness to practice law. Improper, untruthful, or unprofessional conduct during the bar exam -- like bringing in materials that are not allowed or cheating on the test -- can bar an applicant's admission.<br /><br />A 2008 Ohio applicant was not admitted to the bar after consciously disregarding the examiners’ instructions to stop writing during the essay portion of the bar exam and continuing to write her answers for a few minutes after time was called. <em>In re Application of Nwankwo</em>, 2009 WL 214571. The court was not convinced by the petitioner’s explanation that she was “so invested” in passing the bar exam that she was “desperate” to write down everything she could remember.Ursula Furi-Perry, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08283755033302724741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8428339260784825792.post-130971408833836292009-03-02T06:24:00.001-08:002009-03-02T06:29:23.176-08:00Discussion Question 3/2/09Note: These periodic discussion questions are designed to inspire dialogue about law student ethics and professionalism, whether through in-class discussions, informal discussions, or in the form of comments online.<br /><br />In what ways can law schools teach concepts dealing with ethics and professionalism in the following areas? In what ways does your law school incorporate ethics and professionalism into the following courses or areas of academics? Please share success stories as well as areas where there may be room for improvement:<br /><br />* Law student clinics<br />* Academic components to internships and externships<br />* Substantive courses<br />* Legal research and writing courses<br />* Academic counseling and supportUrsula Furi-Perry, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08283755033302724741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8428339260784825792.post-6096621639106004982009-02-23T10:52:00.000-08:002009-02-23T10:55:38.889-08:00Case of the Week 2/23/09Engaging in any kind of intimidating, abusive, or turbulent behavior towards others is a red flag for the bar examiners. <br /><br />In one case, an applicant was denied admission to the Nebraska Bar after he was charged with brandishing a deadly weapon, burglary, assault, making threats, and stalking as a college student; and with aggravated harassment stemming from an altercation with a fellow student as a law student. <em>In re Antonini</em>, 272 Neb. 985 (2007). The court found the applicant to be untruthful on his bar application about the charges against him. “We have held that ‘abusive, disruptive, hostile, intemperate, intimidating, irresponsible, threatening, or turbulent behavior is a proper basis for the denial of admission to the bar.’” <em>Id.,</em> at 993. “[The applicant] has been involved in three serious incidents involving abusive, disruptive, hostile, intemperate, intimidating, irresponsible, threatening, and turbulent behavior. In each of these incidents, [the applicant] showed complete disregard for others as well as a lack of self-control.” <em>Id.,</em> at 994.Ursula Furi-Perry, Esq.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08283755033302724741noreply@blogger.com0