Law Students: Starting Right for Career Success

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Starting Right for

Career Success

Cordell M. Parvinhttp://www.cordellparvin.com

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Law School Teaches

Think like a lawyer

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Law School Does NOT Teach

How to Practice Law

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Think like a client

Law School Does NOT Teach

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Law Firm Business

Law School Does NOT Teach

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Get and Keep Clients

Law School Does NOT Teach

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Work With Senior Lawyers and Staff

Law School Does NOT Teach

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Prepare Real Legal Documents

Law School Does NOT Teach

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Present Your Position

Law School Does NOT Teach

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Deal Professionally With Adversaries

Law School Does NOT Teach

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How to Ask Questions

Law School Does NOT Teach

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How to Actively Listen

Law School Does NOT Teach

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How to Build Relationships

Law School Does NOT Teach

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Clients’ Business and Industry

Law School Does NOT Teach

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Law School Does NOT Teach

What it Takes to Succeed

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Law 2012 and Beyond

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What Law Firms Look For

Law 2012 and Beyond

Event / Achievement

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Graduating from Law School

Passing the Bar

First Year Associate

Successful Associate

Successful Lawyer

Successful Lawyers

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What’s Their Secret?

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Successful Lawyers

Take responsibility for career

Know what they want

Use their time wisely

Work each day to become a better lawyer

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Successful Lawyers

Understand their client’s needs

Develop relationships

Build a team

Spend quality time with their family

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Seen as

“Go To”

Lawyer

Successful Lawyers

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You Are the Architect

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1) Physical/Economic 2) Mental 3) Emotional 4) Spiritual

Four Areas of Life

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2006 PLAN

What – Major Definite Purpose

Why Important

How – Steps to Achieve

Core Values

Roles

Goals

Weekly PLAN

2013 Plan

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Vision

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Core Values

You don’t create, you discover and gain deep understanding

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Roles

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“When it comes to the future, there are three kinds of people:those who let it happen;those who make it happen;and those who wonder, what happened?

-John M. Richardson, Jr.

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Why Have A Plan?

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Suppose I spend 2,500 hours this year

on my career

Execute

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56

10

62

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SleepNon-BillableFreeBillable

How you spend non-billable time will determine the quality of your career

How you spend your free time determines the quality of your life

Execute

How You Spend Your Time Weekly

Prioritization Matrix

High Return / Low Investment

Do first and do often

High Return / High Investment

Break down into smaller pieces

Low Return / Low Investment

Do when you have time

Low Return / High Investment

Say NO graciously!

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Goals

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Development Goals

Brainstorm

Ask Why

List Steps to Achieve

You Either Have What It Takes Or You Don’t

Client

Development

Myths

Lizzette Zubey

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Think Big and Are Confident

Just Do Good Work

Client

Development

Myths

Too Young and Inexperienced to . . .

Client

Development

Myths

You Have To Be A Good Networker

Client

Development

Myths

You Have To “Ask” For The Business

Client

Development

Myths

Andrea Anderson

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Develop Relationships

Associates in Big Firms Do Not Need to Learn Client Development

Client

Development

Myths

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Focus First on Developing Legal Skills

What You Need to Do

Do The Best Work Possible45

What You Need to Do

Treat Supervising Attorney Like Client46

What You Need to Do

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What You Need to Do

48Use Tools in Your Toolkit

What You Need to Do

What You Need to Do

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Develop Skills Capital

Develop Social Capital

50Dress for Success

What You Need to Do

Team Up With a Colleague51

What You Need to Do

Keith McMurdy

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What advice would you give your

lawyers who are just starting out in

the coaching program?

53Practice, Practice, Practice

What You Need to Do

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Deliberate Practice

NetworkingElevator Speech/QuestionsIdentifying Issues Impacting ClientsWriting Articles Designed to Get HiredPublic SpeakingQuestions for Clients and Potential ClientsActive Listening

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Do the best you can in every task, no matter how unimportant it may seem at the time. No one learns more about a problem than the person at the bottom. - Sandra Day O’Conner

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Career Success and satisfaction does not come from focusing on success, happiness or money. Instead it comes from focusing on your passion, developing your talent and identifying the needs of those you want to serve.

- Cordell M. Parvin

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Starting Right for

Career Success

Cordell M. Parvinhttp://www.cordellparvin.com