Career Toolkit: Career Transitions
| Type of Resource | Resource | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Video | Shifts and Transitions in Careers | On January 28, 2021, Tonya Gaskins ’03, Assistant Dean, Office of Career and Professional Development (OCPD), along with the Office of Development and Alumni Relations partnered together for the virtual event “Shifts and Transitions in Law Careers.” Catholic Law students joined alumni to hear from a few about the shifts and transitions they have navigated in their legal careers. Moderated by Nancy Palermo ’97, guests heard from alumni speakers Stanley Woodward ’08, Alumni Council President; Kiana Taylor ’03; and Brendan Koeth ’13. |
| Podcast | Beyond Billables | This podcast features over 90 lawyers and former lawyers on making change in their careers. |
| Book | The Great Firm Escape | Harvard Law School’s guide to breaking out of private practice and into public service. |
| Guide | How Do I Transition From a Job at a Law Firm to One in Public Interest or Government? | Columbia Law School’s guide to transitioning from private practice to public practice. |
| Article | Opting In: Making the Move from Government to Private Practice | Former U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia discusses why you might want to move from government to private practice, and tips for the transition period. |
| Article | 6 Key Considerations When Moving from Government to Private Practice | New York founding partner of legal recruiting agency Major, Lindsey & Africa, Jon Lindsey, discusses his move from government to private practice, a few trends that he has seen, and some best practices for both individuals and firms. |
| Article | From the private sector to public service: What ex-US corporate executives need to know | Four directives can ease incoming US federal leaders’ transition from the boardroom to government service. |
| Article | Making the Transition to In-House Counsel | For many lawyers, their first job after law school is intended to be transitional. The goal? To develop a combination of subject matter training, practice experience, and résumé-building for the next position. If your target is corporate legal counsel, what can you do now to become a strong candidate when the right opportunity comes along? Consider your skill development along the following seven dimensions. |
| Article | Traps to Avoid When Moving from Private Business to Government Jobs | Here’s some points to keep in mind when considering leaving the private sector for a government job. |
| CLE | Making the Transition to In-House Counsel | This webinar, available on Bloomberg Law and aimed at the legal professional who seeks an in-house role, will touch on the four main roles of a general counsel: (1) performing substantive legal work, (2) managing outside counsel, (3) cutting costs and improving efficiencies, and (4) counseling to manage risk and ensure compliance. For each of these four roles, experienced practitioners will describe major areas of corporate activity and discuss legal, management, technology, and other trends. Additionally, the panel will examine professional responsibility issues throughout the program, identifying issues that arise in context. |
| Blog | The Transition from Law-Firm to In-House | Irina Slavina currently acts as the General Counsel & Director of Strategic Partnerships at Blue Systems USA. She discusses her experience transitioning from a law firm to in-house. |
| Blog | And This One Was Just Right: Transitioning Between Big and Small Firms | A discussion about transitioning between law firms. |
| Book | The Lateral Lawyer: Opportunities & Pitfalls for the Law Firm Partner | Attention law firm partners: don’t make a move before reading this book! Appropriate for partners, aspiring partners, hiring partners, recruiting staff and headhunters alike, The Lateral Lawyer: Opportunities & Pitfalls for the Law Firm Partner is an insider’s guide to the recruiting process at major law firms. The book explains how lawyers can improve the attractiveness of offers to move as laterals by creating a market for their practices among competing firms. |
| Podcast | Legally Speaking: Big vs. Boutique | In this episode of the Legally Speaking Podcast, host Rob Hanna is joined by James Breese, an insurance lawyer at specialist insurance boutique law firm, Fenchurch Law, to discuss the difference between Big and Boutique law firms. James previously worked at a Top 20 UK firm. James openly discusses the differences between big and boutique firms, and the pros and cons of each. |
| Podcast | Should I stay or should I go? When partners should make a lateral move | Switching law firms doesn’t only cause partner anxiety, it’s hard on clients too, which is why lawyers should really evaluate whether a move will best serve the people and businesses they represent. In this month’s Asked and Answered, the ABA Journal’s Stephanie Francis Ward speaks with Karen Kaplowitz, a former BigLaw rainmaker who now leads a business-development consulting firm. Much of her work centers on working with partners after a firm merger, and in this podcast, she shares tips about how they can best serve clients after a move or figure out ways to make a place for themselves at a new firm if their book of business is small. |
| Podcast | Basics of Making a Lateral Career Move | Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, have former BigLaw recruiter Sadie Jones discusses the basics of lateraling, or what other industries might refer to as “finding a new job that’s not your first job.” |
The Committee welcomes feedback from the WBA membership about the Toolkit at careertoolkit@wbadc.org. If you have suggestions for resources to include, please use “TOOLKIT RESOURCES” in your email subject line.