Attorney Jordan Miller offers 4 tips to help new attorneys fit pro bono work into their careers. As lawyers, we have a professional responsibility to provide free legal services to those unable to pay. But for many of us, our pro bono obligations get lost somewhere among the demands of our everyday practice and our […]
Read More…Learn more about the New Lawyer Education Program with Attorney Vincent Humphrey. New Lawyer Education originated with a Supreme Court mandate in 2006 (see APRs 5 and 18), which requires all attorneys new to practice in Washington to complete a minimum of four hours of free education prior to their admission to the bar (PREP). […]
Read More…Because July 30 is just around the corner! Law students all over the country are suffering through final exams and looking forward to summer. That is, unless you’re a 3L and the bar exam is looming on the horizon. In 2010, I took the bar exam in Nevada, and in 2013 I took the exam […]
Read More…Do you have a mentor? Check out the 3 steps to finding one. As a new attorney traveling the steep learning curve of early-career practice, you need advice on matters that have nothing to do with black letter law, such as developing practical skills and relationships and learning how to cope with the everyday demands of […]
Read More…Tips to get the admissions your case needs! Read more from the Demystifying Depositions Series: Admonitions | The Funnel Technique If you daydream about depositions, it’s probably about that crucial moment where the witness makes that fatal admission that undermines his whole case: “So you ADMIT that this is your signature on the key document?” “YES!” (witness dissolves […]
Read More…New attorneys: Check out these resources to help get your legal career off to a great start! Last week WSBA announced that 247 candidates passed the Washington State Bar exam. With (potentially) 247 new attorneys joining the Washington legal community (and many more lawyers in the first years of practice), we’d like to take the […]
Read More…Learn what you can do to make each of your clients feel like your #1 VIP. If you asked any state bar association to name the most frequent complaint received about attorneys, the odds are great that it would involve communication. Failure to return phone calls, failure to adequately communicate during representation, failure to keep […]
Read More…Write better! Don’t use long block quotes in place of legal analysis. Legal writing is meant to help a judge (or whoever is the legal writer’s intended reader) decide a difficult problem. In that regard, incorporating direct quotes from judicial opinions or statutes can be a highly effective means of legal writing advocacy. But too […]
Read More…Discover the key differences between a proactive leader and a defeatist worker bee. Your performance at work isn’t measured by your work product alone. Clients, supervisors, judges, juries, and others size up lawyers based on a plethora of factors, and what you don’t say at work can be just as important as what you do. […]
Read More…Are you a new attorney? Get low-cost, skill-building knowledge with WSBA’s NLE program! If you are a newer attorney in your first four years of practice, job one is acquiring as much skill-building knowledge as possible. The more knowledgeable you are, the more valuable you become to your employer and clients. That’s why you should […]
Read More…Learn how marijuana legalization affects DUI laws and investigations. One of the many myths surrounding the passing of Initiative 502 was that for the first time, it became illegal to drive under the influence of marijuana. Truth is, it has always been illegal to drive under the influence of any intoxicating substance, whether that is […]
Read More…Learn how you can use the funnel technique to stay organized and effective during depositions. Read Part 1 of Demystifying Depositions. One of the most difficult tasks for a newer attorney is organizing your deposition questions. (Well, that and wording the question right, managing the witness, managing opposing counsel, not saying “OK” after every answer, figuring out how […]
Read More…Learn how dropping “Plaintiff” and “Defendant” in favor of proper names can make your writing more persuasive. Good legal writing — and successful legal advocacy in general — is more than just presenting facts and law. It’s about telling your client’s story in a compelling, emotionally engaging manner that ultimately persuades the judge or jury […]
Read More…Are you under 36 or in your first 5 years of practice? Apply by 3/29 to serve on the Young Lawyers Committee. Eighteen WSBA members from around the state meet regularly to figure out how they, and the WSBA as a whole, can meet the needs of lawyers who are in their first 5 years […]
Read More…Be a more effective advocate with these tips. I have the opportunity to witness many great and not-so-great attorneys in court. As a new lawyer, I endeavor to watch as many hearings as possible to take notes on what works and what doesn’t. I never took trial advocacy in law school because I never really planned on doing much […]
Read More…March is Women’s History Month. Learn what the 2012 WSBA membership study revealed about women in the legal profession. March is Women’s History Month, a month is dedicated to highlighting the contributions of women across the globe. The Washington State Bar Association is working to spread awareness of the accomplishments of women in the legal profession […]
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