At some point in your legal career, you may be asked to write a letter of recommendation for a colleague. The letter may be part of an application for a credential, membership in a professional society, a certain job or even an academic degree. If you’re unfamiliar with writing recommendation letters, producing one can seem… Read More »
Career Advancement
5 Reasons Why You Should Volunteer in Your Legal Career
Volunteering is an effective way to make a difference and connect with others. It’s also an opportunity to improve your skills, expand your network and move your career forward. Here are five reasons to consider pro bono work within the greater Toronto area: Expand Your Skills By working pro bono for an organization that matters… Read More »
The Tactful Way to Reject a Job Offer
Receiving a job offer deserves congratulations! As you review the terms of the offer, however, after analyzing the offer and talking with your recruiter, you may realize that this job isn’t the right one for you. When this happens, you may wonder what to do next. You aren’t obligated to “save face” by accepting the… Read More »
The Ethics of a Legal Professional: Avoiding Technology Pitfalls
The technological advancements of the past twenty years have reshaped every area of our lives, including the ways legal support staff and lawyers provide services to their clients. One of the biggest hurdles in implementing technologies in legal contexts has been reconciling the use of new technologies with existing ethics rules that may not anticipate… Read More »
Legal Professional? Job Satisfaction Matters
Many legal support professionals choose their careers for the stability they offer, along with the intellectual challenges and the satisfaction of solving problems in ways that help clients achieve their goals. While these are all valuable reasons to become a legal support professional, your own job satisfaction is also essential to helping you build a… Read More »
When Your Attitude Becomes a Career Liability (and What to Do)
It’s easy to stay upbeat for thirty minutes during an interview, and it’s difficult not to feel optimistic when you start a promising new job. As time goes by, however, stress can creep in. The job you thought was a “dream” can turn out to contain the occasional (or more than occasional) nightmare. Keeping your… Read More »
The Importance of Developing a Specialty in Your Legal Career
Legal support professionals are often called upon to tackle multiple tasks, but specialization can be the force that moves your career forward. Focusing on a specific practice area (such as litigation) or industry (such as insurance or real estate) can make you the “resident expert,” expand your network and more. How Specialization Helps Advance Your… Read More »
7 Job-Search Mistakes to Avoid If You Are Currently Employed
Many legal assistant job seekers start looking for a new job without leaving their current job. While this procedure isn’t uncommon, it is important to avoid several common mistakes to ensure your job search doesn’t turn into a conflict—or worse, leave you unintentionally unemployed. Here are seven common mistakes to avoid and what to do… Read More »
Want to Achieve Your Career Goals? Then Leave Your Ego at the Door
Ego is a double-edged sword. Too little, and you become a doormat, unwilling or unable to seize opportunities that appear for you because you feel you don’t “deserve” them. Too much, and you become bullheaded – unwilling or unable to seize opportunities because you feel they don’t “deserve” you. To achieve your goals, you’ll need… Read More »
Are You Achieving Your Legal Support Career Goals? If Not, Read This.
Now that the holiday crunch is over and the new year upon us, many professionals take the time to look at where they are in their careers and consider if it’s where they want to be. Are you getting what you want from your career? Are you happy? Most people don’t love Mondays. Who wouldn’t… Read More »