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How to Become an (Almost) Indispensable Junior Associate (Part 2)

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In the first part of our Career Center “Tip of the Day” series, focused on how junior associates can become more indispensable to their law firms, we covered the importance of taking ownership of your work.  Today, we’ll highlight a productive way to spend your precious non-billable time.  These tips are provided by the experienced recruiters at Lateral Link, who, in addition to providing sound career advice, can assist you with a lateral move to one of hundreds of law firms or in-house positions they have in their network.

Now on to tip #2…

Become an expert in something.  It’s actually not as hard as it sounds.  All it really takes is for you to be the first spot a timely issue emerging in the case law, or a unique development in a practice area or a type of transaction.  Then seek out guidance on the topic from a senior associate or partner, but be sure the topic hasn’t already been covered in another article.  Next, utilize some of your non-billable time to do some additional research, and finally, write a publishable article.  Even a junior associate can manage that. 

If you’re just starting out, the narrower the issue or development, the better; trying to tackle a legal behemoth may end up being counterproductive.  And you’re not only limited to developing expertise in legal areas.  It can be beneficial to your firm if you develop expertise in your client’s business or, if your firm has a patent practice, to develop expertise in a technical area. 

After becoming sufficiently knowledgeable in your area of expertise, make sure to keep up with the latest developments.   Whenever an attorney at your firm or a client has a question related to that topic, you will be the firm’s go-to person.

Above the Law Career Center

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Earlier: How to Become an (Almost) Indispensable Junior Associate (Part 1)

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