By Robert Chapski 

For those of you who become unhinged when you get on an airplane and lose wireless contact with the world for a couple hours, you can now take comfort in the fact that Wi-Fi service onboard aircrafts is expanding.  No longer will the liberating excuse, "I am about to get on a plane and won't have email access for a few hours" be viable.  Several airlines including Southwest, American and Delta, have been testing onboard Wi-Fi for several months.  AA just announced that it will expand in-flight Wi-Fi service to roughly 300 planes over the next couple of years. 

Whoopee?!

Don't get me wrong, I think advances in wireless technology are great, and I am the first one to jump on the bandwagon.  However, I think occasionally we need to be reminded of a couple of things with respect to mobile devices: 

1. It's inconsiderate to keep constantly checking your device (a) at a meeting or presentation with clients or colleagues, (b) at dinner with family or friends, (c) on vacation with your spouse and kids. 
2. There is such a thing as being "too connected."  (It's been a while, but this calls to mind the movie, The Lawnmower Man.) 

Try to set some reasonable boundaries, which serve to respect the needs of your clients, your employer, your family and yourself.  On vacation, for instance, you might limit email-checking to once or twice a day and tell your assistant to call you if it is a true emergency. 

Not learning how to balance your work, family and play time is the best way to put yourself as a younger lawyer on the fast track to burnout. 

By Kathleen Pearson, Director of Professional Recruiting 

In this tough job market, more than ever WHO you know is just as important as WHAT you know.  Instead of just randomly sending your cover letter and resume to all law firms you have ever heard of, you should develop a targeted network list.   

Start with all of the lawyers you know, then expand it to all corporate executives you know.  Once you have prepared your initial list, rank individuals by how well you know them and possible connections to firms you would like to apply.  Next, send personalized letters to the people you know and ask for an introduction. 

For example, you know John Smith, executive at XYZ Corporation, which is represented by Law Firm ABC.  Send Mr. Smith a letter, explaining that you are currently looking for a position and would appreciate a recommendation and/or introduction to Law Firm ABC.  At the very least, a recommendation by a client will get you a lunch meeting with the relationship partner.  Now you have met someone new to add to your network.  If the relationship partner cannot help you with their firm, ask if they can recommend you meet someone else.   

This skill will not only help you get a new position, it will serve you well in the future when you are expected to bring in business for the firm.  The earlier in your career you learn to effectively network, the better off you will be in the future.

By Brian Malcom  

If this hasn't happened to you yet, it most likely will. You are on the road, away from your desk, away from a computer, and you need to research an issue or pull a case.  What do you do?   

One solution might be to call a friend or your assistant, ask them to pull a case and send you an email so that you can read it on your PDA.  This may be a good solution if you are just looking for a case and have the citation readily available.  However, if you are researching a specific issue or are not quite sure of the case you are looking for, this may not be a practical solution.   

Westlaw Wireless is a very useful tool in this situation.  All lawyers should be aware of this tool, but young lawyers will likely use the resource more often.  While not perfect or pretty, Westlaw Wireless is fast.  At times, this may be its most important feature.  Westlaw has streamlined their site in an effort to make it more compatible with PDAs.  The site prompts you to enter your login information and the client ID.  Then, you are taken to a text menu with the following options:

• Find a Document - allows yo to search for a document by citation or party name

• Find&Print - allows you to find a document by citation and deliver the ful text or KeyCite information for the eocument to an email address or Westlaw printer

• KeyCite a Citation - allows you to enter a citation and immediately retrieve KeyCite information and citing references

• Search Westlaw - perhaps the most versatile tool on Westlaw Wireless.  It allows you to select a popular database from a drop down menu or enter a database name and search for the database.  Then, you can search within the selected database using a terms and connectors search or a natural language search.  Westlaw Wireless will then display twenty (20) results per page.

As of March 31, 2009, there have been over 9,946 people laid off by major law firms (4,046 lawyers / 5,905 staff) since January 1, 2008. For the first quarter of 2009, 7,999 (3,149 lawyers, 4,850 staff), 3,677 in March alone (1,334 attorneys, 2,343 staff). (http://lawshucks.com/layoff-tracker)

By Bethany Kolenic 

In the current economic climate, jobs are scarce and competition is fierce. How does this change the game when you are interviewing? I asked Kathleen Pearson, Director of Professional Recruiting with Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, her thoughts on this subject, and here’s what she had to say.

Q: Landing the interview: what qualities are you looking for in potential job candidates? Has this changed since the economic downturn?

The economy and the current shift in the legal industry has definitely changed the employment landscape for potential candidates. Quite simply, there are more candidates on the market and fewer positions available. That said, candidates need to differentiate themselves as much as possible. If you are a litigator, don’t try to apply for "anything available." Write a cover letter that outlines either why you are a great litigator or (if you are just out of school) why you will be a great litigator. Also, include a writing sample to support your assertions.

Q: What if I don’t land a job right out of law school? How can I add value to my resume and get some benefit out of the downtime until things pick up?

Think outside the legal world. What industries do you see having a legal need right now and in the future? If you cannot find a job at a law firm, there are many positions within companies that are closely tied to the legal field. For example, the healthcare industry has many positions that work with contracts. By looking outside the legal world, you can get valuable business experience and begin building your network for the future.

Q: What if I don’t land a job right away; how will this look to potential employers? How do I handle this in interviews?

All employers know the situation law students and young associates are facing is difficult. The best advice I can give is to be completely honest.