By Kathleen Pearson 

Guess what? The sky is not falling in the AmLaw 200.

While summer classes are a bit smaller, they still exist and there is real work for the summer associates to actually do. They are busy going to trials, working on closings, sharpening their Westlaw skills and of course going to dinner parties, lunches, happy hours and riverboat cruises. At the end of the summer, there will be job offers and not ones that are deferred until 2015.

The good news here is really for rising 2Ls.  Fall recruiting will most likely look very different for you than it did for your senior classmates as "big firms" continue to refocus and cut back on class sizes.  But take heart, summer programs will continue to exist and thrive, especially in smaller markets.

When fall recruiting starts, consider regional firms that will actually be able to make you an offer!

Good Idea: Using Sick Days to Treat or Recuperate From an Illness

Bad Idea: Using Your Own Sick Days, and those Donated by Co-Workers, to Deal with a Faked Illness

By Brian Malcom  

Judge Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court brings up an interesting topic: How does one become a Supreme Court Justice?  There really is only one way to find out, and that is to look to the backgrounds of the justices of the past, present and possibly future. In the interest of current events, we will begin with the Honorable Sonia Sotomayor. 

Things that helped her nomination: 

1.  According to ATL, Obama "picked Judge Sotomayor based on three factors:     (a) her overall level of intellectual capacity and legal acumen, reflected in her academic record, her work as a lawyer, and her judicial service;     (b) her approach to judging, including her legal craftsmanship and her ability to win over colleagues on the Second Circuit; and     (c) her compelling personal story . . . ."  

2.  Being a woman. “It sends the wrong signal to have only one woman among the nine justices[.]”  - Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.)  

3.   Empathy.  According to CNN, Judge Sotomayor said that the gender and ethnicity of judges affect their judicial decision making, at a 2001 U.C. Berkley symposium.  

4.  A Democratic Congress.  If the Democrats had less of a majority or no majority at all, Judge Sotomayor would face a much more difficult confirmation process than she likely will face in the coming months. 

5.  A recently-weakened GOP presence on the Senate Judiciary Committee. 

6.   Being the first Hispanic nominated to the High Court. How can the Republicans run the political gauntlet of voting AGAINST a female, hispanic, well-educated federal judge?  Answer:  they cannot.

By Eileen Burkhalter Smith 

We have previously mentioned the uptick in jurors texting and messaging during trial. 

This week, a Miami-Dade Circuit Judge declared a mistrial in a civil fraud case resulting from a witness text-messaging on the stand.  The witness was the CEO of the Plaintiff, and he was texting to another company employee who had previously testified.   

A courtroom spectator brought this to the Judge's attention, and the Defense's request for a mistrial was granted.  The Judge's exasperation seems well-founded (especially because this witness had been reprimanded before in this trial about communicating with another witness).

Good Idea:  Having a desire to win as a prosecutor. 

Bad Idea: Ignoring the Constitution as a prosecutor. 

By Brian Malcom     

Some things stand the test of time.  A few such things that come to mind are diamonds, love and Twinkies.  Another is good advice.  Larry Childs, a litigator for more than 30 years, wrote a letter as a 3L to his 1L sister.  Larry thought about the things he had learned about legal writing in law school.  He put pen to page and gave his sister some tips.  Three decades later, the advice on legal writing is still sound and relevant.  The letter is below.  Pay close attention to the first three rules and the last sentence. 

By Brian Malcom 

In case you have not figured it out, I am a fan of Web 2.0.  I think, when used properly, it is a valuable tool for young professionals.  CNNMoney seems to share my point of view. 

The CNNMoney article points out the usefulness of social networking sites in a recession.  According to the article, forums like Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn may help you land a J-O-B in these hard times.  More than ever, our network contacts and friends have instant access to our "status."  For some folks, posting a status update on Facebook or Twitter about a recent job loss resulted in a quick offer from a friend or acquaintance.

As you probably already know, the web is a two-way "series of tubes."  Job seekers are finding that Web 2.0 can be a tool to get first notice of job openings.  "There are a variety of services associated with social networking sites to help too, like TweetMyJobs, which sends out automatic updates of new openings in a specific field and region sent to your cell phone or by Twitter. If you fan a company on Facebook or follow internal hiring managers on Twitter, you might be the first to find out about job openings at the employer of your choice. "

As online social networking grows in popularity, more and more professionals will find their way to these sites.  This means more and more professionals, more and more companies, and more and more recruiters will be users.  This could be a great thing, or it could be a bad thing.  The determining factor will be how you use the sites.  To beat a dead horse, be mindful of the content you post to your profiles and status updates.  Web 2.0 is not a bumper sticker, it is your modern face to the world whether you like it or not.

Make the web work for you.  Spare yourself and the world pictures of your drunken exploits or offensive diatribes.  Shine your shoes.  You just might be interviewing for a job.