[TRANSCRIPT] Transform Your Legal Career: Harnessing Personality and Salesmanship

Let's get started. Today's webinar is a fun topic for the summer. It’s about personality and salesmanship and how you can use salesmanship to get positions, advance in your career, and achieve quite a bit. This is something that the most successful people in every profession are able to do by using their personality to advance significantly in their careers. I've noticed people who are able to do this not only do better in their jobs but also outperform others. By understanding today's message, they can achieve much better outcomes.

This topic is, in my opinion, one of the more important things people can do in their careers to succeed. A couple of years ago, I read some articles from Vanity Fair, the New York Times, the Village Voice, and other publications about a man named Joe Andes. Here's an excerpt from a 2006 Vanity Fair profile: In the early 1990s, Joe Andes began frequenting the bar at the Pierre, a posh hotel on the corner of 5th Avenue and 61st Street. He was drawn to the crowd there, but the real attraction was Kathleen Landis, a woman who played the piano five nights a week. He was there five nights a week too, sitting at the same table in the front lobby, drinking Veuve Clicquot Champagne, and often ordering a glass for Landis as well.

He dressed impeccably in British-made suits and ties from Turnbull & Asser, and he had an English accent and a trimmed beard, looking very distinguished. He seemed like a tycoon, living well, and people thought he was very successful. Many asked him what he did for a living, but no one was brave enough to ask where he lived. When asked, he would say, "I sell potato peelers," and people would chuckle, thinking it wasn't true. In reality, he pushed his wares through the streets on a hand truck, selling potato peelers. People would stop by and remark that he was the best salesman in New York. Publications paid attention to him because he made a good living doing this. When he died, newspapers worldwide reported on him, highlighting that he lived in a giant apartment on Park Avenue and dined at the best restaurants, all from selling potato peelers on the street.
This story is amazing because there was nothing unusual about what he did to become successful. He did something that 99 percent of job seekers and people in general don't do or understand. Today, I'm going to talk about how you can be like him and achieve great success in both your personal and professional life. I'm going to share what I believe are the most powerful and fun job search and funding strategies you'll ever learn.

This strategy is simple and something almost no one learns. In my decades of experience, I've seen people succeed with it and those who don't fail. If you learn about this, it can make an incredible difference in your career and job search. Regardless of what you end up doing in your legal career, understanding this will give you the time and money to live the life you want.

Salesmanship is the most important thing for you to understand about selling yourself and getting your point across to the right people. If you know how to do this, you'll never fail. You could drop anyone in the most expensive city in the world, and they would succeed quickly with this ability. Every person who understands this does well, and it's crucial for you to understand. When looking for any type of position, your biggest weapon is salesmanship. This is something many attorneys overlook and miss when looking for a job. I often talk to older attorneys who have succeeded because they understand the importance of selling themselves, whether or not they have business. On the other hand, junior or mid-level associates often think they don't need to sell themselves and just have to do the work, lacking enthusiasm and effort in interviews.

To succeed, you need to find out what any employer you want to work for needs, make them trust you, and figure out how to stand out and sell yourself in a way that makes them want to hire you. Most people don't do all these things. They think it's enough to understand the job, but they don't focus on looking credible, gaining trust, or making their applications stand out.
 

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Great marketers and salespeople understand these principles, and they can be learned. Learning to sell is vital in your job search and life. Look at politicians; they sell themselves to win elections. Companies sell products, and attorneys sell themselves to get clients. It's not too hard to make a resume and go to an interview, but you want your resume and background to stand out so the employer says, "This sounds fantastic. When can you start?" People make decisions emotionally and then justify them with rational reasons. You need to connect with people, make them feel strongly about you, and sell yourself in a way that others don't.

I had an interesting experience with a business organization where candidates needed to have certain qualifications to get in. Someone showed up without selling themselves well and got rejected. This happens in law firms too. If you go to an interview thinking it's enough to just show up and do the work, it doesn't make people want to hire you. Just because you have the qualifications doesn't mean the employer will hire you. People with great qualifications often fail to sell themselves and get hired. It's not about your qualifications; it's about selling yourself and making people like you.
I've seen people with great qualifications on paper who expect to be hired but aren't because they don't sell themselves. Conversely, people who aren't as qualified often get jobs because they sell themselves better. This ability to sell oneself is crucial for success in any profession. For example, I'm in the process of listing a house for sale. I considered three realtors. One showed up with a great presentation but failed to follow up. Another was a good realtor but didn't want to revisit the property. The third, a very successful realtor, made multiple visits, brought a stager, and bonded with us, showing the importance of selling oneself effectively.

The most successful realtor did everything differently and sold himself in a way that others didn't, resulting in his extraordinary success. Similarly, you need to figure out how to stand out among other attorneys, get the business, and sell yourself in your firm. By doing so, you'll be able to get the jobs you want and live and work anywhere you want.

This is what happens in law firms: they trust you with the clients and the future of the firm. They continue to pay you a salary regardless of business ups and downs, provide health insurance, and give vacation time. Anytime you're going after a significant job, this is a very big deal. You have to understand you're not just applying for a job; you're applying for someone to pay you, for someone to allow you to work on their clients. As a young attorney, you're applying to get trained. There's a lot going on.

Anytime you're applying for a job, you need to realize that getting hired and closing the deal requires quite a bit of salesmanship. The better you sell yourself, the better you sell to clients. This is extremely important, and most people don't understand it. They think clients or jobs should just come to them. They aren't the type who would be out on the street like a guy selling potato peelers, but having this attitude and psychology is crucial.

I know attorneys who get a lot of business. One attorney decided he wanted to represent Google and showed up at their offices to talk to their general counsel, which is ludicrous but demonstrates the confidence needed to get business. Today, I'm going to teach you about salesmanship. Understanding this can change the course of your legal career and your experience with job hunting forever. You'll be able to get business, change your legal career, and learn how to find and secure jobs. I'll show you what the most successful people do to close deals and get hired.

The legal landscape is littered with attorneys who have failed. It's crazy how many people come out of law school not understanding this stuff. I see resumes every day. Out of 100 resumes, I'll see about 85 that have failed for one reason or another. They haven't gotten the right jobs, moved between different things, and haven't found security or advanced. This happens to so many people. The reason this topic is so important is you do not want to be part of that pile of resumes, which is probably over 80% of them.
 

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When I say they fail, I don't mean they haven't gotten any job, but they are never in charge of their career. The majority of attorneys are not in charge of their career. Someone else is. Whoever hires them is in charge of their career. The legal market, the city, or their practice area is in charge of it, instead of them being in charge. The only way to be in charge of your career is if you're able to sell yourself to clients and know how to get out of any situation.

When attorneys are looking for jobs, they often don't know what to do. They think they need to be a perfect fit for a job on LinkedIn or wherever they're looking. They don't understand how to get into places, get hired, and sell themselves. Many live in poverty, don't live well, and don't get hired. I see people living in areas where they are not living as well as they could. It's not just about money but about having a sense of purpose. People who don't sell themselves often feel dejected by the world. They don't understand why people won't buy them and just don't care. It's a psychology that permeates many attorneys.

They go into their job search without purpose, interest, or passion. Most people in different practice areas lack passion. You'll find some passion in trademark attorneys, commercial litigators, and personal injury attorneys, but many in workers' compensation or insurance defense lack it. To sell yourself, you need passion for what you're doing. If you don't have passion and are just dry, it's no fun. Would you like working with someone who didn't enjoy themselves and couldn't sell you on it? You need to achieve quite a bit and more if you're able to sell yourself.

So many people don't achieve everything they're capable of. They don't get the jobs they should and don't have access to the same opportunities as those who understand salesmanship. In law firms, partners with business are always in power and control. Those doing the work are often junior associates, middle associates, senior associates, or partners without business. The ones who can sell and bring in work are always in control. In-house, you're a hostage to the company unless you can sell yourself and move up. People who sell themselves have a tremendous advantage.
Start thinking of yourself as someone who can sell themselves and get others enthusiastic about you and your work. If you understand salesmanship, you can persuade an interviewer to hire you more than any other attorney they interview. Some people go on 10-15 interviews without getting a job, while others get hired after 5-6 interviews because they can sell themselves. They connect with the interviewer, portray competency, and make sure they are liked.

If you understand these basics of salesmanship, you can persuade any interviewer to hire you more than any other attorney they interview. When people talk about who they want to hire, they usually choose the person they like the most and who seems the most enthusiastic. If you don't sell yourself, you generally won't get hired unless there are no other candidates. Understanding how to sell yourself makes you do incredibly well compared to those who don't.

Several years ago, I wanted to hire people from UCLA Law School. I was interested in hiring a first-year attorney to work in my company doing various types of research and helping with different things. They sent me resumes from about 10 people in LA without jobs. When they came to interview, none were enthusiastic. Their handshakes were cold, and they had no interest in working with us. I assume they approached all their interviews with this lack of enthusiasm. In contrast, those who get the best jobs show enthusiasm and the ability to sell themselves.

There are many books on how to sell, but I'm not going to teach you about them. When I was younger, I read a lot about salesmanship. One of the most important things about selling and getting a position or clients is having a personality. If you have a personality, everything falls into place. Developing a personality and showing it in interviews will help you stand out. How does your cover letter read? Does it show personality?
Attorneys with the best personalities often get hired and get jobs because they stand out, even if they don't have the best qualifications. People like those with personalities, not those who are dry and flat. I've interviewed many boring lawyers without enthusiasm. The first attorney I found interesting ended up marrying me. Attorneys with personality excite me because I know they'll do well. I remember defending a case in Texas and hiring a small law firm with highly qualified attorneys. They recited the law with no enthusiasm or salesmanship. In court, the other side's attorney had tons of enthusiasm and sold his point. My attorney seemed nervous and didn't know how to sell himself, and I realized all the attorneys in that firm lacked sales ability despite their qualifications.

Having a good personality makes people gravitate towards you because of your enthusiasm. Think about who you would want to hire for any job—someone you like, connect with, and who has a personality. It's the same in law. You need to move away from thinking that law is only an academic profession and figure out how to have a personality. Understanding what personality means in the legal profession, for your career, and for getting business is crucial.

Several years ago, a prestigious law firm hired me to find a certain type of attorney. They gave me $45,000 upfront to find this attorney. I met the managing partner, a very powerful and well-known attorney, who was young and very tan. He walked into our meeting animated, happy, and able to connect, almost too happy for an attorney. This personality helped him stand out and be successful.

I asked the partner what he was interested in, and he said, "Tanning." I was surprised and asked what he was talking about. He explained that he loved tanning beds, had one at home, and liked to go tanning during lunch. Tanning was his passion. This was very funny, considering we were in a quiet, wood-paneled room in a serious law firm with nice art on the walls. It seemed completely at odds that a leading partner at a well-known national firm was so passionate about tanning.

I started calling and talking to partners around Los Angeles about this law firm. They confirmed it, saying things like, "Isn't that the firm where the managing partner loves to tan?" They thought it would be funny to interview there because the head of the firm was all about tanning. This was very strange because you don't typically associate serious law firms with tanning enthusiasts. The partner was single, drove a Corvette convertible, which is unusual in Los Angeles, and was well-known in the legal community for his love of tanning.

When I was applying to colleges, an advisor told me that no one gets into places like Harvard, Stanford, or Yale just as a number; they have something interesting that stands out. For instance, one guy at Harvard was passionate about bugs and had a great bug collection. Another person got into Stanford as a stand-up comedian from the age of 16. These interests have nothing to do with practicing law or being in college, but they make people stand out.

This partner's interest in tanning made him one of the youngest managing partners at a major law firm in the city, and people loved him for his unique and memorable personality. It's unusual to think of someone leading a major international law firm who is passionate about tanning, but it made him stick out and memorable. It showed that he had a personality.

Having a personality is important. It's not just about being a great attorney. It's about being yourself and having something that makes you stand out. This partner's unique interest helped him advance quickly. As long as he's bringing in business, working hard, and doing his job, people appreciate having someone with something that stands out.

Personality matters in various fields, including politics. I remember watching TV when Trump was running for the first time. His incredible personality allowed him to get rid of challengers, even though he was just a businessman and not a career politician. Similarly, Elon Musk is known for his personality. He's not a typical CEO sitting behind a big wooden desk in a quiet office. He stands for free speech, space exploration, and neural intelligence. His businesses have likely done better because of his personality.

When you decide to be interesting and unique, your career starts to take off. In legal resumes and interviews, having a personality puts you far ahead of others. Tony Robbins once said he could always tell who would win in a presidential race by looking at the candidates' personalities. The one with the most relatable personality usually wins.

Personality is crucial in your job search and career. If you stand out and have something unique about you, you'll do better in interviews and job applications. Law firms receive tons of resumes and interview people regularly. They want to hire someone interesting and with a personality.
Years ago, I interviewed nannies. The serious, no-nonsense nannies were not as interesting as one woman who talked about her interests in yoga, dance, and cooking with live foods. Having a personality made her stand out. People with interests and enthusiasm for something are more likely to have successful careers.

A candidate once failed the bar exam six times, became a cook, opened a failed restaurant, and then finally passed the bar. Despite her rocky resume, she got a job at a national law firm because her background made her interesting. This showed that having a unique personality can open doors, even when the resume isn't perfect.

People want to work with others who are relatable and have personality. This is true in job interviews, where employers want to see the human behind the resume. If you can connect with people and show that you're interesting, you'll do very well.

When I was young, I started an asphalt sealing service. At first, I struggled, but when I started adding personality to my pitch, people responded better. I dressed differently, shared personal stories, and connected with potential customers on a human level. This approach made my business very successful.

Having a personality and being interesting can significantly impact your career. People want to connect with others who are relatable and stand out. If you can do this, you'll find more success in job interviews and your career overall.

From the time I gained the ability to do this, I became someone doing $30,000 to $40,000 a week in business when I was 20, all because of my personality. People looked forward to seeing me, and they would get excited when I came by. Sometimes I might take a hundred dollars off or do something for free. If someone's spouse had died and they were having a hard time, I would do their driveway for free for years and just help people. People started liking me and found this very interesting.

You can do this too. You need to think about what I did when I was young to achieve this. In Detroit, during a recession, you need to understand how to have a personality and sell yourself. You need to stand for something different because if you're not, you'll be like those kids from UCLA who weren't getting jobs. People who lack enthusiasm for what they do don't come across as interesting or different. They often sit on the sidelines as critics without any enthusiasm, and nothing happens for them.

I had an experience several years ago, maybe 10 years ago, working for a very prestigious law firm with a small office in LA. Out of three attorneys, one went to Yale and had a PhD from MIT. These were incredible qualifications. I talked to them about expanding their office. They were very critical, saying they read an article of mine they didn't like, and their office was doing just fine. One of them was making about a million and a half dollars a year but had billed only 400 hours in the previous year. This office was in trouble, but these guys had no enthusiasm and were just critiquing me.
I called the attorney who hired me, a young partner in his mid-thirties with a big book of business. He was supporting these senior attorneys and couldn't believe their behavior. He said two of the partners were getting all their work from him. He was very interesting and stood for something, unlike the critical partners who lacked personality.

People with the best personalities are often criticized by those who don't have one. People enjoy reading about personalities that are different and even flawed. These flaws can make others identify with them more. Having a personality can make a huge difference in how you are perceived and how successful you can be.

When I was 27, living and working a couple of hours north of Detroit, I wanted to move to Los Angeles. It seemed impossible because moving from northern Michigan to Los Angeles with no contacts and never having worked there seemed next to impossible. But I decided to do it anyway. I wrote to the best law firms in Los Angeles with a very short letter, something like, "I'd like to work for you. Sincerely, Harrison Barnes." It was unusual and got me lots of calls and jobs, despite there being plenty of qualified people already in LA.

Having a personality on your resume can make a huge difference. When I moved to Los Angeles, I tripled my salary, got moving expenses, a starting bonus, and paid while I studied for the bar exam. None of this would have happened without injecting personality into what I was doing.
You need to figure out how to stand out with your personality. There's a presumption that being a lawyer is like working for UPS or in a factory, getting paid based on tenure. But people who think about advancement, working with people they like, and job security will do better. You need to have a personality that comes through in your application materials.

People with the biggest personalities always win because they stand out, connect with others, and get hired. Law firms want to hire people with the best personalities because they can sell and make a difference. While sales training is helpful, your personality is what truly sells. Competence is important, but you can't go through your career like those flat, unenthusiastic attorneys.

I remember a funny encounter at a gas station where a drunk man, who had lost everything, said, "At least I've got my soul." You need to have something behind you that makes people gravitate toward you. You don't want to be like the unenthusiastic attorneys I mentioned. You want to have a personality.

Your personality could relate to your practice area or the types of cases you handle. Whatever it is, make it memorable. I recall a partner at a firm who was a huge business generator. He said the guy with the most business in LA was also the biggest nerd, and that was memorable too.
So, use your personality to stand out and sell yourself. That's what will make people like you and get you the job. We'll take a quick break, and when we come back, I'll answer your questions.

The questions can be about the presentation. I know there'd be questions about the presentation, but they can be about anything relevant to your career or any questions you may have about that. So let me get started, and I'll stay as long as I need to. Another thing, a lot of the questions I'll be answering are anonymous. I'm not going to show your name or anything. All right, so let's see. First one, let me try to...

I consider myself to be an introvert and often find it challenging to compete with more extroverted colleagues who naturally excel in social settings. How can I use my introverted personality in a law firm? In law firms, there are typically three types of people: minders, grinders, and binders. Minders are essentially the admin people, managing partners, and those who manage paralegals, young attorneys, and different sorts of people in the firm. Grinders are the people doing the work. Finders are typically the ones bringing in the work. These are the three types of attorneys in law firms, and you’ll generally fall on one side or the other.

People who get into admin are often liked but may not have a lot of work. Binders have a natural type of personality. If you’re a grinder and want to succeed, especially if you can't bring in work, you need to get close to binders. Every binder has people they hand off work to and are very proud of. For example, I once went to a firm to see if they could represent me in a case. The binder would smile, look professional, and then introduce the grinder, highlighting their qualifications. Grinders can have great careers even if they never bring in business, as long as they get very close to binders. The binder wants to use them for everything and gets very attached to them.

In almost all firms, the best binders have trusted grinders. When I was working for a judge in Bay City, Michigan, I noticed attorneys would come in with someone who was close to an older attorney bringing in the work. The binder might talk to the judge, but the grinder would be doing all the work. This is common in every major firm. If you're introverted, you need to get close to someone bringing in the work, or preferably multiple people. If you do that and become a trusted person for a good binder, they will keep you around and protect you throughout your career. Binders moving firms will often demand to take one or two grinders with them because they know the quality of work they provide.

If you're a grinder, you can become a partner by being very good at it—doing the best work for clients and billing the most hours. The best grinders get binders to give them all the work. You can literally be a grinder your whole career if you get close to a really good binder. Most binders have non-equity partner council grinders who are essential to them.

As a junior associate at a prominent law firm, I'm keen to distinguish myself early in my career. I've been given opportunities to attend meetings and participate in business development activities, but I often feel overshadowed by more senior colleagues and my reserved personality affects my confidence. How can I effectively communicate my value to both clients and senior partners without seeming overly assertive or stepping on toes?
As a junior associate, you’re not expected to develop business. Your role in meetings is to observe, take notes, and ensure you understand everything being said. Use that information to help people giving you work in the future. The last thing you want to do is try to communicate your value to clients unless asked a direct question. Senior partners are only impressed by the quality of your work. Your job is to be a soldier, follow orders, and learn from others. Your only responsibility is to get trained, do the best work you can, bill the most hours, and avoid getting laid off.
I am a new non-equity shareholder with no business. I like what you're saying about having personality. I don't know much about business development or sales. Is there a book, seminar, or anything you recommend for further learning?

The biggest way to get business is to be found and seen. This can be achieved by joining organizations, finding out who is being sued if you’re a litigator, writing papers, offering presentations, joining boards, optimizing your LinkedIn, writing articles for legal publications, and giving advice to companies with issues. One proven tactic is to stay in touch with 100 to 200 people you know. Over time, they will refer clients to you. This requires continuous effort, not a one-time contact. One attorney I knew used to send a detailed update about his personal and professional life to his contacts annually, which helped him get business.

Learning how to be found and seen is crucial. One of the most important things you can do is be visible to those who need your work. It's challenging, but joining associations, writing papers on unique legal issues, and giving presentations can help. Enthusiasm for what you do can also draw people to you. Essentially, being seen is key.

Consider personal injury law. In this field, visibility is paramount, with professionals utilizing buses, advertisements, Google keywords, and social media ads to ensure they are seen. This approach might not be ideal for a corporate attorney, but the principle remains the same: visibility is crucial for success.

Having a personality when you're seen adds an interesting dimension. For instance, in LA, a personal injury attorney branding themselves as "Barona Law" exemplifies how being memorable enhances visibility. To be successful, you must be seen, regardless of your personality type. Even introverts and reserved individuals can achieve this.

In the shift to virtual interviews and remote work, conveying personality and building rapport through a screen can be challenging. People are visual, kinetic, and auditory. When in a virtual interview, it's important to recognize how the person you’re speaking with communicates and mirror that. This technique, known as neuro-linguistic programming, can help build rapport.

Always dress professionally for virtual interviews and meetings, and ensure you're punctual. While body language is limited in virtual settings, your enthusiasm and preparedness can make a significant difference. Have an agenda for the interview—aim to connect with the person, be humble, and show a genuine interest in the role or client.

During interviews, avoid discussing personal needs or constraints upfront. Focus on demonstrating your eagerness to work and your willingness to learn. Employers look for candidates who are enthusiastic, humble, and hardworking. Making the interviewer feel important and respected is vital. Learn about the firm or the person you’re meeting with and convey your knowledge and interest.

Ultimately, making people feel good about themselves, being respectful, and building rapport are essential strategies for successful interviews and remote interactions.

And another thing that many people don't understand is that during interviews, the interviewer should be speaking 80 percent of the time. Preferably, they should be speaking about themselves or their experiences. It doesn't always happen, but ideally, people at the interview should be doing most of the talking.

For example, I spoke to a partner yesterday for a half-hour call. When I asked him if he had any business, he went into a 10-minute diatribe about potential clients. My takeaway was that the answer was essentially no, but he hoped to bring in business eventually. You can't sit there and give a lengthy explanation; you need to be very direct.

In interviews, if you want to connect, you need to be direct with your answers. You want to show that you will work hard, follow orders, do a good job, communicate confidence, and be the sort of person a client would want to hire. This means being someone the client would want to work with, whether as an associate or a partner bringing in business.

When you work for any firm, your goal is to be someone the client would want to hire. This applies to both associates and equity partners. You need to come across in the same way you would if you wanted someone to hire you. In virtual interviews, you need to be even more prepared.

Regarding changing jobs frequently, if you've moved multiple times in the past three years, potential employers might see you as unreliable. You need to use salesmanship to address and overcome this stigma. Frequent job changes can imply that you may not do good work, leave when things get challenging, or cause disruption. It can also suggest that clients and firms cannot rely on you.

If you're moving too often, consider if you really want to work for others or if you might prefer having your own firm. Some people don't like practicing law or working for other people, leading to frequent job changes. It’s not always a big deal, but it’s important to understand why you're leaving jobs.
To sell yourself in getting a new position, consider why you're the best applicant. If you've left jobs frequently, you need to demonstrate why you're still the best choice. This might involve applying to firms without openings or those in smaller markets where competition is less intense.

When firms hire the best applicant, they sometimes overlook frequent job changes if the qualifications are exceptional. However, hiring someone likely to leave soon isn’t smart for firms. You can often get jobs by applying to firms in smaller markets or by being strategic in your job search.
In terms of facing rejections, you need to maintain resilience and confidence. Companies selling products face rejections all the time, yet they continue to market and sell their products. Each rejection should be seen as a learning opportunity to improve your salesmanship for future interviews. Maintaining a positive mindset and viewing rejections as part of the process can help you stay motivated and confident.

Be direct in interviews, understand the implications of frequent job changes, and learn from rejections to improve your job search strategy.
People that succeed often fail again and again. One book that I would recommend everybody read and read again is "Think and Grow Rich." There are great stories about persistence. It's a well-known book, and you can find it for free online. It has a great chapter about persistence, highlighting that people who persevere always succeed. Learning about the importance of persistence is crucial. You should not take rejection as a law graduate, regardless of your strong credentials. You obviously got an internship, so your confidence needs to keep going. Develop self-confidence in many different ways. "Think and Grow Rich" has a section on self-confidence. Confidence comes with finding the right firm and learning from past mistakes.

You have to keep trying because the more rejections you get, the more you learn to change your approach. Keep pushing forward. There may be something in your interviews that people don't like. Often, it's not putting yourself in the employer's shoes. Employers are more interested in what you can offer them. You need to appear to the employer as someone very interested in giving them what they want—hours, remote work, time off, etc. Show that you are willing to do whatever they need. If you give this impression, you'll be better off.

Young attorneys often don't want to work hard, but the ones who succeed will be those who work the hardest and give employers and clients what they want. Why would a client go to an attorney who focuses on their own needs? Think of every employer as a potential client. Specializing in maritime law, for example, means having substantial experience and a network. It can be hard to differentiate yourself from other experienced candidates in such fields.

To effectively differentiate yourself, focus your resume on your practice area. Enthusiasm is key. Successful candidates often have transaction sheets if they are corporate attorneys, or sheets detailing significant litigation if they are litigators. These show interest and commitment. Have a second page of your resume listing significant transactions or litigation. This helps differentiate you from others.

If you're in maritime law, apply to firms even if they don't have openings. Network with others in the field, showing enthusiasm and asking for direction, not just a job. Use a transaction sheet, write to potential clients, and look up old jobs on legal processing sites. The biggest way to stand out is with a strong transaction-related sheet and showing your enthusiasm for the practice area. Write articles, give presentations, join committees—do anything that shows your enthusiasm.

Ensure your resume focuses solely on your practice area. Don't include unrelated experience. If you have experience in other areas, minimize it and emphasize your focus on maritime law. This makes a strong impression.
For those asking about the Ontario legal community, I don’t have specific advice. Though I grew up in Detroit near Canada, I don't know much about practicing law there.

Thank you for being on this webinar. This week's topic was more interesting than last week's discussion on billable hours and economics. Next week should also be interesting. Thank you for being here and have a good rest of your day.
 
 
 

About Harrison Barnes

Harrison Barnes is a prominent figure in the legal placement industry, known for his expertise in attorney placements and his extensive knowledge of the legal profession.

With over 25 years of experience, he has established himself as a leading voice in the field and has helped thousands of lawyers and law students find their ideal career paths.

Barnes is a former federal law clerk and associate at Quinn Emanuel and a graduate of the University of Chicago College and the University of Virginia Law School. He was a Rhodes Scholar Finalist at the University of Chicago and a member of the University of Virginia Law Review. Early in his legal career, he enrolled in Stanford Business School but dropped out because he missed legal recruiting too much.

Barnes' approach to the legal industry is rooted in his commitment to helping lawyers achieve their full potential. He believes that the key to success in the legal profession is to be proactive, persistent, and disciplined in one's approach to work and life. He encourages lawyers to take ownership of their careers and to focus on developing their skills and expertise in a way that aligns with their passions and interests.

One of how Barnes provides support to lawyers is through his writing. On his blog, HarrisonBarnes.com, and BCGSearch.com, he regularly shares his insights and advice on a range of topics related to the legal profession. Through his writing, he aims to empower lawyers to control their careers and make informed decisions about their professional development.

One of Barnes's fundamental philosophies in his writing is the importance of networking. He believes that networking is a critical component of career success and that it is essential for lawyers to establish relationships with others in their field. He encourages lawyers to attend events, join organizations, and connect with others in the legal community to build their professional networks.

Another central theme in Barnes' writing is the importance of personal and professional development. He believes that lawyers should continuously strive to improve themselves and develop their skills to succeed in their careers. He encourages lawyers to pursue ongoing education and training actively, read widely, and seek new opportunities for growth and development.

In addition to his work in the legal industry, Barnes is also a fitness and lifestyle enthusiast. He sees fitness and wellness as integral to his personal and professional development and encourages others to adopt a similar mindset. He starts his day at 4:00 am and dedicates several daily hours to running, weightlifting, and pursuing spiritual disciplines.

Finally, Barnes is a strong advocate for community service and giving back. He volunteers for the University of Chicago, where he is the former area chair of Los Angeles for the University of Chicago Admissions Office. He also serves as the President of the Young Presidents Organization's Century City Los Angeles Chapter, where he works to support and connect young business leaders.

In conclusion, Harrison Barnes is a visionary legal industry leader committed to helping lawyers achieve their full potential. Through his work at BCG Attorney Search, writing, and community involvement, he empowers lawyers to take control of their careers, develop their skills continuously, and lead fulfilling and successful lives. His philosophy of being proactive, persistent, and disciplined, combined with his focus on personal and professional development, makes him a valuable resource for anyone looking to succeed in the legal profession.

About BCG Attorney Search

BCG Attorney Search matches attorneys and law firms with unparalleled expertise and drive, while achieving results. Known globally for its success in locating and placing attorneys in law firms of all sizes, BCG Attorney Search has placed thousands of attorneys in law firms in thousands of different law firms around the country. Unlike other legal placement firms, BCG Attorney Search brings massive resources of over 150 employees to its placement efforts locating positions and opportunities its competitors simply cannot. Every legal recruiter at BCG Attorney Search is a former successful attorney who attended a top law school, worked in top law firms and brought massive drive and commitment to their work. BCG Attorney Search legal recruiters take your legal career seriously and understand attorneys. For more information, please visit www.BCGSearch.com.