Tag Archive for: Networking

The Importance of Pro Bono

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woman sitting at deskAfter the financial crash in 2008, many law firms were forced to downsize, combine or dissolve. Unlike after prior market constrictions, the numbers of lawyers hired by firms have not rebounded and this past year law school enrollment was the lowest it had been in 40 years. What does this mean for newly admitted attorneys and experienced attorneys? And how does pro bono fit in to the picture?

The American Bar Association Model Rules of Professional Conduct encourages all attorneys to seek to offer 50 hours of pro-bono service a year. As a result, many state bars have adopted these rules because they recognize the importance of pro bono service. Most attorneys recognize the importance of giving back particularly when many people cannot afford an attorney and often appear in court unrepresented. But beyond these altruistic and aspirational reasons, there are also unintended benefits to those who donate their time — helping others can mean helping yourself too.

A. Developing Your Skill Set

One of the most common complaints from clients about newly admitted lawyers is that they don’t graduate with a lot of practical skills. Additionally, in a constricted economy, many clients are no longer interested in footing the bill for on-the-job training. Pro bono assignments and representations can provide an excellent source of practical training for the newly minted attorney and a means of learning specific legal skills. Such cases often give new attorneys a rare opportunity to meet directly with a client. You will learn how to interview to discover what the client’s legal issues are and what the client hopes to achieve from your representation. You will also learn how to effectively communicate with the client to help them achieve those goals. You may also hone your drafting and negotiation skills. But a pro bono representation should not be undertaken lightly. In order to maximize your learning curve and ensure you can effectively represent your client, proper training in representing the pro bono client is necessary and invaluable.

Many non-profit organizations seeking pro bono volunteers offer training for volunteer attorneys. One of PLI’s very important initiatives is the offering of such pro bono training. We have collaborated with hundreds of legal aid and pro bono entities to develop a curriculum of free programs in practice areas critical to the representation of low-income clients – including housing, family law, government benefits, immigration, veterans’ issues, and more – to train legal services attorneys and attorneys in private practice to take on a pro bono representation. It’s particularly rewarding to learn from participants how valuable our programs have been for projects and roles they have taken on as a result. The best of part of providing pro bono training is knowing that we’ve given attendees the knowledge and tools to make a difference.

B. Learning About New Areas of Law

A benefit for both newly admitted attorneys and more experienced attorneys alike is the chance to explore new areas of the law. In taking on a case in an area outside of your usual practice area you can gain substantive knowledge about new areas of law – immigration, bankruptcy, wills, divorce, veterans’ rights, non-profit incorporations, criminal appeals – the possibilities and opportunities are endless. Indeed, attendees from our many programs have written to share how our program has “sparked interest in helping foster children”; will be used “in helping sick or injured children”; and was “inspiring — led me to contact Legal Aid regarding a pro bono housing case.”

Who knows — you may just discover a passion for a new area of the law that leads you to a new career. At the very least, you will have learned something new and this knowledge might benefit another client, or possibly even a friend or family member down the line.

C. Networking

Another not so obvious benefit to pro bono service is networking. Many law firm clients expect the firms they hire to engage in pro bono work. While doing pro bono work might help you stand out from the pack in the eyes of the client, it will also expand your professional universe. A likely scenario is that through the course of your training and pro bono service you will come in contact with other volunteers, individuals at the non-profits, and maybe even firm clients – and these connections will help you build and expand your professional network. Indeed, an attendee of one of our free training webcasts shared the following story with me. He was between jobs and looking to do some pro bono work. He reached out reluctantly to PLI for a scholarship, a bit torn about admitting he needed the financial help. While watching one of our webcasts, a colleague walked by, asked about the program and his experience, ended up taking him to lunch and retaining him for work. He was so thrilled with the outcome of this scholarship he wrote to thank PLI profusely.

While not everyone will gain a job from their pro bono training there are unintended professional benefits to be had through pro bono service that all attorneys should consider. And there are also the intended benefits – the joy and pride in helping someone in need who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford an attorney.

*Anita Carr Shapiro is the President of the Practising Law Institute (PLI), the premier continuing legal and professional education organization. She is PLI’s fifth President since 1933, and its first female president.

By Anita Carr Shapiro

Guest advice and opinions not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com

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The Formula for Selling Anybody, Anything, Anytime

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women salesHere’s the thing: sometimes we’re selling our ideas, sometimes we’re selling our products and, these days, many of us are selling ourselves as the best candidate for the job/as the person who deserves a promotion. With this in mind, here’s the proven formula for selling your best self to anybody, anywhere, anytime.

First: Yale University did a study of the 12 most persuasive words in the English language. What they discovered is that the most persuasive word in the English language is “you.” Consequently, I recommend throwing it around a lot: “As I’m sure you know,” “As I’m sure you’ve heard,” “I wanted to talk to you today,” etc.

Second: California-based Social Psychologist Ellen Langer revealed that there is one word in the English language that increases the possibility of cooperation from 60 to 94%. No, that is not a typo. I will repeat: 60 to 94%. This word is “Because.”

Lastly: “The Duncan Hines Cake Mix Marketing Theory.” When Duncan Hines first began making cake mix, the decision to have you at home add the egg was made in the marketing department. Why is this effective? Because they realized that when we add the egg we feel proud because we contributed; we can say, “I baked!” How does this work in a business scenario? You need to articulate how you can contribute to the other person’s success and/or how they can contribute to yours so that what is created becomes your shared success.

So that’s your formula: you + because + the egg = success.

Following are three different ways you can apply this formula for success

Talking to an Interviewer:

Too often we spend our interviewing time talking about why we are right for the job. This sounds a lot like, “And I just think this company would be perfect for me/would help me meet my goals.” No. What you need to be talking about is how you are going to contribute to your future boss’s/the company’s success once you are hired.

What might this sound like?

“I wanted to talk to you today because your job description/your company’s mission statement/your bestselling product is X, and my skill set/my personal passion/my sales experience is in Y. Applying the full force of my expertise to this job will enable us both to reach our goals.”

Talking to Your Boss about a Brewing “Situation”:

The use of the word “situation” here is quite deliberate. The White House doesn’t have a “Crisis Room,” they have a “Situation Room.” Likewise, you don’t have a crisis– you have a situation that needs to be resolved.

So, what would the formula for success sound like here?

“I wanted to bring a potential situation to your attention immediately because it requires expert attention. X has occurred and I have come up with the following two, possible solutions. Is there one that you prefer?”

In this instance, their egg is not as much the mention of their expert attention, but the opportunity you are giving them to apply that expertise to two possible resolution strategies. Having them to choose which they prefer (and tell you why it’s far better) not only allows them to add their egg, but to choose the temperature at which the solution is “baked.”

Talking to a Potential Target at a Networking event

Too many networking events are about what others can do for us, rather than what we can do for them. In my experience, however, the most successful networkers aren’t asking, “What can you do for me?” but “What can I do for you?” In this scenario, then, the formula would likely sound like this:

“Hello, I’m X,” (if your target is standing with another person, or in a group, introduce yourself to everyone present.) “I wanted to introduce myself because I know you are the visionary behind X idea/product/company, and I wanted to introduce you to Y/write about you in my newsletter/ask if I could help you organize your next charity event.”

As you can see, the offer doesn’t need to be huge — the fact that you made it at all is what helps you stand out. Leaving room for them to add the egg of their choice is what will ensure your successful connection.

Happy baking!

Guest Contribution by Frances Cole Jones

Guest advice and opinions are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com

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Career Tip of the Week

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networkingThis Week’s Tip Is…

Networking in a productive way

Have a think about the last 2-3 networking events that you attended and go back over your contacts from that meeting. Did you maximize those connections? If not, go back and make a few lunch or coffee dates or even send them an email framing an idea that could be mutually useful to you both.

Welcome to Career Tip of the Week. In this column we aim to provide you with a useful snippet of advice to carry with you all week as you navigate the day to day path in your career.

By Nicki Gilmour, Executive Coach and Organizational Psychologist

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Reckoning with Institutional Double Standards on International Women’s Day

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IWDBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

What is it that keeps women from ascending to executive levels in business in numbers comparable to men? It’s not for lack of commitment or ambition. It’s not a matter of skill level or about being “tough enough.” It’s not even about negative perceptions on women’s ability to turn a profit.

What it is, is bias. It’s a culture created by men and women that offers men greater opportunities to succeed, while holding women to higher standards. And now, finally, the American public is actually coming to terms with the double-standards keeping women out of leadership roles. In fact, in a recent Pew survey, the majority of respondents acknowledged that women do, in fact, face a tougher road to the top, even today.

“Americans widely believe that men have a better shot at leadership positions in business and politics, even as majorities say that men and women make equally good leaders,” the Pew report states.

In the survey, majorities (including both women and men) agreed that there aren’t many women in executive leadership because companies simply aren’t ready to hire women leaders. It was also recognized that it is because women are held to higher standards than men. Yet, respondents also said women would do just as good a job as men.

The Pew study illuminates a point of view The Glass Hammer has supported for many years. That is: women are not the ones who need changing. The reason women are not advancing into senior leadership roles in greater numbers is because they are locked out by institutional, systemic biases that favor men over women implicitly.

Yet, this runs contrary to so much of the professional advice offered to women – to do more of this or less of that, to behave more in one way or another. Lean in, lean out, be nice, be tough, always wear heels, never let them see you cry. These pieces of advice may work for some women or they may not. Many women may find power or inspiration there, while others may find them empty promises. But they will not fix the problem that persists to this day, that the corporate world is set up to give the benefit of the doubt to men over women every time when it comes to promotion and advancement.

As of January, there were only 26 female Fortune 500 CEOs, according to Pew. And it’s taken 20 years to reach that puny five percent threshold. This year’s International Women’s Day theme is “Empowering Women, Empowering Humanity: Picture it!” At this rate, what will the picture of women in leadership be in another twenty years? Is ten percent good enough?

We, as a culture, can do vastly more for women and we should. It will take work by all of us, though, and real acknowledgment from powerful business leaders – both male and female – that double standards are keeping talented, driven women from succeeding. Change starts at the top but is lived by everyone.

Double Standards by the Numbers

Looking at Pew’s numbers, it’s clear that the majority of respondents – a sample of almost 3,000 US adults – agree that women face double standards in the workplace.

Two-thirds of respondents (67 percent) said the reason there aren’t many women running major corporations is that many businesses just “aren’t ready” for to hire women for top jobs. Two in five (43 percent) said this was a “major” reason there weren’t more women in executive positions while 24 percent cited it as a “minor” reason.

Almost the same share (65 percent) of respondents said that women have to “do more to prove themselves,” and the “major” and “minor breakdowns were almost identical.
In comparison, 58 percent of respondents said they believe women’s responsibilities to their families don’t leave much time for executive leadership, with a quarter (23 percent) designating this is a “major” factor that there aren’t more women running companies, while 35 percent cited it as a “minor” factor.

Respondents were also asked to compare whether men or women are more suited toward certain characteristics. A third (34 percent) said women were better at “working out compromises,” while only 9 percent said men were better at that task. Over half (55 percent) said there was no difference between the genders here. Similarly, 31 percent said women were better at being “honest and ethical,” while three percent said men were, and 64 percent said there was no difference between the genders. Three quarters of respondents said there was no difference between the genders when it came to “negotiating deals,” while 18 percent said men were better suited to this task then women, and seven percent said women were better suited to it.

Finally, a third (34%) said men were better at being willing to take risks than women, while five percent said women were better than men at taking risks, and 58 percent said there was no difference between men and women here.

Indeed, men’s propensity for risky behavior has been studied, lauded, condemned, and questioned in equal measure.
Perhaps its time for men, who make up the vast majority of senior business leaders, to take a risk and openly support the advancement of women, by using their influence to challenge unfair workplace institutions and gender biases.

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Career Tip of the Week!

Nicki GilmourThis Week’s Tip Is…

Who is in your network? Who do you eat lunch with?

Do a network audit- is there only one type of person in your network? If this cuts along the lines of social identity (gender, ethnicity, LGBT status, class, nationality etc) or even functionality (department and teams) then make a conscious effort to go to lunch with someone different to you. If you only eat lunch with women, ask your male colleagues out for lunch to talk about a business issue.

Welcome to Career Tip of the Week. In this column we aim to provide you with a useful snippet of advice to carry with you all week as you navigate the day to day path in your career.

By Nicki Gilmour, Executive Coach and Organizational Psychologist

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Why Negotiating and Networking Go Hand in Hand

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Group of Multiethnic Diverse Busy Business PeopleOn Tuesday, The Glass Hammer hosted our latest event on career management. Sponsored by Accenture, Bloomberg, and Sungard, the event discussed how women can build professional negotiation skills, and provided tips on networking and how to navigate tricky office politics.

Panelist Carol Frohlinger, Principal at Negotiating Women Inc. and co-author of Her Place at the Table, commented, “Women often suffer from the tiara syndrome – we work hard and wait for someone to place a tiara on our head.” But, she said, in today’s environment, we can not wait for someone to notice hard work or reward it appropriately.

“We must proactively negotiate for the conditions of our own success,” Frohlinger said.

The event’s panelists included Frohlinger, Anne Erni, Head of Leadership, Learning and Diversity, Bloomberg; Camille Mirshokrai, Global Director of Leadership Development, Accenture; Linda Descano, President and CEO, Citi Women & Co.; and Kathleen Weslock, Chief Human Resources Officer, SunGard. The discussion was moderated by Selena Rezvani, co-founder of Women’s Roadmap, Washington Post columnist, and author of The Next Generation of Women Leaders.

Read more

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