. Last night, I plumb ran out of sleep. Here I was, snoozing away, not particularly dreaming about anything, when I woke right up. I found myself worrying about a legal professional who had come to me to find ways to get promoted in her firm. I went over our conversation. She was at her firm 14 years and hadn’t had a raise in several years. Other professionals were being brought in at a...
By Chere B. Estrin It’s here again. Oh, yes. That stressful, anxiety ridden, white knuckling 30 minutes guaranteed to make your palms sweat, heart race and chest tighten followed by a sense of impending doom surrounding your otherwise well-being. Yes, I am talking about the performance review. We’ve all been through it. Some were good, some were bad. Some met your expectations and...
By Chere Estrin What does it take to become a successful lawyer? In a series of in-depth interviews for the Estrin Report, Chere Estrin profiles top lawyers from all types of practices, and we’re highlighting their top five tips here. This week, the spotlight is on immigration and divorce lawyer — and social media star — Marina Shepelsky. Marina Shepelsky Founder,...
Today, it’s a matter of dollars and sense. By Chere B. Estrin Are you happy in your job? Would you like to be happier? I have never witnessed a job market quite like this one. Honest, I haven’t. It’s a circus out there. Law firms and in-house legal departments are coming at us with request upon request upon request (ok, you get it) for corporate paralegals all over the country....
By Chere B. Estrin The other day while I was having my nails done and my lip waxed, I received a desperate call from one of our good clients, a major AmLaw 100 firm (the top in the country). The Talent Acquisition Manager had been looking for very experienced, sophisticated corporate paralegals across the entire country and could not, despite ads, referrals, many agencies and praying to the...
Are You Guilty of This? By Chere B. Estrin Are you sending your paralegal resume out with little or no response? Are you thinking about seeking a new position but not sure whether your resume will meet the test? Let’s talk turkey. I hear over and over from paralegals telling me: They don’t know why they are not getting interviews They have sent their resume out dozens of times with...
The Great Reluctance Crossover By Chere B. Estrin Warning! For God’s sake, don’t show this article to your employer! That being said, (as if I had to), there has been no greater time to take advantage of a healthy job market where candidates firmly hold the upper hand – and probably will for some time to come. If you haven’t peaked out from your current position to view what’s...
By Chere B. Estrin Don't Make Rookie Mistakes and Blow Your Interview It’s interesting how some people think they are giving a great interview. Sometimes, it is just downright laughable. A couple of months ago, we were searching for a new recruiter for our own organization. We interviewed a number of people but couldn’t seem to find the right person. I interviewed a candidate that...
By Chere B. EstrinHave you ever participated professionally in a competitive sport? Are you familiar with the approaches in which professionals train for one? If you look deeply, you will see a strong resemblance in principal to sports and the legal professional field. The reality is, if we focus on the actual mechanics of what we do over a period of time, we can see that we receive results...
An Interview With Cher EstrinCharisma: It is equally important to have a compelling presence, which includes positive energy, an influential personality, and the ability to communicate effectively. As a lawyer, I have learned that effective presence is an equal companion to competence, character, compassion and courage. Presentation creates perception, and perception is reality.Norman...
