I’ve been training inside a lot of law firms over the past two months. Whether it’s a big firm in NY, a mid-sized firm in DC, or a boutique in Atlanta, I keep hearing about a gap between the mentoring associates desire and the lack of engagement partners feel from associates. I believe that both … Continued
In the coming weeks, I’ll be speaking to hundreds of incoming law firm associates. In preparation, I surveyed dozens of partners to uncover their biggest challenges when working with junior attorneys. The feedback was overwhelmingly consistent: a critical gap in communication. Partners repeatedly shared that associates are failing to: Ask questions early when in doubt … Continued
I’ve been meeting with clients all month to get a pulse on what they’re facing, and I am consistently hearing about all the uncertainty in the workplace, whether it’s AI-related, the economy, or a potential merger. Here’s my take on how to navigate uncertainty: We can’t stop change, but we can prepare ourselves to take … Continued
We have a new intern. His name is Claude. Claude knows more about everything than anyone I’ve ever worked with. He works for far less than minimum wage, completes his tasks quickly, and sits quietly in a corner between assignments. He also exaggerates and speaks with absolute certainty, even when he has no idea what he’s talking about. … Continued
9 out of every 10 resumes I review have a typo in them. When I started working in recruiting about a year ago, I couldn’t believe how common it was. Even some of the most senior professionals have obvious spelling, grammar, and formatting errors. One director candidate described themselves as highly detail-oriented but had inconsistent margins and … Continued
Happy Summer! What will you do to make yours fun? I love summer, but I am keenly aware of how the weeks fly by each year. This summer, I am committed to being more present and making conscious choices as to how I spend my time having fun. Lately, I’ve been leading a lot of … Continued
Like most of you, we’ve had an incredibly busy spring! Between summer associate training programs and a record number of placements, it’s been a hectic season for the Wisnik team. But we promised ourselves we’d make time to do the important things, not just the urgent ones, before the first half of this year is over. … Continued
This week is my 63rd birthday and I am celebrating relationships. I was in DC yesterday presenting on Mentoring & Engagement for the partners at Sterne Kessler, doing work I love for a firm I feel deeply connected to. While in DC, I got to celebrate with client-friends I’ve known for over 25 years. I … Continued
April has been busy with industry conferences. ALA, NALP, and LMA all held their annual conferences this month. My LinkedIn feed has been filled with smiling faces of colleagues reconnecting. Seeing these photos reminded me of a fundamental question: Why is it so vital to nurture these professional relationships? Because when change happens, and it … Continued
By Jake Wisnik Last week, I had the absolute pleasure of attending my first NALP Annual Education Conference in Hollywood, Florida. While I had previously attended the Newer Professionals Forum in a slightly colder Philadelphia two months ago, this conference felt like a big step into the major leagues of law firm recruiting. Getting to … Continued