Acclaimed author and Professor of Legal Career Management at Concord Law School Richard Hermann spoke to Elon Law students at a Professional Development Forum sponsored by Elon Law’s Center for Professional Development.
During the September 10 event, Hermann advised students on finding success in a tough legal job market and discussed his most recent book, Practicing Law in Small-Town America (American Bar Association, Chicago, IL; release date: Fall 2012).
During the forum, Hermann discussed the current status of the legal job market and areas where jobs are being created for lawyers and people with law degrees.
“One of the best kept secrets of small town practices is that it’s not just solos and small law firms,” Hermann said.
Hermann encouraged students and recent graduates to consider what employers are looking for when interviewing and applying for jobs. He cited likeability, fit within the current staff and office atmosphere and intelligence – academic, creative, situational and emotional – as the top three characteristics employers look for when hiring.
“A job is a problem,” Hermann said. “An employer has a problem and your job is to figure out how you can solve that problem and express that to the employer.”
Hermann earned a J.D. from Cornell Law School, an M.A. from New School University and a B.A. from Yale University. His is admitted to the bar of New York and the District of Columbia. He has served in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps and in other military service positions. He is the author of several books including, From Lemons to Lemonade in the New Legal Job Market: Winning Job Search Strategies for Entry-Level Attorneys (Lawyer Avenue Press, Seattle, WA, January 2012), Landing a Federal Legal Job: Solving the U.S. Government Job Market (American Bar Association, Chicago, IL, 2011), Managing Your Legal Career: Best Practices for Creating the Career You Want (American Bar Association, Chicago, IL, 2010).
Information on Elon Law’s Center for Professional Development is available here.