Filling in the Blanks: Practical Skills for the Working Lawyer

You learn a lot in law school, but…

The increasing calls for reformation of legal training with more attention to skills training, experiential learning and the development of practice-related competencies, missing from most law schools’ curricula have been heard for several years.

Filling in the Blanks is a chapter-by-chapter roadmap prepared by those who have succeeded in private practice to take young and working lawyers through the complexities of “how to practice law”.

This book is packed with in-depth lessons learned derived from decades of on-the-job training, from the likes of:

• Robert U. Sattin, president emeritus of TAGLaw® The Appleton Group Inc.
• Frank M. Young, III, Young Law LLC
• Robert E. Shapiro, commercial trial lawyer and senior litigator at Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg
• Ian H. Turvill, chief marketing officer at Freeborn & Peters LLP
• Robert A. Reitman, partner at Cornick, Garber & Sandler LLP

who highlight the critically important skills needed to be successful as a lawyer, as a partner, and as a business developer, including:

• Becoming a partner – Tips on climbing the partnership mountain
• Effective communication outside the courtroom
• Learning and developing good judgment.
• Building a practice through disciplined business development
• Key considerations for initial client interviews
• The many stages to becoming a skilled negotiator
• Understanding the mechanics of financial statements

Key Skills also features exclusive insight from Patricia K. Gillette, partner at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe on Women in law, the hurdles to career progression and how to overcome them.

Whether you are a new law student, a first year associate, a seasoned trial lawyer, a practice group leader or a managing partner, Filling in the Blanks provides the practical skills needed to understand and effectively manage the business of law.