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March 05, 2009
Leadership and Professionalism: Establishing Your Professional Reputation Now
You may have heard it said before that your reputation is the best asset you have. Whether you are a 1L, 2L, or 3L, whether you’ve worked a minute of time for a legal employer or not, whether you even realize it or not, your career in the law began the day that you made the decision to enroll in law school. So did your professional reputation.
Now that you are in law school, you are beginning to build a professional reputation that can and will follow you wherever you go. The students you attend class with on a daily basis, the professors and staff that you interact with at the law school, the employers to which you submit cover letters and resumes, and the people with whom you interview all form part of the legal community that you have decided to join. And, although you’re still a student, you must begin now to think about what kind of reputation you want as you begin your legal career. In a tough economy, your professional reputation is more important than ever.
The best way to prepare to be an attorney who is a leader and a professional is to start acting like a leader and a professional now.
• Become involved in your law school and in the local community and don’t be afraid to take on leadership positions in the organizations that are most interesting to you.
• Remember that the students you attend class with on a daily basis, the professors and staff that you interact with at the law school, the employers to which you submit cover letters and resumes, and the people with whom you interview all form part of the legal community that you have decided to join. Focus on making your interactions with these people professional and responsible – they will remember you when you’ve graduated and moved on and the connections you make now, if they are positive, can last throughout your legal career.
• Be vigilant about your online profile. You need to be certain that the Internet profile you are maintaining is the right profile for employers – now and in the future. Search your name on the internet to find out what is out there. Search for information about yourself in every way possible (Google, Yahoo!, MSN, AOL, Facebook, MySpace, and some of the other online communities that you may participate in). Take a look at what is posted and ask yourself, "Would I want an employer to see this?" Remember - every nugget of information that you post or that someone posts about you on the internet can last for many years to come and employers are checking up on you online.
Remember, the CSO is here to help with questions related to professionalism and etiquette – so stop by to talk with us if you have any concerns.
Posted by kcc17 at March 5, 2009 10:20 AM