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One Life Changing Day

One Life Changing Day

After the waking nightmare that was 2020, I wanted to enter 2021 focused and ready to reclaim some feeling of control in my life. If I learned anything from Covid-19 and months of quarantine, it is to be grateful for each day that I wake up in good health with the power to determine my own destiny. I graduated college and law school, but as I haven't won a Nobel Prize or a MacArthur Genius Grant (yet), I reckoned there was more I could learn about goal setting - so I decided to check out Achievement 21: Goalapalooza on January 2, 2021.

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6 Hacks to Crush Anxiety About Writing

6 Hacks to Crush Anxiety About Writing

This week, we're excited to share a guest post.  Julie Schrager is an attorney and the legal writing coach at Faegre Dinker, a full-service law firm of more than 1200 attorneys, consultants, and professionals in 21 offices.  She works closely with summer associates, associates, and partners to improve their legal writing.  Julie firmly believes that everyone can improve their written communication skills.  Below, she shares practical tips that can help anyone feeling anxious or overwhelmed about a written assignment, regardless of industry. Thank you, Julie!

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Making the summer associate experience a win-win

Making the summer associate experience a win-win

The summer experience has big stakes for both the law firm and the summer associate.

Most firms hire summer associates as a talent pipeline for their full-time associate ranks. The summer is an important evaluation period and recruiting period. The firm wants summers to be excited about full-time employment. This process, done annually, fosters a firm’s growth and evolution.

The summer program is equally important to the summer associate. The summer wants a full-time job; it’s harder to find a permanent spot as a rising 3L without an offer in hand. The summer also wants to create a positive reputation at the firm, because that reputation lays the foundation for long-term success at the firm.

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Making the summer associate experience a win-win

Making the summer associate experience a win-win

The summer experience has big stakes for both the law firm and the summer associate.

Most firms hire summer associates as a talent pipeline for their full-time associate ranks. The summer is an important evaluation period and recruiting period. The firm wants summers to be excited about full-time employment. This process, done annually, fosters a firm’s growth and evolution.

The summer program is equally important to the summer associate. The summer wants a full-time job; it’s harder to find a permanent spot as a rising 3L without an offer in hand. The summer also wants to create a positive reputation at the firm, because that reputation lays the foundation for long-term success at the firm.

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6 Hacks to Crush Anxiety in Legal Writing

6 Hacks to Crush Anxiety in Legal Writing

Summer associates and newer lawyers can relate to this situation: your supervisor hands you a writing assignment, and you face a deadline that’s a week or so away. At the moment the deadline feels remote. But you know that legal writing takes a lot longer than any writing you’ve done before and that you should get started now. But you can’t. Why is that?

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One Life Changing Day

One Life Changing Day

After the waking nightmare that was 2020, I wanted to enter 2021 focused and ready to reclaim some feeling of control in my life. If I learned anything from Covid-19 and months of quarantine, it is to be grateful for each day that I wake up in good health with the power to determine my own destiny. I graduated college and law school, but as I haven't won a Nobel Prize or a MacArthur Genius Grant (yet), I reckoned there was more I could learn about goal setting - so I decided to check out Achievement 21: Goalapalooza on January 2, 2021.

Read More
Apochromatik's Holiday Guide

Apochromatik's Holiday Guide

The holidays are here! With the combination of work parties, family activities, an expanded to do list, and all the end of the year craziness, you may not have been sitting at your desk, hitting refresh on the Apochromatik blog. We’ve rounded up some of our resources on the holidays, both articles that have quoted us as experts, and our own blog posts that can help you end December with deepened work relationships, having advanced your career, and with time and energy left for your most important relationships.

Read More
One Life Changing Day

One Life Changing Day

After the waking nightmare that was 2020, I wanted to enter 2021 focused and ready to reclaim some feeling of control in my life. If I learned anything from Covid-19 and months of quarantine, it is to be grateful for each day that I wake up in good health with the power to determine my own destiny. I graduated college and law school, but as I haven't won a Nobel Prize or a MacArthur Genius Grant (yet), I reckoned there was more I could learn about goal setting - so I decided to check out Achievement 21: Goalapalooza on January 2, 2021.

Read More
Apochromatik's Holiday Guide

Apochromatik's Holiday Guide

The holidays are here!  With the combination of work parties, family activities, an expanded to do list, and all the end of the year craziness, you may not have been sitting at your desk, hitting refresh on the Apochromatik blog. We’ve rounded up some of our resources on the holidays, both articles that have quoted us as experts, and our own blog posts that can help you end December with deepened work relationships, having advanced your career, and with time and energy left for your most important relationships. 

Read More
7 Ways to Maintain Your Career Motivation Over the Holidays

7 Ways to Maintain Your Career Motivation Over the Holidays

Sometimes it seems there’s a virtual black hole between November and the end of the year that devours work productivity. This time of year is usually a chaotic rush of holiday parties, cross-country travel, and visiting friends and family, all of which can impose distractions and make it difficult to focus on day-to-day duties at work. Plus, most workplaces start to slow down over the holidays, which also can hinder career motivation. Fortunately, there are ways to avoid the void. Follow these tips to help maintain your motivation and set yourself up for success in the new year.

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Making the summer associate experience a win-win

Making the summer associate experience a win-win

The summer experience has big stakes for both the law firm and the summer associate.

Most firms hire summer associates as a talent pipeline for their full-time associate ranks. The summer is an important evaluation period and recruiting period. The firm wants summers to be excited about full-time employment. This process, done annually, fosters a firm’s growth and evolution.

The summer program is equally important to the summer associate. The summer wants a full-time job; it’s harder to find a permanent spot as a rising 3L without an offer in hand. The summer also wants to create a positive reputation at the firm, because that reputation lays the foundation for long-term success at the firm.

Read More
5 Tips for Summer Success: What Every Law Student Needs To Know

5 Tips for Summer Success: What Every Law Student Needs To Know

—Julie Schrager

For some students, summer is a break from school.  But for many law students, particularly after their 2L year, summer is an important step on the path to a permanent position.  You manage multiple writing assignments (and social events too!) and adapt what you’ve learned to new types of work and interactions.  And even if you are working at a law firm or other setting that either always gives offers or never gives offers, your second summer is an opportunity to develop some of the professional skills that you will need to be successful in whatever position you obtain after you graduate.  

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6 Hacks to Crush Anxiety About Writing

6 Hacks to Crush Anxiety About Writing

This week, we're excited to share our first guest post.  Julie Schrager is an attorney and the legal writing coach at Schiff Hardin, a full-service law firm of more than 300 lawyers in seven offices.  She works closely with summer associates, associates, and partners to improve their legal writing.  Julie firmly believes that everyone can improve their written communication skills.  Below, she shares practical tips that can help anyone feeling anxious or overwhelmed about a written assignment, regardless of industry. Thank you, Julie!

Read More