Four Tips for Reluctant Networkers
by Debra L. Bruce, president of Lawyer-Coach.com
appeared in The Legal Intelligencer.

The tips are designed to make that essential networking activity more enjoyable, or at least less painful, for the reluctant networker. She even provides starter questions such as:

• In your opinion, what makes a great ______? (Fill in whatever they are: real estate lawyer, CEO, engineer, salesperson, parent, etc.)

• How is the economy affecting you (or your business, industry or company)?

• The practice of law is changing. What do you think it will be like 10 years from now?

For the full article, go to

http://www.law.com/jsp/law/careercenter/lawArticleCareerCenter.jsp?id=1202433106703

Public Interest Perspectives — An Introductory Training for Private Sector Attorneys Entering Public Interest Placements:
September 9, 2009 at 1:00 pm Eastern Time

The Association of Pro Bono Counsel and NALP are pleased to announce a free national training for attorneys beginning volunteer public interest placements. Complimentary online registration is now open at: http://tinyurl.com/meggy8.

The program is intended for private sector attorneys who are beginning public service placements with legal aid and other nonprofit legal organizations. It will provide an overview of the differences in law firm and nonprofit practice settings, insight on working with low-income clients, and background on the economic challenges presently being confronted by the public interest community. While the training focuses particularly on practice in civil legal services organizations, the information is relevant to most public interest settings.

The two-hour program will be offered on September 9, 1:00 pm Eastern Time. It can be accessed from any computer and phone line.

Questions: If you have any questions or for more information, please contact Kelly Tautges at ktautges@chicagobar.org or 312-554-8356.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Legal Honor's Program

HUD’s Legal Honors Program for graduating law students, graduate law students, and judicial law clerks serves as the Department’s only recruitment program for entry-level attorneys. Subject to appropriations, approximately 10-20 legal honor positions are available annually in Headquarters and Field offices. Successful candidates begin work in August or September and participate in a 14-month appointment that may lead to a permanent position, pending bar acceptance. During the program, Legal Honors are assigned mentors, are given the opportunity to rotate to other offices within OGC, and participate in additional training and monthly discussions to enhance their program experience and develop their legal abilities. The program is highly competitive and candidates are selected on the basis of merit. Selection considerations include many factors, such as academic achievement; law review and other publication work; extracurricular activities such as moot court competitions and legal clinics; employment history; and participation in activities related to HUD’s mission. The Department provides reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. It is the policy of the Department of Housing and Urban Development to promote the maximum employment and job advancement for qualified disabled veterans, similar to its policy, goals, and objectives with reference to all persons with disabilities. All applicants for employment with the Department of Housing and Urban Development are judged without regard to their race, age, sex, national origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, or familial status.

All application materials, as described above, must be postmarked by Friday, October 16, 2009 and submitted to the following address. We regret that we cannot accept applications electronically or by facsimile (fax).

• Return the completed application materials (original and two copies) to:
LEGAL HONORS PROGRAM
Director: Administration Management and HR Division
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Office of General Counsel
Room 10245
451 Seventh Street, SW
Washington, DC 20410

While applicants may submit informal copies of their resumés and applications to HUD staff at job fairs and on campus interviews, these copies are not a substitute for the official submission to the address above.

For more information, please reference the following link:
http://www.hud.gov/offices/ogc/

The Department of Homeland Security General Counsel's 2010 Honors Programs

The General Counsel’s Honors Program serves as the cornerstone for entry-level attorney hiring by the Department of Homeland Security. This program offers highly qualified third-year law students; graduate law students (applying in the fall of the last year of their graduate law study); and judicial law clerks the opportunity to start their legal career by addressing some of the most critical and controversial issues facing our nation today.

Honors Program Attorneys will be hired for a two-year term, and during that time will have the opportunity to work in the headquarters Office of the General Counsel and other participating component legal offices within the Office of the General Counsel. These include legal offices within the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Secret Service, Customs and Border Protection, Transportation Security Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the United States Coast Guard. All of the offices in which Honors Program Attorneys will serve during their two-year term are located in the Washington D.C. area. Honors Program Attorneys who achieve satisfactory performance ratings will be eligible for full-time positions at the conclusion of their two-year term, depending on the Department’s needs and availability of funding.

The Honors Program is highly competitive. The Department selects candidates based on multiple factors including academic achievement, writing skills, law review participation, moot court experience, legal aid or clinical experience, and employment history. We also consider specialized academic studies, post-graduate studies, as well as extracurricular activities that directly relate to the work of the Department. We seek candidates with a well-rounded background, demonstrated intellectual and analytical abilities, and excellent judgment.

The responsibilities of the Department offer Honors Program Attorneys experience in a variety of practice areas. These include, but are not limited to, litigation, administrative law, commercial law, procurement law, legislative and regulatory drafting, maritime law, immigration law, enforcement law, and national security law. Honors Program Attorneys working for the Department can expect to be given a significant amount of responsibility early in their career, often handling highly visible or legally significant cases on an accelerated basis. Honors Program Attorneys will also participate in a program designed to familiarize them with the operating components within the Department and other federal agencies.

Applications for the Honors Program will be accepted online from August 15, 2009 to September 21, 2009. Candidates interested in the 2010 Honors Program should submit a resume, cover letter, references and a current law school transcript to OGCstaffing@dhs.gov . Final selections for the Honors Program are expected in the beginning of November 2009. Subject to budgetary or security clearance issues individuals selected for the Honors Attorney Program can expect to commence employment with the Department in the fall of 2010. Additional information may be available on our website at www.dhs.gov.

If you have additional questions please contact Craig Raynsford, Legal Advisor, DHS Office of the General Counsel at 202-447-3303.

The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factor.

Public Interest Perspectives - An Introductory Training for Private Attorney's in Public Interest Placements

Save the Date: September 9, 2009 at 1:00pm Eastern Time

The Association of Pro Bono Counsel and NALP are pleased to announce afree national training for attorneys beginning volunteer public interestplacements. Please pass this on to interested parties.

What: A free national web-based training for attorneys who arebeginning extended public service placements with legal aid and othernonprofit legal organizations. The training will provide an overviewof the differences in law firm and nonprofit practice settings, insighton working with low-income clients, and background on the economicchallenges presently being confronted by the public interest community.

Who: The training is designed for all attorneys taking temporary,extended public interest placements. While the training focusesparticularly on practice in civil legal services organizations, theinformation is relevant to most public interest settings. A coalitionof public interest leaders from the legal aid community and the privatebar designed and will present this training.

Why: As a result of the current economy, many attorneys, especiallynewer attorneys, who expected to be in private practice are beginningextended placements in legal aid and other public interestorganizations. This training aims to provide a bridge program forassociates transitioning into a practice setting with which they may beunfamiliar. By providing this preliminary training, we hope to bestprepare these attorneys to engage in this unique opportunity tocontribute to and learn about the public interest legal community.

When: This 2 hour program will be offered on September 9, 1:00pmEastern Time.

Where: This training can be accessed from any computer and phone line.In many cities, organizers are planning a central location (barassociation, law firm, etc.) so attorneys may participate in thetraining together. Following these sessions, a discussion on issuesrelevant to fellowships will follow the long-distance training. Weencourage attorneys to attend the live session with their colleagues.Details will follow from local organizations.

Register: If you are able to participate in this training, pleaseregister now: http://tinyurl.com/meggy8.

Questions: If you have any questions or for more information, pleasecontact Kelly Tautges at ktautges@chicagobar.org or 312-554-8356.

Program Faculty:

* Margaret C. Benson, Executive Director, Chicago Volunteer LegalServices* Tiela Chalmers, Executive Director, Volunteer Legal ServicesProgram of the San Francisco Bar Association
* Steven Grumm, Director of Public Service Initiatives, NationalAssociation for Law Placement (NALP)* Bruce Iwasaki, Senior Partner, Lim Ruger & Kim, LLP; and formerExecutive Director, Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles* Harlene Katzman, Pro Bono Counsel, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett,LLP* David Lash - Managing Counsel of Public Interest and Pro BonoServices, O'Melveny & Myers, LLP; and former Executive Director, BetTzedek* Steven H. Schulman, Pro Bono Partner, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer &Feld, LLP* Jonathan Smith - Executive Director, Legal Aid Society of theDistrict of Columbia* John Tull - former Executive Director, Southern Arizona LegalAid; and former Vice President for Programs, Legal Services Corporation* Angela Vigil - North American Director, Pro Bono & CommunityService, Baker & McKenzie; and former Director, Children's Law Pro BonoProgram, Northwestern University School of Law