21st Century Solicitor : How to Make a Real Impact as a Junior Commercial Lawyer (Paperback)

Introduction · Who is this book for? · What will it aim to do - a guide not a handbook, suggestions rather than answers · Getting the best out of this book · Impact is about communication · The 'Lightbulb' moment - the core message... Chapter 1 - Why Do People Become Lawyers? Chapter 2 - The Hygiene Factors: Technical Acumen and Competency · What are the basics? · Achieving the basics Chapter 3 - Personal Brand and Lawyers · What is personal brand? · What is the brand of a lawyer? · What makes a successful modern lawyer brand? · What makes a successful modern junior commercial lawyer brand? · Destroying your brand as a junior lawyer · Increasing self-awareness - feedback and input from others (neurosis versus proactivity)? The core elements: - Technical acumen and competency - Billing...enough - Communication - Commerciality - Likeability - Visibility - Networking - Developmental awareness and training Chapter 4 - Communication Skills for the 21st Century Solicitor · What are communication skills? · How do communication skills impact on personal brand? · What do you need to do? · What kind of communicators will you come across? · A new take on the Merrill & Read Social Styles Model · Top tips for the junior lawyer Chapter 5 - Creative Writing in a Law Firm? Surely not... · Clarity - a basic understanding of the nuts and bolts of sentence construction , · Coherence - a sense of the aim and purpose of your written document · Creativity - the seasoning that lifts it from the workmanlike to the exceptional - a strong dash of imagination Chapter 6 - Be Visible - It's a Short-Cut to Success: Presentation Skills for the 21st Century Solicitor · Planning a legal presentation - making sure they remember you and not just your topic! · Structuring a legal presentation · Delivering a legal presentation · Presentation aids - PowerPoint, Flipcharts and Handouts Chapter 7 - Commerciality for the 21st Century Solicitor - It's Not Rocket Science · It's all about how you communicate your 'passion' for all things commercial · Macro-versus micro knowledge - remember, you're a lawyer not an economist · Don't try to be too clever · Common sense in a business context · It's all about massaging egos... · Top tricks to show others you care Chapter 8 - Being the Kind of Likeable Lawyer you Look Up To... · Doing as senior say, not what they do · Common courtesy in a law firm · Push back, be assertive but play a canny game Chapter 9 - Networking for the Junior Lawyer (internal and external) · Networking is easy - our five-step plan to networking success Chapter 10 - Developing yourself - Learning and Development as a Likeable Lawyer · Search for new ideas · Show interest in developing · Get feedback, not just at appraisal time! · Get involved with your Training/L&D Team as early as possible - be a 'go-to' person Conclusion - Understanding How to Push the Right Buttons · Our action plan for success · Don't overthink things · Be a good person - treat others as you want to be treated and be the person who doesn't scare others